Yup, I grew up scoffing mindless ritualistic ceremonies. But only recently, have I been open to dig deeper. One such instance was about a week ago. Eastern traditions are replete with stories of how the gods are invoked during pious religious ceremonies. Seemed incredulous to me! Then, I heard an explanation by Shantanu Jignasu Dasharath at such an event last week which gave me a different perspective. Fire tends to play a pivotal role in various ceremonies. The transformative element of fire is celebrated across various cultures. At these events, if one were to consciously cast away all that we don't want into the fire (anger with someone, jealously, regret, laziness, etc), one emerges feeling better, nay feel GREAT. It is this feeling of goodness that attracts like minded good souls/positive energies to us. This seems logical to me. Gratitude for one more important understanding in the fascinating transformative journey!
