atheists see stone, devotees see God

[Guest guest]

....all the great saintly persons, just like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, all

big, big acaryas who were actually controlling the Vedic civilization still,

they established thousands of temple and murtis, especially in South India.

Still Ranganatha temple, Tirupati temples, visited by hundreds and thousands

of people. So does it mean they have all become fools? They go to see some

stone? No.

 

Therefore one has to become a devotee. Because only devotee can understand

that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally standing before

me." That devotee. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [bs. 5.38]. Just

like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when he visited Jagannatha temple, He was very

anxious to see the Deity, Jagannatha temple. And as soon as He entered the

Jagannatha temple, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And others

are seeing, "What is this foolish man? Here is a wooden form of Jagannatha

and this man has fainted." But that is the difference between this man and

you. Unless you develop your devotional attitude, you cannot see God.

Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973

 

(N.B. ISKCON Tirupati temple opening is on 31 Jan)