Why do we need a temple?
Anjali Vashishta, 19, Bachelors in Life Sciences, DU
Roti, Kapda aur Makaan (food, clothing and shelter) are the basic needs of the body. Without it, life becomes difficult. But apart from this body (read Meditation insights from Bhagavad Gita to know more), we also have a mind (which is very difficult to mind despite knowing that we should mind).
Peace is the basic need of that mind.
Today, there is practically no system to provide for this basic mental need. Worse still, our fast-paced, stress-filled lifestyle agitates it even further. No wonder why the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the greatest medical challenge of the 21st century will be not AIDS or cancer but mental health problems.
The existing education system provides us with the education and skills to achieve well in life but we are not taught how to deal with life.. We get no training on the most important subject in life, which is life itself. Naturally the issues that we face become out of syllabus questions and we, giving our life’s multifarious exams, fail miserably.
This is the elephant in the room and to solve this burning issue, the temples, our Spiritual Universities (read Why not build a hospital or university, rather than a temple to know more) come into the picture.God does not need the temple. He is self-sufficient. We need them.
Temple is not just a place for religious worship, it also offers many valuable services to society
Let us look how —
The Greatest Paradox
Isn’t it paradoxical that despite the presence of so many ”top” universities in the world, the world we live in remains terribly toxic with information pollution, technological violence, religious fundamentalism, hyper-nationalism and threat of yet another devastating war.
But people are fools, they won’t accept the greater good prevailing and rather prefer falling for the rhetoric like,
Why to invest in a temple when there are other serious humanitarian issues to be addressed? Who has seen God? Life is short, why not enjoy?
What these people don’t understand is that life doesn’t work that way.
The Mahabharata explains that before we acquire material pleasure, we hanker for it and after we acquire it, we worry about losing it. When we inevitably lose it, we lament over the loss.
We need to understand the root cause is this — this race for satiating this human greed, which is a never- ending loop.
Just as car fuel can not satisfy the car driver, material enjoyment can not satisfy the soul.
The Spiritual Bliss
How many of you indeed taste the philosophical elixir of life?
What if we say, a temple not only provides you with all of it but offers refreshing breaks to face stresses of life?
Yatras, excursions, festivals, Kirtans give us the necessary break. Almost for free. For similar breaks, we often seek entertainment, an industry which costs around 29 billion USD and we do not have any objection.
Let’s get entitled to a similar opinion when it’s about spending on spiritual breaks which offers arguably better refreshment.
From Scripture to the Real Picture
Temple is a locus where you learn to live a life of high principles, morals and spiritual integrity derived directly from the age old wisdom of scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
One associated with the temple gradually experiences an inner purification process ongoing, helping one to get rid of false ego, anger, greed and lust and cultivating a service attitude. This inspires talented people to blossom into pure-hearted, selfless, principle-centered leaders.
Leaders with character are needed in every organization from government to family.
Krishna speaks in the Bhagavad Gita -
ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā prasādam adhigacchati
One who is self controlled can achieve satisfaction through which he can be peaceful at mind and be actually happy. Spirituality paves the way to a better form of happiness, a source of happiness that can never be taken away from us.
If we consider the building of institutes as a sign of national progress then why not celebrate the building of a spiritual university that can produce leaders? Good.
Need to Retrospect
India is the land of culture, traditions and spirituality. But it’s disheartening to see people are getting away from their culture and blindly following westernism. Like traffic laws, moral principles promote order but this aspect is untouched by the modern education system. Most people choose by default the incessantly glamorized goals of modern consumerist society- wealth, enjoyment, power, prestige, possession.
Everyone is running amok behind short lived pleasure, no one is enough self-aware to realize the broader picture, the ultimate goal of life.
The Bhagavad Gita, which has been acknowledged as a philosophical masterpiece by Emerson, Einstein, Gandhi and other thinkers worldwide, explains graphically how such a materialistic worldview leads to corruption and degradation. That is why there is a dire need to reflect upon our lost values and re-inculcate them.
When Indian culture is lost at an alarming rate, why not have a forum that is not only protecting it but reviving it as well?
A Family that prays together, stays together
Where relationship conflicts are creating unprecedented miseries in the society then why not support an institution that can provide a solid foundation for lasting relationships and fosters unity?
Temple gives you a family of like minded individuals, a family of God where people unite with a common purpose.
Having a hospital for bodily pains is considered as a social necessity then why not ponder upon medicating the diseased mind and look for amenities?
A Feast for your Soul, Mind and Body
Undeniably, the temple environment with soothing chants and sanctifying presence of deities and Darshan of their Lordship serves as a retreat center, where you can join in with your family, have fantastic people around you, enjoy a delicious potluck of 7–10 dishes and dance your heart out of ecstasy every weekend.
But that is not all. Temple allows you to channelize your talents and energies and render service to the Lord in various aspects. This devotional culture is very inclusive; it seems the only qualification is the desire. If someone wants to serve the Lord, there are many ways open for him.
Want to feel the same sense of empowerment?
Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
But you can get a small glimpse of it next week. Join us for the Deity Installation and Temple Opening Ceremony on 26th–27th November at at ISKCON Gurugram, Sec-67, Sohna Road
For more details, you can visit www.iskcongurugram.com
