Ego

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Here is a story of a saint who lived a life of Absolute Devotion.

 

Poosalar was a Brahmin of Tiruninravoor in Thondai Mandalam. He

excelled in the mental worship of the Lord. Mental worship is hard,

subtle, and better than external ritualistic worship. Mental worship

soon leads to Samadhi (superconscious state) and Self-Realisation.

 

Poosalar of Ninravoor longed to build a temple for Lord Shiva. He

roamed far and wide in vein to get funds. Then a thought came to

him; " Why not build the shrine in my own mind? " Right away, he

gathered and stored in his mind, all materials needed, even trifles!

He then mentally went on to gather skilled artisans and sculptors

with their fine tools; and on an auspicious day, he laid the

foundation (in his mind, of course!) according to appropriate Vastu

Sastra (architectural) rituals. With love and care, by night and day,

he strove hard; from the base to the top, layer by layer, he planned

the tower, with stones carved with skill, all in his mind! He built

the gopuram (the main temple dome), he completed the ancillary

pavilions, which included the carefully sculpted walls, pillars and

niches and finally installed the kalasa (golden pot) at the summit.

He now had a beautiful gopuram, high walls and truly completed. He

then fixed an auspicious day for the installation of deity in the

temple!

 

Now, in real life, the Kadava Ruler at Kanchivaram who was also a

great devotee of Lord Shiva had built a magnificient temple of brick

and stone, and lavished it with splendour. By chance he had also

fixed the same date for installing the deity, as that mentally chosen

by Poosalar.

 

The Lord wanted to show the King the Superiority of Poosalar's

supreme devotion. So, the night before the day of installation, the

Lord spoke to the king in a dream: " Tomorrow I intend entering the

shrine constructed by My devotee, Poosalar at Tiruninravoor. You

better fix another day for the installation ceremony in your temple " .

Awaking from his slumber the king was eager to have darshan of the

preferred devotee mentioned by the Lord and also to have a look at

the great temple he had built.

 

Raching Tiruninravur the King searched all over the place for the

temple, he could not find any, he asked of th ose around: " Where is

Saint Poosalar's Shrine? " The surprised response was; " there is no

such shrine " . The might King then set out to find the Saint himself.

Finding him in a little hut, the seeker enquired humbly: " Where is

the great shrine you have built here? The three eyed Lord has direted

me here indicating that this was the day of installation " . Poosalar

was stunned when he heard of the king's dream. Soon, he recovered and

was filled with joy. He thought: 'how kind and merciful is the Lord.

I am only a wretched creature and He has accepted my mental shrine as

His Abode. I am really blessed " . He told the king that the temple was

only in his mind. The king was greatly surprised to hear this.

Admiring Poosalar's devotion, he realised the unmatched excellence of

true devotion. The king fell at his feet and worshipped him. Poosalar

installed the Lord in his mental temple and attained ultimate

realisation through total surrender and with supreme devotion.

 

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