Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Rituals shape, stretch, define, and redefine the identity of their participants. As one engages in a ritual, one’s consciousness changes. The power of ritual lies not in the ability to communicate conscious knowledge, but to frame experience in such a way that it may be apprehended meaningfully. Ritual can have the impact of lived experience because the body performs it. In this way, people can learn about what is important through experiencing ‘‘fresh’’ what those before have experienced. Real life is very messy and organic whereas discourse about life tends to be tidier and more linear. Ritual is in-between. Being in a ritual with a long tradition can make a person feel connected and that they belong. A ritual can affirm a person’s identity. 

Rituals work through the senses to cultivate wisdom in the bones. Unlike discourses on wisdom that focus on understanding the empty nature of ultimate reality — and hence are sometimes too abstract and cold to comfort someone who is experiencing excruciating pain — rituals can help one feel the sense of connectedness bodily. People can really experience certain feelings that shift one’s view of life through the guidance of rituals. For example, it is not just a matter of intellectually knowing that by virtue of DNA you are still connected to your family members after they die. A ritual that welcomes them home can make someone feel, as in the case of the summertime memorial rites of O-bon, that they are really there enjoying a meal together.’ (Women and Dogen: Rituals Actualizing Empowerment and Healing)