Communication Between Cultures

In the case of Buddhism, there is not a universal scripture written down by Buddha,

but the Pali Canon is based on oral tradition and contains the teachings of Buddha.

Religious Rituals

We begin our discussion of religious rituals by turning to one of the“authorities”we

have just mentioned—Confucius. InAnalects8.2, Confucius notes the value of ritual

when he says,“Without ritual, courtesy is tiresome; without ritual, prudence is timid;

without ritual, bravery is quarrelsome; without ritual, frankness is hurtful.”^51 Rituals

are practiced by all religions. Smart offers an excellent restatement of this idea writing:

Most place a heavy emphasis on ritual. The Catholic is enjoined to attend Mass weekly.

The Muslim is told to pray five times daily, according to a set formula. The Hindu attends

temple rituals frequently. The Theravada Buddhist will often make a trip to the temple to

Rituals are repetitive,

prescribed, ceremonial

actions that allow

members of a

particular faith to

reaffirm important

beliefs and, thereby,

feel spiritually

connected to their

religion.

© Steve Harrington

Religious Rituals 115

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