Die to live ………………………Nectarean Mellows

[Guest guest]

" G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a "

 

Die to live ………………………Nectarean Mellows

 

The way devotees dress, it is to help us with this conception of

identity. It is not that you have to do these external things, but

those who do, it should be understood in its proper context. Why do

some of us shave our heads? Shaving the head is symbolic. It

represents death to the ego because beautiful hair is something that

gives people beauty and prestige. To shave the head in all great

religions, whether it is Christian monks or Buddhist monks or Hindu

monks or Vaiñëava monks, it is an expression of death to the ego so

that my real life as a servant of God, I am identifying myself like

that. And also we put on this tilaka for the same principle. People

are using this body to exploit and enjoy, but tilaka means we do not

want any part of that, die to live. Tilaka represents that this body

is a temple of God. God is living in this body, the soul is living in

this body. This body is a place of worship of God. According to the

religious institution, there are so many buildings in the city, some

have a star of David, some have a crucifix, some have a trident, some

have a cakra, some have a crescent moon and star--what does all that

mean. That means this is a place of worshipping God, but why just the

building, our body is a place, a temple to worship God. Therefore,

this tilaka has very, very great significance---- die to live.

 

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj