I hear several common misconceptions about visiting temples, that can be cleared by understanding the science behind Indian temples. Q1. Whats the point of visiting a temple if I dont get to glimpse the deity for more than a second? Q2. Why do they over-decorate the deity so much? We cant see the murtis beauty at all ! Q3. Why visit a temple where theres absolute chaos and pandemonium? Id rather spend time meditating at home ! A. A Temple is not an art gallery or a prayer hall like many westernised minds think. You dont go to a temple to appreciate the sculpture, decorations or ambience. The sanctum is a force field, a dynamo of adhyaatma shakti, a ball of radiating energy. You go there to bathe in that field and get cleansed and recharged, even if for a second. It doesnt matter how long you stay there, what you see or not see, what you believe or not. Electricity has its effect whether you believe in it or not. So does a temple. Likewise, a temple is not a meditation hall. Yes, your meditation would be more effective there, but not because of external silence. A simple analogy: you are a ball of wax ( = accumulated ego samskaaras) with a small spark of fire at its center. The temple is a fire ball. Visiting the temple burns the wax from without. Inner saadhana burns it from within. But if you go with the wrong attitude (wax turned to stone), visiting the temple wont do much good. To be receptive, tone down the ego by not indulging it via comforts. A big disease in India is the VIP culture and sycophancy, which hurts the VIP badly. tIrtha yaatra is the result of long saadhana, and in turn accelerates saadhana. Theyre mutually reinforcing. Those who think temple visit is not for them for the above reasons should think again. Sai Susarla
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:03:15 +0000
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