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Swami replied:- Temples and statues are necessary for low level people as said in the Shastra (Pratima Swalpa Buddhinaam). It is a teaching...
Swami replied:- The statue or picture is an inert object. The form carved in a stone or painted on a paper is also an imaginary form and not...
Significance of Temples
[Durgashtami Message] Why there is so much rush in the temples? There is only one reason. People think that if they go to the temples they can escape from the difficulties, which are the fruits of their sins. They are also thinking that they can also get the benefits, which are the fruits of good deeds, which in fact they have not performed. This is not true. Scriptures say “Avaśyam anubhoktavyam”. That means we must...
Astrologers And Priests
When a policeman beats a thief with his stick, he should not think that the stick is beating him. Of course, the stick is directly beating him, but the stick is inert and cannot beat him by itself. Only the policeman is beating him through the stick. If the thief prays the stick, there is no use. If he prays the uniform of the policeman then also there is no use. Only he should pray the policeman who wears...
The original Hindu tradition in ancient times when rishis (sages) existed was the most precious diamond in the world. There is no trace of doubt in this statement. But today the tradition has turned into charcoal. Perhaps many of you do not know that diamond and charcoal are two forms of same element i.e., carbon. When the carbon atoms are in a crystalline state, it is diamond. The same carbon atoms in an amorphous state are charcoal. The substance is same but the arrangement of atoms differs. Therefore, the same tradition was re-arranged and twisted. The tradition lost the brilliant shine of a diamond and has now acquired a black color. The diamond is very strong and cannot be cut. But the charcoal is easily broken. Thus, the strength of the ancient tradition has been completely lost...
A temple represents the body of the human incarnation (Deho devālayaḥ proktaḥ). The statue in the temple represents the Lord in the human body (Jīvo devaḥ sanātanaḥ). The Gita also says that the Lord enters a human body and comes down to this earth (Mānuṣīṃ tanu māśritam). The Veda says that the Lord can be seen here on the earth itself (Yat sākṣāt aparokṣāt Brahma). The temple and the statue are only models to teach this concept. Once the concept is understood...
Hindus are spending lot of money on ritualistic functions like marriage etc., in which the major item is serving expensive varieties of food. The receivers of this food are mainly relatives and friends invited based on your blind passion for relatives and your attitude of business to friends. The donation of food is ‘Annadaanam’ and for any donation, the receiver must be an eligible person, selected not based on relationship or friendship. The eligibility is due to the spiritual knowledge and devotion of the person to God. Otherwise, you are giving food to un-deserving receivers, who may be your relatives and friends. In Mahabharata, the sage Vyasya told that donation to deserving person brings good fruits...
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