Every year, during the September/October period for approximately fifteen days, Hindus observe the Pitri Paksh (loosely translated as ancestors' time), by engaging in reflection, prayer and remembrance; a manifestation of gratitude to those who have paved the way and who continue to live through us. As is the case with many ancient ceremonies, misconceptions are common for the purpose and theological principles underpinning the rituals are not generally understood. All Hindu rituals are grounded in the social, psychological and meta-physical domains with a core goal of maintaining order in the family, society and country. The ritual is not the end itself but rather a means or process towards a more noble and lofty cause of remembering and acknowledging the sacrifice and contribution of those who have died.
In this regard, the rituals performed in this period are similar to remembrance ceremonies in both the secular and religious worlds. Examples of the former are Memorial Day and Remembrance Day. Gratitude is one of the stronger threads of the social weave and hence a primary aim of the period is to engender and foster this essential and critical human characteristic. It is thus for the living who perform it. The continuity of life (spirit, energy and matter) is expressed in the tenet of reincarnation and thus the prayers that are proffered are meant for the benefit of the reincarnated ancestor in his/her present life. To many, this is a difficult concept to acknowledge or grasp, particularly those whose construct of the world is assembled from inflexible dogma.
Such individuals can be found in both the secular and the religious communities who share a commonality; a one-dimensional binary world view, one that is inconsistent with the inter-related multi-dimensional complexities of the universe. Religion, like other endeavours of man, seeks to provide an understanding of the world.
The problem with dogma based belief systems is that the evolving world is constrained to conform to a model that might not represent reality. On the other hand, process based belief systems are able to accommodate changing situations and thus are more relevant as they provide a model that is aligned with existing situation. Hinduism and Buddhism are process based religions which provide the individual with the algorithms for effective decision making.
Authority, responsibility and accountability lie fully in the domain of the individual upon which the concept of karma and its corollary, reincarnation, are based. The theory of karma indicates that our present life trajectory at any point in time is the dynamic conjoint of past and present actions. Since we are accustomed to thinking that the outputs of actions are limited to a finite time scale, conceptualisation of the continuity of the effects over large distances and time periods requires effort. To give a simple example, an earthquake occurring for a few seconds near the eastern shores Pacific ocean take a few hours to be felt on the western shores; as it takes time for the waves to propagate. Now imagine, a few minutes later, a second earthquake occurs a bit west of the site of the original quake.
Waves near the western shore would be the conjoint of both waves; that is, its present characteristics is a product of both actions (quakes). Put another way the effects of the past and present are coexisting and by extension, the future is a product of the present and past; the idea behind karma. At the physical plane level, the performance of the rituals for one's ancestors is a product of a past action or consistent set of actions. By performing these rituals, the future actions of one's offspring are influenced. In other words, an action by an ancestor one generation removed will affect the actions of a successor one generation forward. Put another way; actions from the distant past impact on the present and future.
The clear conclusion, even if one did not subscribe to the reincarnation and karma, is that the worship of the ancestors impact positively on the living, over many generations. To say otherwise is to deny the fundamental characteristic of what makes us human. To criticise the ceremony as worshipping the dead is to admit one's own ingratitude to one's fellowman.
From article by Pundit Prakash Persad
Sun Oct 03 2010, Sunday Guardian
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