Jain Journal 1990 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 41

The Sociological Approach of the Jaina Ritualistic Study
The rituals generally represent human anxiety for the expression of the religious and non-religious sentiments, ideas, assumptions etc. in the symbolic forms and translate them into the social and individual behaviours. The long journey of the rituals starts before the birth of a human being and ends after his death. Several rites take place in this period; and the religion, either primitive or modern, is a main base of it, on which the ritualism builds its castle. It is, therefore, Durkhiem and others had searched the origin of the religion in the rituals on the one hand and on the other, Jane Harrison viewed that the art too had its origin in the rituals. But it may be said that it is a form of prescribed and elaborated behaviour and occurs both as spontaneous invention of the individual and cultural trait,1 whereas, in the cultural grade, the ritualism reflects and sustains social organisation with the moral approach, because the morality itself finds its most cogent support in the ritual emphasis. The ritual makes for morality; and morality finds its origin and sanction in the religion. But vital religion must create and sustain a social relationship, which can be strengthened through the ritualism. The influence of the religion, sociologically speaking, is two folds as positive-integrating and as negative-disintegrating. The religion-based rituals always play the role of integrating the groups, as the groupconciousness is emerged from it. In Malinowski's words: "The creative elements in the rites of the religious nature serve to integrate the groups." They (rites) contribute in no small measure in shaping and determining the organisation and the spirit of the groups. Specially, the family possesses such integrating force, which derives from common religious rites, as the performance of them is always more efficious and significant and the ritual acts connected with the worship etc. meticulously
L. K. BHARATEEYA
4
1 Beligman Edvin, The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, pp. 336-97.
* Hastings James, The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, p. 754.
Willis Cook, The Social Evolution of Religion, p. 145.
4 Wach Joachim, Sociology of Religion, pp. 27, 29.
Ibid., p. 35 Ibid.