Significance of Customary practice

Customary practice encompasses a variety of traditional rites, rituals, and procedures that vary across different cultures and social orders. This includes mourning practices, traditional duties of royalty, culinary rituals, and marriage customs. It also covers community-specific traditions that align with Hindu scriptures, sacrificial methods rooted in social norms, and the cultural use of medicinal plants. Different texts, such as Purana, Kavya, Dharmashastra, Theravada, and scientific perspectives, illustrate the diverse meanings and applications of customary practices within various societies.

Synonyms: Tradition, Convention, Custom, Practice, Habit, Procedure, Standard

In Dutch: Gebruikelijke praktijk; In Finnish: Tavanomainen käytäntö; In Spanish: Práctica consuetudinaria; In German: Übliche Praxis

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Buddhist concept of 'Customary practice'

Buddhism Books

Customary practice in Buddhism refers to the established traditions and rituals within a cultural or community context, demonstrating how these accepted ways shape religious expression and community life through specific examples.

Significance in Theravada (major branch of Buddhism):
Theravada Books

From: Vinaya Pitaka (1): Bhikkhu-vibhanga (the analysis of Monks’ rules)

(1) The accepted ways of doing things within a culture or community, which are illustrated through various examples in the text.[1]

Theravada is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Hindu concept of 'Customary practice'

Hinduism Books

Customary practice in Hinduism encompasses traditional rites for death and mourning, rituals in sacrifices, specific duties of historical figures, marriage traditions, community-specific customs, and established practices related to food offerings, reflecting social norms and religious observance.

Significance in Kavya (poetry):
Kavya Books

From: Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story)

(1) The established rituals and traditions surrounding the consumption of betel in various cultures.[2] (2) Traditions and rituals associated with the making and offering of cakes within different cultures.[3]

Kavya refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.

Significance in Dharmashastra (religious law):
Dharmashastra Books

From: Paraskara-grihya-sutra

(1) Traditional rituals or methods that are followed in the performance of sacrifices, highlighting social and religious norms.[4]

From: Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi

(1) Traditions that are customary to specific communities, which may be regarded as authoritative if they comply with Hindu scriptures.[5]

Dharmashastra contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Significance in Purana and Itihasa (epic history):
Purana Books

From: Garuda Purana

(1) Traditional rites and procedures associated with death and mourning, differing by social order and familial relationships.[6]

The Purana refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Plural form: Customary practices.