Suresh,
It's not important, but I want to mention that I disagree about "stupid
rituals". Not stupid.
Rituals are simply a way of making visible the invisible.
In the Zen tradition as it is practiced formally and in lineages (not as
Rajneesh carries it out), rituals are very important, as PRACTICE. This/they
include chanting, and certain respectful behavior, including bowing and
prostrations, which affect us physically.
I myself tend nowadays not to practice in a particularly religious way, but I
understand from experience and can appreciate the importance and "place" of
ritual in the several religions I have practiced in.
Those who don't appreciate religion usually will not appreciate ritual, and I
think that is natural.
Unfortunately, religion requires Imagination.
That's where a lot of people fall down, I think. They may consider themselves
"Realists", or something like that, and in so doing, immediately limit
themselves. That, too, is not the Zen way.
If you don't go to a play, and consider all that play-acting "stupid", well,
YOU MISS THE WHOLE STORY, and YOU MISS ANY CATHARSIS POSSIBLE THROUGH IT (see
Aristotle on that last bit).
Suresh, what are your views on the out-of-context tidbits you quote
voluminously?
--Joe
> SURESH JAGADEESAN <varamtha@...> wrote:
>
> The small word `zen' contains the whole evolution of religious
> consciousness. <snip>
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