Every Great Tradition is Spiritual

All good traditions have a material and spiritual purpose. The material purpose is evident in the utilitarian good it serves in this life.  Good traditions are so important because the wisest among us have have recognized traditions that bring us closest to the greatest good in this life.

More important and more primary though is the spiritual purpose. The higher-purpose which lies above and beyond the materially visible plane is the most important purpose. This is not an arbitrary judgement, but a law of reality. The spiritual purpose is the root and provides the material world its organization and purpose. The material world would not exist without the spiritual root. 

A good tradition does not place the two purposes in contradiction, but reinforces both. The material and spiritual good may not be apparent to most people, who approach things from selfishness (or sin), but it is for great leaders to demonstrate and show the importance and goodness of traditions.