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Like any other religion, Buddhist philosophy is associated with unique traditions, customs, ceremonies, and rituals. Buddhist culture is extraordinary and multifaceted, further confirmed by numerous rituals, which, in particular, play a crucial role in Buddhism. Even though most Europeans have not heard of such practices, Westerners endlessly believe in these rituals effectiveness and take them extremely seriously. They may seem mysterious and unusual, but interestingly, they work if one has to believe. Rituals are essential and significant components of a non-Judeo-Christian religious culture such as Buddhism.
Similarities
In general, rituals in Buddhist and Judeo-Christian religious cultures have a wide range of similarities. For example, it is necessary to single out teaching with the help of simple parables in the presence of a spiritual Master (Moreau et al., 2014). Anyone can go through a ritual, regardless of external criteria. Moreover, one should recognize that any ritual, by its essence and nature, is an action in which a persons mind, speech, and activity must be included in the spiritual life. People in the cultures must be fully present in a specific spiritual practice. An action, in most cases, is a joint that individuals do with others, and it is like part of the meaning of a ritual and something that expresses a common aspiration. One can even assume that a ritual in these religious cultures is like an embodiment in action as a symbol, an image in a dramatized myth.
In addition, one should emphasize that the practices are based on similar values and are aimed more at improving well-being and spiritual perfection. Both in Buddhist and Judeo-Christian religious cultures, one should clearly understand and realize the meaning of rituals and not just perform them mechanically. Despite their heterogeneity, they equally reflect a higher cultural identity and seek to form a higher common identity with an appropriate set of cultural traits (White et al., 2021). Indeed, Buddhist and Judeo-Christian religious cultures may have different approaches to conducting rituals. Still, they both strive for the highest spiritual perfection, to go beyond the limits of the material world. Thus, during rituals, people reveal themselves from within, from the depths; it is necessary to reveal something from the conscious, mental, and subconscious levels. Consequently, it is not enough to be a believer; one must be a practicing and thoughtful person. All these qualities must participate and be integrated in order for the practice to be an action.
Differences
Nevertheless, despite the above aspects, rituals in the two religions differ significantly. For example, Buddhist practice has rituals such as Mangyn Zasal, Tchaptui, and Tara Mandal Shiva ( Cult in Buddhism, n.d.). To avoid stagnation and troubles at some ages, individual resorts to the help of lamas. A person collects nine unique stones and brings them to a lama, who, in turn, will perform a ritual over them, read special prayers, and sanctify them with a good breath. Accordingly, in Buddhist culture, it is customary to believe that if a person often gets sick or fails at every step, their energy is polluted, and mantras can often help in such cases. To do this, one needs a particular vessel filled with water, and after repeatedly reading a prayer thousands, maybe a million times this water will be endowed with healing properties and wash away all bad energy.
Another equally important ritual helps a lot with any endeavors the miracle of birth, the creation of a new family, and the construction of a home. Unlike representatives of Judeo-Christian religious culture, followers of Buddhism believe it is necessary to gain the goddess Green Taras trust in these efforts ( Cult in Buddhism, n.d.). One should make her offerings in the form of flowers, incense sticks, sweet water, food, and light, give her mandalas and recite special mantras. These rituals may seem particularly strange and unusual for followers of Judeo-Christian beliefs, especially within the framework of the methods and procedures of the execution of rituals.
Applying this Knowledge
Applying this knowledge is possible because of the interaction between religions at the highest level, where people are open and devoid of prejudice. All religions have one goal to work for the well-being of humanity. On this common basis and to avoid theological misunderstandings, Buddhists and Christians should create exchange programs to learn from each other in a spirit of mutual cooperation and respect. It would be beneficial if religions worked together to improve the situation in the world because not only material development but spiritual development is necessary. However, suppose humanity develops only spiritually, and we do not care about the material side. In that case, people are starving, which is not good, and balance is needed in everything. Christianity teaches people to love everyone but does not explain how to do it in detail. Buddhism also has various methods of developing love. At the highest level, the Christian religion is open to learning these methods from Buddhism. This does not mean that all Christians will become Buddhists: no one converts anyone to their faith. However, they can adapt these methods to their religion to practice Christianity on a deeper level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that rituals have a special significance in Buddhist culture and have both many similarities and differences with rituals from Judeo-Christian religious cultures. There are special rituals in Buddhism that may be incomprehensible to most Europeans. However, due to the synthesis of two cultures and religions, it is possible to help a wide range of people from different parts of the world.
References
Cult in Buddhism. What are the religious traditions and holidays of Buddhism. (n.d.). Web.
Moreau, A., Campbell, E., & Greener, S. (2014). Effective intercultural communication: A Christian perspective. Ada, Michigan: Baker Publishing.
White, C. J., Muthukrishna, M., & Norenzayan, A. (2021). Cultural similarity among coreligionists within and between countries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(37), e2109650118. Web.
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