The ceremonies and rituals are pretty. I find myself singing the songs and bhajans. They make me feel peaceful. But they are not the essence. To get caught up in that world is very attractive but what it offers is an alternative to emotional wisdom, human love and even spiritual truth. There is no such easy replacement to these things. What one can learn from relationship with human beings unversed in religion is usually greater than from reading of books by saints. What one can learn from listening to one’s own heart can be greater than the teachings of gurus and spiritual masters. All we can learn from them, perhaps is the validity and the legitimacy of listening, watching and learning by ourselves, in our own way.
