Confucius is Right: Ritual is Everything
The ancient philosopher's advice on what to do in troubled times
We are almost six months into what might best be described as a modern plague.
That’s over 180 days of isolation and indoor life. During this time, many of our positive habits—like workout classes, gatherings with friends, and live music—have no doubt fallen away, replaced by home comforts and comfort food. Countless have even lost jobs and other roles around which they built their whole identities.
Many of us might still be going through dark times, drifting in a daze from morning to night, binging the next series on Netflix, reaching for another snack or toke.
Perhaps the old habits just don’t cut it anymore, because they no longer hold the context that once gave them meaning. To those for whom the ‘habit’ has lost its power, a 2500-year-old philosopher has got a potential solution: 禮 or ritual.
At its most basic, a ritual is a habit that is mindfully practiced with meaning. The acting out of the ritual is imbued with purpose by the practitioner, who uses the time to consciously meditate on the meaning of the actions they are performing. In doing so they use this as a chance to reconnect with all the reasons they act. The ritual of donning one’s daily attire, for example, is the first step to re-entering the public realm. The ritual of dinner with the family is a ritual to strengthen human bonds and reinforce the fact that we care for one another. It’s a reminder that there are people outside ourselves for whom we live.
So the next time you find yourself struggling even to get out of bed, try seeing the sacred in that simple act. Getting out of bed reaffirms your willingness to participate in the world, it represents a healthy choice for your person and for the people you will encounter that day. And it opens you up to the many potentially wonderful encounters you might not have if you stayed in bed.
Likewise, almost all routines can be seen through this light. It is only a question of whether we want to live as if we are already sick. Many have. But Confucius offers an alternative, to take any action, no matter how mundane, and use it to actively engage with our existence no matter where we find ourselves, to celebrate the fact that most of us are still fine and healthy enough to enjoy the myriad of things on offer. By reminding yourself of how you are taking care of yourself, and how you might impact others through your every action, you are transforming these routines into rituals for your improvement.
And imbuing your day with the sacred in the process.