I have a doubt ....

[Guest guest]

Dear Muralikrishna,

 

Love and Love alone....

 

You are absolutely right, but you overlooked one important point in your reply.

Let me highlight and clarify it for you and every one, who wishes to read this

mail.

 

When we are mentally strong enough and spiritually elevated, there is absolutely

no need to go to any temple, but the fact is, we are not. Many devotees go to

the temple basically for two important reasons. One is to pray to the Presiding

Deity to alleviate their sufferings or to ask for a boon and the other is to get

absorbed into the accumulated and readily available vibrations there. Either

way, it is a kind of trade off, a kind of transaction. While initially

installing the Deity in the Sanctum Sanctorum of a temple, they do it with

yantras, mantras, nava-dhaatus, precious stones, nava-dhanyas, etc., and while

reciting the prana-prathishta mantras the gopuram will be consecrated with the

surcharged jalam (water) to make the installed statue vibrant and

wish-fulfilling. This power will remain with the statue for 12 years, according

to our Agama Sastras. During this period of 12 years, many devotees, including

sadhus and sanyasis, visit the temple and transfer their energy to the presiding

deity to transform it more vibrant for loka-kalyanam. For example, the deity in

Tirupathi, Lord Sri Venkateswara, was consecrated by Sri Ramanujacharya. That is

one of the main reasons, the Lord is so powerful attracting millions of devotees

every day.

 

If we are strong enough spiritually, there is absolutely no need to go to the

temples like Yadagirigutta or Tirupathi or any other temple, for that matter.

Since we have not learnt the art to see that Divya Sundara Rupam, which has been

installed in a temple, within us, we go temple and try to absorb it within us by

closing our eyes in front of the Deity. That is, making it antar-mukha. God is

within but we do not have the capacity to see Him within, and, therefore, we

take the help of an outside object or deity (a statue) to see within and realise

the One within by becoming antar-mukha.

 

So, the One Who is outside, is in fact, within us only. But we are unable to

see, due to our attachment with the world around. In fact, the power to see HIM

within or without is also HIS blessing only. Remember that. Unfortunately, for

most of us, God has become one of the objects that we should acquire, like TV,

flat, car, etc. When we make God our sole object and nothing other than that,

only then, we can easily see Him within. Try. I can assure you that it is

possible and it happens. But, we need to make a concerted and concentrated

effort to realise that truth.

 

Dhyanam is possible only when you look within, only when you keep away the

impending chain of thoughts that disturb you, only when you raise yourself above

the vasanas that have been haunting you life after life, only when you

annihilate the kama, krodha, ahamkaras, etc., and only when you are aware of

your limitations, accept it with all sincerity and love and surrender to HIS

Lotus Feet. All this possible only when you look within and not either by going

to temple, or doing any other act. Na karmana, prajaya, dhanena, tyagenaika

amritatwa manushuhu, says our rich heritage. Nothing on this earth gives you

mukti, except look within, weed out all the negative traits, do nishkama-karma,

and surrender to HIM. Just realise that life is not what one wishes it to be,

life is what it has to be and we should, on our part, submit to its ups and

downs, without getting disturbed when we are in 'downs' or jump in joy when we

are in 'ups'. Then and only then, we develop 'samatwam', as Lord Krishna says in

Srimad Bhagavad Gita, 'Samatwam Yoga-uchchate' and once we develop samatwam, we

see everything with equal vision, not getting attracted or repulsed by any

thought. That is the beginning of opening up to HIM and ultimately realising HIM

within and without.

 

I hope I am clear. Still you have doubts, kindly do not hesitate to write to me.

 

Love and Love alone....

 

P. Gopi Krishna