As for rites, they were mainly used to counteract bad luck. They planted the thought in the minds of people that with an accomplished monk performing the rites, the bad luck would be removed. This gave them a feeling that everything could start anew from that day. By relieving themselves of the burden that hindered them from proceeding forward again, they would ultimately be able to go further than if they tried proceeding while in low spirits. After all this, people would be unaware that they themselves were the reason for their success and that it should not be attributed to the rites or the accomplished monk.
Of course, the accomplished monk wasn't doing nothing either. A proper rite wasn't simply going through the motions. One had to do counseling, and there were the fundamentals of one's prestige and cultivation. Otherwise, why would anyone believe in them?
