Misplaced Fondness for the Ancient

We have always wondered about ourselves. In their attempt to understand the world, our ancestors used to ask the sages, priests and shamans.

In the millenia since life evolved on earth, human beings have discovered a lot. There are still many unanswered questions, but they are much fewer than they used to be. Most of us have accepted the explanations that human endeavors have provided. Yet, there is a group of people that clings to the past, in spite of all the discoveries made.

1. Chanting: Before writing was invented, knowledge was transferred orally. In order to ensure that exact versions were transmitted between people, there used to be chantings. Those pre-writing days are long gone. Yet, people continue chanting. They have forgotten the original purpose - chanting has become a goal in itself.
2. Rich meals after child-birth: When nutritious food was scarce, the best had to be preserved for the mother and the new baby. The net result was that new mothers were fed high-energy foods. Scarcity of food is long gone. Yet, some people insist on feeding the new mothers very rich foods - in the name of tradition. Result - unnecessary health implications.
3. Mercury Chelation vs. antibiotics: Before antibiotics were invented, mercury was used as a poor antibiotic. I have recently run into a movement that says that antibiotics should be eschewed in favor of chelation? Why - because that is what the ancients did.

Why do people do this? Because many of them don't pause to think. And, many are led in this parth. By those sages, priests and shamans who have seen their power shrink due to new discoveries.

Unfortunately, there are still gullible people who fall for this - damaging their own lives and those of their loved ones. The sages, priests and shamans meanwhile laugh all the way to ... wherever they go for their pleasure.

Replacing yoga with rituals

Imagine you are at the gym, working out to the nice rhythmic music - whether it be on a treadmill, or even in an aerobics class. Now imagine someone coming up to you, and telling you that doing exercise is futile, it is the music that makes a difference in whether or not you stay healthy. Would you permanently stop exercising, and just sit down to listen to music instead to stay fit?

I would not. That is why I don't understand many "yoga" enthusiasts I have come across recently. They started off doing yoga, but soon replaced it with rituals and chanting. Physical exercise is always hard work, so it is not a surprise that people find short-cuts to it. But, don't they see that this is not helping them with physical fitness? In fact, many of these yogis are now overweight. No worries, the person who helped them make this transition tells them; this is called spirituality, and you will see its benefits in your next life. Works for them, and works for their guide, who they now revere as a Guru. Seeing them lap up everything that he says in the name of spirituality, the Guru comes up with more new rituals, and the followers continue to fall for it. The Guru has just earned a set of pseudo-slaves, who will do anything for him/her. And the followers feel good that they don't have to take responsibility for anything; they merely follow what the guru tells them, and they are on their path to "success" in life - not just this one but many lives after this.

If all parties involved in it feel good about it, then where is the harm. These yogis are harming themselves even if they don't realize it. But more important, they are harming others in their environment. Imagine your spouse running constantly to do rituals that the Guru told them to do, neglecting responsibility to the house, to their children, and the society as a whole. Sitting for hours on end, praising the Guru is their preferred way of spending their time.

My guess is that not everyone will fall for it. I suspect that this life-style is for those prone to shirk responsibility anyway. Now they have a legitimate way of doing it and feeling good about it - in the name of spirituality. In fact, their language also reflects it. One of the people I am referring to, recently moved across the country - because "she got a message that she needs to move." Then she moved away because "she got a new message." While the outcome is the same, this is very different from saying "she decided."

There may be room for spirituality in people's lives, but as a component of balanced life-style, not as a substitute for acting responsibly. I wish more people would start taking responsibility for their own lives. But, for some people that may be asking for too much.