Everyday Rituals We Don’t Question 

When you greet your boss with a “good morning,” shake someone’s hand, sing a birthday song, or bow politely – those are rituals. Eating meals in a certain way, saying “thank you,” following social etiquette – all are rituals woven into daily life. You don’t resist them; you accept them naturally. 

So why, when it comes to Buddhist practice, do we suddenly reject rituals like chanting, making offerings, or prostrations? Why do we dismiss them as “old-fashioned” or “unnecessary”? 

This resistance often comes from a deeper ignorance – the belief that “I am real.” This solid sense of self clings to judgments about what is or isn’t “authentic Buddhism.” 

When Rituals Become Empty 

Of course, if rituals are nothing more than blind recitations, they lose meaning. As Rinpoche says: “If just by reciting mantra it will work, then this world will have world peace already.” 

Rituals aren’t magic spells. If you treat them as mumbling words without heart, they’re useless. True practice must be felt. It’s about putting your mind and intention into the act. Waiting until you “feel like it” won’t work either – because that day may never come. Discipline first; the inspiration follows. 

The Buddha himself urged us not to follow blindly, but to investigate and test his teachings. Rituals are not about superstition – they are instruments for transformation. 

The Purpose of Rituals 

So what are rituals really for? 

Accumulating Merit – Offering water bowls, lighting butter lamps, even cleaning a statue – these are ways to build the conditions (merit) needed for wisdom. Without merit, study alone won’t ripen into realization. 

Protecting the Mind – Mantras aren’t just sounds; they are “mind protection,” helping us stabilize and safeguard the natural clarity of our mind. 

Connecting with Enlightened Qualities – When you invoke Tara, Guru Rinpoche, or any Buddha, you are relating to aspects of awakened mind. It’s an intimate connection with qualities you aspire to cultivate. 

Training Ground – Rituals give structure as well as trains concentration and discpline, especially when deep realisation hasn’t dawned yet. They are stepping stones to deeper understanding. 

In doing these rituals, the Buddhas and gurus don’t “fix” us. They are like doctors prescribing medicine. The Sangha are like nurses. But the patient – you – still has to take the medicine. 

Beyond Rituals: Training the Mind 

The heart of practice is not the outer ritual, but the inner work: mastering the mind. As Rinpoche reminds us: “You are the root of your own problem.” 

Buddhism is not about escaping difficulties, but about growing so that difficulties no longer overpower us. This requires “mental plasticity” – the ability to learn, adapt, and expand beyond our habits. 

Rituals, when done with sincerity, help us face anger, attachment, and ignorance directly. They train us in discipline and focus, building the strength to overcome ourselves. 

The Three Principal Aspects 

No matter how many rituals you do, genuine practice must rest on three essential foundations: 

1. Renunciation – Not about rejecting life, but about renouncing suffering itself. Unless we let go of clinging, we cannot be free.

2. Bodhicitta – The wish to awaken for the sake of all beings. Without this altruistic heart, practice becomes self-centered. 

3. Right View of Emptiness – Understanding that everything is empty of independent existence, yet arises in dependence. This view liberates us from being trapped by appearances. 

Without these three, rituals risk becoming empty performance. With them, rituals become gateways to liberation. 

Becoming the Buddha You Already Are 

Ultimately, every being has Buddha nature. You are a future Buddha – not because someone else grants it, but because it is already your true nature. Dharma practice is about uncovering this. 

That means taking responsibility. You are no longer bound by parents or bosses. You hold the power to shape your destiny, to choose awakening. 

So, do you need rituals to practice Buddhism? Yes – but not as superstition, not as hollow show. You need them as skillful means: to protect the mind, accumulate merit, and embody the qualities of enlightenment. 

As Rinpoche says, make your body the prayer, your speech the prayer, your mind the prayer. Mimic the Buddha in daily life: how would Buddha speak, act, respond? Then every moment becomes practice. 

Don’t get stuck on labels. Don’t reduce Buddhism to empty religion. Instead, use rituals as a support to becoming the most evolved version of yourself – free, responsible, and awake. 

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