Religious Rituals: Buddhism & Islam

A ritual is composed of a series of rites, a symbolic act. To carry out a rite is not only to enact a symbol, but also to participate in a certain mode of being which has an extra-human and universal extension. In both the Islamic and Buddhist traditions, rituals are incorporated into their daily activities to express their teachings and doctrines. Although these religions may have variant opinions on the exact nature of a ritual and their function, they do however concur that, “rites with the proper mental accompaniment are an absolute necessity”, and that “the value of actions is only through their intentions (niyah)”. The five pillars of Islam contain rituals that when performed, enable a human situation to share in a principle that goes beyond it and its basis. In particular, Salat - daily prayer, and the Hajj - pilgrimage, provide more than just an ethical attitude. They promote the implicitly universal nature of the qualitative form of rites. Similarly, the role of Pilgrimage and the burial practices found within Buddhism assist in highlighting and expressing their teachings. Often religious rites are the means by which a community preserves their teachings. They sustain the common faith and framework of understanding, so that the community is perpetuated and renewed.

Rites are the practical expression of the Muslim's desire to achieve God's pleasure and Islamic law sets down the prescriptions for the right conduct of prayer. Muslims are required to pray five times daily. Before performing each prayer, Muslims must first enter a state of ritual purity, known as wudu. This involves the washing of hands, feet, and face, and rinsing the nostrils and the ears. The wife is also required to wash her hair. Islamic scriptures outline the importance of this ritual and demonstrates how salat effectively makes a positive contribution to their daily lives and aids in expressing their teachings:

I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), “Which deed is the most desirable to Allah?” He replied: “To offer the obligatory prayer time.”

Daily prayer in Islam contains a variety of characteristics that must be adhered to, to ensure that prayer is meaningful and from the heart. The ritual of Salat contains a rich metaphysical symbolism in the procedure of wudu; “The ritual of ablution preceding prayer brings man back in virtuality to the primordial state and in a certain manner to pure Being”. Prayer has molded the Islamic world and way of life. Prayer time has been incorporated into the work place in accordance with anti-discrimination laws all over the world.

On the other hand, there is no fixed ritual that Buddhist pilgrims need to observe. One pilgrim might repeat the five precepts, another might recite the noble eightfold path, and another might choose to repeat a saying of the Buddha. Orthodox Buddhists do not make pilgrimages as Westerners would understand the term. Rather, they make personal journeys in search of deeper spiritual awareness. Many Buddhists visit places in hope of being taught or reminded of their tradition's founder and is teachings. There is much symbolism involved in the practice of the pilgrimage ritual. The actions and performance of pilgrimage symbolize the divine and is performed for a variety of reasons. It brings to life the events from the life of holy beings which in turn, strengthen spiritual aspirations. In regards to the sites that Buddhists visit, The Buddha said, “These should be visited with thought of reverence, such that anyone dying on the journey would be reborn in heaven”. Thus, the ritual of pilgrimage is incorporated into the lives of Buddhists to express the teachings through the rich symbolism that is associated with the rituals.

Muslims believe that the rites of Hajj were designed by God and taught to the Prophet Muhammad. It is designed to help develop God consciousness and a sense of spiritual rebirth. Hajj is also believed to be an opportunity to seek forgiveness of sins accumulated through life. It is a once in a lifetime obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means permit. The rites of Hajj symbolize the essential concept of Islam and commemorate trials of the Prophet Abraham and his family. Hajj re-enacts a pivotal period in the development of Islam that centers on the journey of Hagar and Ishmael. Muslims from all over the world converge on Mecca for this holy event and thus, this ritual is viewed as a universal unifying factor in the Islamic world. Muslims are asked to, “Make the pilgrimage and visit the Sacred House for His sake”. The ritual of the Hajj consists of much symbolism. The stoning of the pillars, jamra, symbolizes Abraham's throwing stones at Satan when he tried to dissuade him from sacrificing his son. While performing the initial tawaf at the Ka'ba, pilgrims recite, “Here I am at your service, O God. Here I am!” This is meant to awaken each Muslim's consciousness that “God is the center of reality and the sources of meaning and life” and that each person's self identity derives from part of the umma. The ritual of Hajj helps to express the teachings through the experience or re-living the past experiences of Muhammad and pondering upon the events that transpired.

Rites for the dead are very common in Buddhist countries. They are often called “making merit for the dead”, as the actions and good works of those alive on earth and the resultant merit or good karma is shared with the departed ones. The Tibetan bardo is the belief in an intermediate state of existence between birth and rebirth. Rites are performed to help the departed one through the bardo and either onto the road to liberation or at least into a favorable rebirth. A common ritual for help and guidance in the bardo is where a dying or recently deceased person will have the Bardo Thos-grol, commonly known as the Tibetan Book of The Dead, read to them. After death, the corpse is usually cremated. Again, it is through the use of rich symbolizes found in this ritual that it is able to express teachings of their religion. The symbolism of cremation is related to the idea of the impermanent body and permanent consciousness in Buddhism. The body is burnt so as to allow no earthly attachment for the soul. The rising smoke symbolizes the ascension of the soul to Bardo.

Religious rites are the means by which a community preserves and passes on its' tradition. They sustain the common faith and framework of understanding, so that the community is perpetuated and renewed. Rituals are a vital component for both the Islamic and Buddhist traditions in expressing the teachings of their religions. It is evident that symbolism comprises a majority of this learning process as it enables the participant of the ritual to explore the concepts and participate in a certain mode of being which has an extra-human and universal extension. From a Muslim's perspective, a ritual is a practical expression of their desire to achieve God's pleasure. Buddhists perform rituals as a means of a personal journey in search of deeper spiritual awareness. Both traditions hold a slightly different view on the nature of rituals. However, they both accept their necessity in portraying effectively, in a way that is interactive and symbolic, the need for the participator to have the right intention in order to ensure that the ritual is acceptable and performed in the correct and appropriate manner.