Li as Ritual

Li often refers to rituals or rites which were important to ancient Chinese culture. In American culture we have public and private rituals, but we do not speak of them as rituals. Singing the national anthem at a sporting event is a public ritual. A family meal can be a private ritual.

Rituals bind us together in a society, but we do not talk about them. The Dallas Morning News, December 24, 2006, printed Alan Jacob's interview with P.D. James, the author of "The Children of Men," recently made into a movie. The author, P.D. James, spoke of the uses and importance of ritual.

The musician David Byrne (of the Talking Heads) published a photography book called Strange Ritual. He picked that title because he understood ritual is important to people.

We do not want to be bound to silly or excessive ritual, but the rituals in our life, like a family meal, are important for us to live satisfying lives. It is important we talk about them and respect them.

Robert