Rituals and traditions should be understood

It's good to follow the rituals and traditions, but we should also try to understand the meaning behind them.
Every ritual and tradition had a reason when it started.
Some old rituals and traditions may have had a perfect meaning according to their time and situation a century ago, but may not be relevant or useful at the current time. Following them blindly, without understanding the reason, may not be of any use for us anymore.
But usually, that is what we do - follow them blindly.

I remember one such incident that happened a long time ago during a Satsang in Patiala.
Sant Amar Singh ji was delivering his discourse at the Bhavan on a Sunday morning. Everyone was listening intensely. The members of the Sevadal had also sat down to hear the Vichar. As it's the tradition, the Namskar was stopped or paused during the Vichar - the final discourse.
However, without anyone noticing it, an elderly lady reached quite near the stage to pay her respects and do the Namskar.
Suddenly a few brothers and sisters of the Sevadal saw her, and they quickly ran to stop her. They told her to sit down, but she said she wanted to do the Namaskar. The Sevadal members kept on telling her to sit down, and she kept insisting on doing the Namskar. A couple of ladies grabbed her hands and tried to force her to sit down while quite a few others started shouting 'Mata ji - sit down - sit down.
Sant Amar Singh ji stopped his discourse and said
'Please let her come. It's alright.
And he asked all the Sevadal members to take their place as well.
After doing the Namaskar, the elderly lady also sat down.
Pita ji - Sant Amar Singh ji started his discourse again and said:
The rules and traditions are there for some reason.
Instead of sticking to them literally, we should understand the meaning and the reason behind them.
Do you know the reason Namskar is prohibited during the Vichar?
It is to avoid any disturbance. So that the speaker can speak without any distraction, and the audience can focus on listening.
But think about what happened just now. The distraction this lady could have caused by doing Namskar would have been much less than the commotion caused by the Sevadal members. Either someone should have paid attention and stopped her at the entrance. But if somehow no one noticed her, then after giving her a quiet signal, all of you should have ignored it and continued to focus on listening.
Then he added - Gurmukh hoye so Chetan.
That one should use some wisdom also while following the rules and traditions.
He said: Sirf Shabdon ko nahin, Bhaav ko bhi samajhnay ki koshish kiya karo.
Try to understand the real meaning instead of following everything blindly'.

He always tried to teach everything like a teacher - strictly and in detail.
That is why Baba Gurbachan Singh ji had said:
Patiala is a university of Gurmat - because Sant Amar Singh ji is there.
                                                       ' Rajan Sachdeva '