God - An investigation - part 9 - the mythical lore
The genesis of this article lies in a conversation I had with a Young South Indian mother in Cleveland airport. She was travelling to India to perform the rites of Upanayanam for her son, about twelve years old. It was a two hour long wait and conversation blossomed. I could sense that she was not very happy going through this ceremony. She said “You know, neither my Husband nor me believe in this silly ritual. Both our parents are alive, and they have been insisting on this for some time. We didn't want to disappoint them. They believe that this ritual ought to be performed, and we just want to go along with them. Personally, what difference does a foot long thread hung diagonally over one’s shoulder going to make... ’ She chuckled at her wisdom and continued: “… It’s all a ‘myth’ and an unnecessary ritual. Rahul (name changed), my son, does not know that he is in for a long tiring two days hard work. Well, if it keeps everyone happy, we are Ok with it…”
I paused for a moment and said “Yes Mam, you are right... But if I could request or suggest something - do not let the boy know that this ritual is a big joke. Probably, this event, this elaborate function may after all do him some good. So let him take it seriously. This tradition, myth or ritual, call it whatever you may want, has been around for hundreds of years, and it signified a state of transition in Human life. One discards an old idea only if it is no more relevant, or superseded by a superior understanding. The ceremony of “Upanayanam” is symbolic of inner transformation, and this has not changed since the dawn of time. I see that you have been married traditionally (she was wearing her bridal chain…) and I am sure you value it more than anything else. It is because of its underlying meaning that we value a symbol, not the other way around. It is not about a foot long thread, but what it symbolizes or stands for that is important. After all, social life is all about symbolism. Drop the symbol and what remains is emptiness. And the symbol is only important till such time one sees what it is pointing to, then it drops away by itself. In fact, this foot long thread is in a way a reminder of our lost, misplaced, hidden self, and the function of Upanayanam is investing the thread with this symbolic significance. So, if your husband and you can look into it, you may end up discovering that this is probably the most important ceremony in your boy’s life as he crosses the threshold of childhood, and then probably help in educating him to integrate better within himself and his world around…”
She listened to me with great attention, and then turned away her face in contemplation. A little while later, she motioned to me and asked “Do you know of any book that can elucidate or teach me this better…?” I smiled and said “Your interest is in itself the beginning of understanding….”
What the modern age lacks are serious myths to live by. The last two hundred of human history has robbed us of our beliefs, unwavering faith and left us in kind of limbo that is exploding into symptoms of increasing violence, restlessness, insecurity and certainly a lack of inner sense of direction that we see all around. The term “myth” is probably the most abused word in the language. The etymology of this word lies in its hoary past when it meant a system or collage of verbal communication that made sense of our world around. It is a unique attribute of Human species, that we can tell stories, verbalize experiences, and clothe the splendor of our awe, fear and wonder in rich tapestry of words, pictures and sequences; and also be able pass it on generation after generation to our progeny. It is this wonderful cultural continuity of man that sets him apart. Long before words became written scripts, his voice echoed through ages in trembling tones assembling together a coherent understanding of this vast universe with fragmentary bits of knowledge available. What is most amazing in this process is the unbelievable continuity of such myths across cultures, civilizations, people and times. In Jungian terms, the universal “archetypes”, or in Kantian terminology “a priori knowledge” – that seamlessly weaves into the fabric of Human life, no matter what the circumstances are. It is such a travesty of justice that the word “myth” has now come to connote a lie, an untrue fact, and a story of disrepute. Nothing can be farther from the truth and more illustrative of Modern Man’s superficiality and insensitivity to life than this misconstrued, illiterate understanding of its past, and a blatant misuse of a profound word its legacy.
“Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths…” wrote Joseph Campbell, while talking about the symbolic inner journey of Man personified in Mythical lore. The problem arises when myths are taken literally, or one wishes to rationalize its significance in contemporary terms. The mistaken understanding that a “scientific temper” often means to disregard ideas that cannot be proven – is the biggest bane of our public education system. On one hand, we have succumbed to a mechanical repetition of myths handed over, haunting us with a gnawing fear that if they are not adhered to, calamity can befall us; or we have taken the vivid imagery of these beautiful myths to be a literal rendition of the world surrounding us; or we belittle them as childish prattles not worthy enough to be considered by a mature adult. The sum of it is that we are unsure, confused and bereft of solid ground under our feet. We have lost that equipoise, the integration that is so very required for sane living, which Mythology provided us in ample measure in the past
In my opinion, more than the West, it is the East, which is rotting in its own debris. For a culture that gave birth to the most profound, deepest and incisive understanding of the Universe; spun out myths, philosophies and allegories that touched the origin of beings, we have sadly neglected and relegated this rich repository of unspeakable beauty to a level, which is not only a mockery, but clearly shred and devoid of any meaning and purpose whatsoever. While the West is drawing its inspiration from the well springs of the East for the last century, we, in turn, have let go of this literature that was nurtured on our very own soil. I have heard many people ridiculing rituals and its associated paraphernalia. I can only smile in derision over such ignorance. Rituals are enactments of meaningful symbology. While it is true that none of them will make any sense independently; but enacted within the rich meaning of myths surrounding it they assume extraordinary heights of beauty and significance that transcends rational thought and touches something that is beyond it. It is in these acts of conscious ritualization that man evolves during every stage of his life. The Human child takes the longest gestation period of nearly twelve years, or sometimes more, to graduate from gross dependency on Parental care to adulthood. Apart from the biological instincts which serve him during this time, the cultural insignia that is imposed on him to perform social roles within the communal body needs to be forcefully achieved; often through education, emulation, chastisement, discipline and endless other means. It is a not a natural biological mutation. The traditional mythic ceremonies on naming, puberty, marriage, education and nature festivals are overblown reactions to startle the mind and intellect to wake up to a newer dimension. Every such ritual is a consecration of life and its possibilities.
But the point is: there has to be a reinterpretation of myths in the light of modern times. Cultural milieus may change, knowledge of our external world may increase exponentially, geographical and social barriers may dim; but, the inner life of man has essentially remained the same. We are moved by the same impulses, cravings, beauty, suffering and all the rest of it; as our ancestors’ eons ago. The cave paintings at Lascaux, the carvings at Ellora, or the tombs of pharaohs depict the same archetypal human emotions that sway us even today. The surreal dream of an everlasting truth that have moved Men and Women to build, paint, procreate, stabilize, conquer is still virginally fresh in all of us. And it is that spring of coiled energy the Myths and rituals awaken within. A proper study of Mythology and rituals lies not in ridiculing, trivializing or getting habituated to them, but to look within, and sense the tremendous currents of Human consciousness flowing underneath the seemingly puerile imagery conjured in hearts and minds of Man, for whom life was very intimate, palpable; and hence in a way more real than to many of us…
God bless…
I paused for a moment and said “Yes Mam, you are right... But if I could request or suggest something - do not let the boy know that this ritual is a big joke. Probably, this event, this elaborate function may after all do him some good. So let him take it seriously. This tradition, myth or ritual, call it whatever you may want, has been around for hundreds of years, and it signified a state of transition in Human life. One discards an old idea only if it is no more relevant, or superseded by a superior understanding. The ceremony of “Upanayanam” is symbolic of inner transformation, and this has not changed since the dawn of time. I see that you have been married traditionally (she was wearing her bridal chain…) and I am sure you value it more than anything else. It is because of its underlying meaning that we value a symbol, not the other way around. It is not about a foot long thread, but what it symbolizes or stands for that is important. After all, social life is all about symbolism. Drop the symbol and what remains is emptiness. And the symbol is only important till such time one sees what it is pointing to, then it drops away by itself. In fact, this foot long thread is in a way a reminder of our lost, misplaced, hidden self, and the function of Upanayanam is investing the thread with this symbolic significance. So, if your husband and you can look into it, you may end up discovering that this is probably the most important ceremony in your boy’s life as he crosses the threshold of childhood, and then probably help in educating him to integrate better within himself and his world around…”
She listened to me with great attention, and then turned away her face in contemplation. A little while later, she motioned to me and asked “Do you know of any book that can elucidate or teach me this better…?” I smiled and said “Your interest is in itself the beginning of understanding….”
What the modern age lacks are serious myths to live by. The last two hundred of human history has robbed us of our beliefs, unwavering faith and left us in kind of limbo that is exploding into symptoms of increasing violence, restlessness, insecurity and certainly a lack of inner sense of direction that we see all around. The term “myth” is probably the most abused word in the language. The etymology of this word lies in its hoary past when it meant a system or collage of verbal communication that made sense of our world around. It is a unique attribute of Human species, that we can tell stories, verbalize experiences, and clothe the splendor of our awe, fear and wonder in rich tapestry of words, pictures and sequences; and also be able pass it on generation after generation to our progeny. It is this wonderful cultural continuity of man that sets him apart. Long before words became written scripts, his voice echoed through ages in trembling tones assembling together a coherent understanding of this vast universe with fragmentary bits of knowledge available. What is most amazing in this process is the unbelievable continuity of such myths across cultures, civilizations, people and times. In Jungian terms, the universal “archetypes”, or in Kantian terminology “a priori knowledge” – that seamlessly weaves into the fabric of Human life, no matter what the circumstances are. It is such a travesty of justice that the word “myth” has now come to connote a lie, an untrue fact, and a story of disrepute. Nothing can be farther from the truth and more illustrative of Modern Man’s superficiality and insensitivity to life than this misconstrued, illiterate understanding of its past, and a blatant misuse of a profound word its legacy.
“Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths…” wrote Joseph Campbell, while talking about the symbolic inner journey of Man personified in Mythical lore. The problem arises when myths are taken literally, or one wishes to rationalize its significance in contemporary terms. The mistaken understanding that a “scientific temper” often means to disregard ideas that cannot be proven – is the biggest bane of our public education system. On one hand, we have succumbed to a mechanical repetition of myths handed over, haunting us with a gnawing fear that if they are not adhered to, calamity can befall us; or we have taken the vivid imagery of these beautiful myths to be a literal rendition of the world surrounding us; or we belittle them as childish prattles not worthy enough to be considered by a mature adult. The sum of it is that we are unsure, confused and bereft of solid ground under our feet. We have lost that equipoise, the integration that is so very required for sane living, which Mythology provided us in ample measure in the past
In my opinion, more than the West, it is the East, which is rotting in its own debris. For a culture that gave birth to the most profound, deepest and incisive understanding of the Universe; spun out myths, philosophies and allegories that touched the origin of beings, we have sadly neglected and relegated this rich repository of unspeakable beauty to a level, which is not only a mockery, but clearly shred and devoid of any meaning and purpose whatsoever. While the West is drawing its inspiration from the well springs of the East for the last century, we, in turn, have let go of this literature that was nurtured on our very own soil. I have heard many people ridiculing rituals and its associated paraphernalia. I can only smile in derision over such ignorance. Rituals are enactments of meaningful symbology. While it is true that none of them will make any sense independently; but enacted within the rich meaning of myths surrounding it they assume extraordinary heights of beauty and significance that transcends rational thought and touches something that is beyond it. It is in these acts of conscious ritualization that man evolves during every stage of his life. The Human child takes the longest gestation period of nearly twelve years, or sometimes more, to graduate from gross dependency on Parental care to adulthood. Apart from the biological instincts which serve him during this time, the cultural insignia that is imposed on him to perform social roles within the communal body needs to be forcefully achieved; often through education, emulation, chastisement, discipline and endless other means. It is a not a natural biological mutation. The traditional mythic ceremonies on naming, puberty, marriage, education and nature festivals are overblown reactions to startle the mind and intellect to wake up to a newer dimension. Every such ritual is a consecration of life and its possibilities.
But the point is: there has to be a reinterpretation of myths in the light of modern times. Cultural milieus may change, knowledge of our external world may increase exponentially, geographical and social barriers may dim; but, the inner life of man has essentially remained the same. We are moved by the same impulses, cravings, beauty, suffering and all the rest of it; as our ancestors’ eons ago. The cave paintings at Lascaux, the carvings at Ellora, or the tombs of pharaohs depict the same archetypal human emotions that sway us even today. The surreal dream of an everlasting truth that have moved Men and Women to build, paint, procreate, stabilize, conquer is still virginally fresh in all of us. And it is that spring of coiled energy the Myths and rituals awaken within. A proper study of Mythology and rituals lies not in ridiculing, trivializing or getting habituated to them, but to look within, and sense the tremendous currents of Human consciousness flowing underneath the seemingly puerile imagery conjured in hearts and minds of Man, for whom life was very intimate, palpable; and hence in a way more real than to many of us…
God bless…
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