Sirona
Hindu Wannabe
Last weekend, following a youtube suggestion, out of curiosity I watched a prayer rally "for the Hindu world" held by some Protestant denomination. One of the prayer intentions was "to free people from the chains of ritual". I tried to figure out what kind of "rituals" they might be referring to (after all, brushing your teeth can be a ritual, too) but I suppose the rituals they are referring to is probably what comes to your mind first when you hear the word "Hindu": worshipping and decorating an image or a statue with flowers, clothes, incense etc. So I would like to know whether you have ever felt "enchained" by your rituals?
As for me, I like image worship a great deal because I like the esthetical aspect about it and because I found it easier to focus on the outside in prayer. Praying the Christian way had always felt a bit like I was talking to myself. The only thing I didn't really get to like was Wicca / magic, because according to what I read, rituals were "the most effective" when done at a certain time such as a specific day or time of day, or a lunar phase. For me, this focus on certain times seems constrictive, but this is really the only negative example I could come up with. How about you?
As for me, I like image worship a great deal because I like the esthetical aspect about it and because I found it easier to focus on the outside in prayer. Praying the Christian way had always felt a bit like I was talking to myself. The only thing I didn't really get to like was Wicca / magic, because according to what I read, rituals were "the most effective" when done at a certain time such as a specific day or time of day, or a lunar phase. For me, this focus on certain times seems constrictive, but this is really the only negative example I could come up with. How about you?