Rituals are associated with every wisdom tradition in the world. Rituals abound in Hinduism and while some of them might appear incomprehensible at first sight, there is a lot of meaning and not just symbolism contained in them. They have meaning for us when they help us upon the spiritual path, especially in the initial stages. But over time, if spiritual maturity is high, their use is increasingly diminished.
Sadguru Sri Sharavana Baba explains: “The practice of ear-piercing and wearing earrings is not just a matter of ornamentation. It actually aids in controlling the senses. The ear, i.e., the process of hearing, is connected to buddhi (the intellect) and siddhi (divine powers) who are worshipped as divine consorts of Lord Ganesha.
Siddhi and buddhi together actually form Lord Ganesha. Our tongue is the seat of the Goddess Saraswati. Thus the function of hearing can be related to Lord Ganesha and that of speech, to the Goddess Saraswati.”
“For example, when hearing does not function, speech also does not function! It is another way of saying that only if Lord Ganesha is active, does the Goddess Saraswati function. Sound that enters the ear is processed in the brain and the output comes through the tongue in the form of sound again. The brain as we know is the seat of knowledge and the sixth sense is none other than Lord Subramanya or Shanmukha.
As extolled in the Vedas, there are six senses in our body, out of which five are associated with the sense organs. It is the sixth that is the seat of true knowledge and is the faculty of intuition.
Everything that we experience around us is a projection made by the senses. So if our senses are well-tuned, the outcome will be positive.”
This helps to explain why spiritual practices are important. Spiritual practice helps us raise our wavelength to connect to the Divine Energy present inside us: “It is for this purpose that we have to perform sadhana. Only through sadhana can we develop and tune our senses in the proper channel. In olden days, the Guru (our teachers) would pinch our ears when we made mistakes or forget something. When we are pinched, we suddenly remember things. In the process, signals are triggered that reaches the knowledge centre and activates memories.
“Similarly, we cross our arms and hold our ears before Lord Ganesha to apologise for our misdeeds and pray that all obstacles are removed from our path. We make mistakes when our senses are dull and not properly oriented. Such practices activate the senses in the right direction. This is a secret science. Mastering it helps in refining our spiritual practice and making them effective.”