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ISKCON Temple Melbourne |
Why
do we turn on a Fan when air is everywhere? Because, even though air is present
everywhere, you cannot feel its presence everywhere. Especially, when it is a
hot or humid day, we need that air to be blown so that we get relief.
Similarly, water is everywhere but, when we feel thirsty, to quench the thirst,
we take water stored in a water filter or tap or something. Though, God is
everywhere and within ourselves as Paramatma (Super Soul), we go to Mandir or temple to see
him physically with our eyes. The personal aspect of deity form of God is something
where everyone feels personally reciprocated. Depending on the level of our
faith and surrender, God reciprocates. That is why, while some see the God in
the temple as an Idol made of stone or metal, others perceive him as a person.
They understand that since God is all powerful and can manifest through any
form he likes, even though he is form is completely spiritual, because of his
mercy and the love and devotion of a devotee, he agrees to manifest in the
deity form and accepts the services and gives his blessings. But, even though a
deity is made out of a material substance like a stone, metal etc, when the
deity is installed as per the prescribed methods of Vedic scriptures like
Pancharatrika Vidhi, he comes and resides in the deity form. Just like an iron
rod, kept in the fire after a while becomes as good as a fire, the deity made
up of material substance becomes spiritual. One more important point to note is
that, manifestation of a deity is a mercy form that enables a devotee to offer
their services. Surely, the Supreme Lord is completely spiritual full of Sat,
Chit and Ananda that is eternity, knowledge and bliss. So, why doesn’t the
deity when sometimes apparently, disrespected by some hooligans keep quiet and
does not respond. That is some paranormal activity like, the Deity form doesn’t
break up or shower thunderbolts on the miscreants? Because, God does not bother
responding to those people and no way affected and he simply withdraws himself
from the deity form. Then, we also see so many instances of deities responding
to the devotee’s request like, the deity of Sakshi Gopal of Vrindavan walked
all the way to Orrisa to give a witness statement to his devotee.
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ISKCON Temple Melbourne |
ye
yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: as they surrender unto Me—I
reward accordingly. (Bhagavad Gita 4:11)
Then,
the other aspects come into picture like, the way a temple is built, as per
vasthu shastra, generally temples have this Yantras or the Copper and Brass
plates with Bija Akshara or the sacred sounds inscribed on them and they are
worshipped for number of days with certain mantras and finally, they are
installed just below the deity in the temples. So, the whole idea is, as soon
as one enters a temple which is a power house of spiritual, positive vibrations
will immediately give solace to the troubled hearts of the people. Ultimately,
it is the love and devotion of a devotees which makes certain temples special
and so to say powerful, because that is what Lord actually see and expects from
someone as he says in Bhagavad Gita 9.11
"
patram puspam phalam toyam
yo
me bhaktya prayacchati
tad
aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami
prayatatmanah. If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit
a water, I will accept it.
(P.S:My answer to someones question on Quora)
Another P.S: “I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple,
pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the
spirit.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
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