Why do we need religion – A structure in our pursuit of knowledge and meaning
Religion at its very core offers a framework and a system to follow. Some people might question why structure is necessary and argue that true understanding should be free and spontaneous. However, even in the simplest areas of learning, structure is the foundation that helps us grow. Take the sequence of English alphabets for example. No matter how revolutionary or creative someone is, they wouldn’t attempt to change it. Not because they lack imagination but because they have the maturity in recognizing that such a system works. The alphabet is not a cage, it’s a tool. It gives the foundation to expression.
Likewise, religion and even other systems of knowledge work in the same way. They provide language and structure to navigate truth and experience. Without some grounding, our search for knowledge becomes scattered. A framework doesn’t limit your freedom, it channels it, almost like the way grammar allows great pieces of writings to exist.
As learners, especially in education, this is very important. At first, structure teaches discipline and fundamentals. But once we’ve internalized those fundamentals, structure transforms and becomes a step for innovation. Graduate study, for example, isn’t about memorizing facts but about synthesizing what we have learned, asking questions, and discovering unseen principles. Passion and originality don’t come in spite of structure, rather they come through structure.
Sanatana Dharma recognizes this balance. Its ultimate aim is not about remaining bound by rites, rules and practices, but the realization of your individual nature, by making use of a disciplined path. When we follow a framework sincerely, we eventually go beyond it, not by rejecting it, but by fully imbibing it and then transcending it.
In the end, following structure, whether in religion, art, or knowledge, is not a restriction. It is a form of respect for the wisdom that lies before us and the endless possibilities that open up once we have absorbed it.
Based on Sri Ramanujamji’s discussions
Sudarshan Sankaranarayanan, Raleigh, NC
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