Monday, August 14, 2006

Temple Worship Its Benefits and Drawbacks V. Kannan USA

Inaugural Course, Aug 9th 23rd, 2006, Bangalore

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Table of Contents

Personal Experience Concepts of God Origin of Temple Worship Ubiquity of Temple Worship Prana Prathishta and other practices Temple Architecture The Benefits of Temple worship The Drawbacks of Temple Worship The need to transcend Temple Worship Summary Conclusion
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Concepts of God

Nirguna Brahman, Indeterminate Absolute, Para Brahman Nirakar No Form and No Attributes Saguna Brahman, Determinate Absolute Still Nirakar No form, but with attributes Supreme power Tangible Form Sakar with attributes and assignment of duties such as protection, rendering justice etc More mechanical forms of worship, temples, idols, rituals
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Origin of temple worship

Post vedic age (1500 1000 BC) Began during Buddha s period (500 BC) Gupta Dynasty (320 467 AD) Reference in New Testament Temples, synagogues, Churches and Mosques Idols, wailing wall, Kaaba, Zam Zam waters, Holy Cross, Mary and the child Inca, Mayas, Aztecs, African worships Ishta Devata ( Personal God)
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Religiously lot of changes happened from 500 BC 400 AD. The local people and the Aryan migrants completely merged. Civilization moved eastwards to the Gangetic plain from the Vedic Punjab area. Vedic Gods were replaced by Puranic Gods. Vedic Gods gave way to two important monotheistic Gods - Siva and Vishnu. Saivism and Vaishnavism were the two main practices. Vedic sacrifices and rituals were restricted to only royal and important occasions. Idol worship, possibly a Buddhist influence, and Gods of local people (like Rudra/ Shiva) became a part of mainstream religion. Caste system set in (Manu 100 BC - 100 AD). Two important epics, Ramayana and Mahabharatha became popular. By the time of the Guptas (4th century AD) Hinduism as we know it today, took shape. In the south, the culture of TamilNadu was getting influenced by Gangetic religions and culture, as sangam poems would suggest. Major Tamil deity, Murugan, was absorbed into Hindu religion as the son of Siva, Siva himself, it is argued is assimilation of local deity into Vedic culture. By the time of Pallavas Tamilnadu had been completely brought into Hindu fold.
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Ubiquity of temple worship

Synagogues were local outposts of the Jerusalem temple

Christians worship the holy cross, the idols of Jesus and Mary The Muslims worship the Kaaba Buddhists worship the idol of Buddha. There were temples in Mayan, Inca, Aztec cultures Of course, lots of Hindu temples In Fiji, in Thailand, Indonesia etc., More Hindu temples in the USA
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In Matthew 21-23, we see the final confrontation between the Savior and the religious leaders of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. The confrontation takes place within the Temple precinct. The Temple of Herod was the spiritual center of Judaism during the time of Christ. Though the Synagogue grew in importance during this time, the Temple remained at the heart of Jewish worship for it was only in the Temple that the sacrifices required by the law of Moses could be performed. The Temple was also the focus of the activities of the three major feasts and pilgrimages of the law of Moses: the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Indeed, the whole of the law of Moses had the Temple at its core

(Satterfield, Bruce. "Woe unto You,...Hypocrites. 3)

Temples are the places of worship in Japanese Buddhism. Virtually every Japanese municipality has at least one temple, while large cultural centers like Kyoto have several thousands of them.

Christian Temple Worship

In an obvious sense, Christian worship is closer to the synagogue than to the temple. We do not sacrifice, there are no restricted spaces, there is no unapproachable altar, etc. The physical actions of our worship are closer to what we know about the synagogue (reading Scripture, teaching, singing, prayer). But these actions are described by the New Testament by reference to the temple worship: The word of God is a sword that cuts us up for sacrifice (Heb. 4:12-13), our prayers and singing are a "sacrifice of praise" (1 Pet. 2:5), our gifts and offerings are pleasing sacrifices (Heb. 13:16), our sharing at the Lord's table is a feast on the sacrificial Victim. Worst of all, if we take the synagogue as our model of worship, we are almost completely dependent upon Jewish tradition for our liturgical theology and practice. Far from being a step toward Romanism, taking the temple as our model for worship is the only possible way to arrive at a biblical view of worship. There simply is no other model. Volume 13, Issue 1: Liturgia, Synagogue or Temple?, Peter J. Leithart Internet research

Public Vs Private worship

Our (Indian) temples are not churches or mosques Swami Vivekananda Kanchi Kamakoti Shankaracharya (Chandrasekarendra Saraswati) Swami wrote Our temples are not organized as places for meditation, nor for congregational worship. The purpose of temple is different Individual worship and Community well being!

Hindu Temple Worship

If God is merely omnipresent, how can He help us? We all long for His grace somehow. So, we have to worship Him and get His grace. But the agama-shastras tell us how this should be done. Shankaracharya

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Temple Structure

The structure of the temple lay out

Tanks, walls, gates, sanctum, Idol, Vimanam or Gopuram (tall towers at the entrance and a dome like structure on the top of sanctum sanctorum)

Rituals for bathing, decorating, feeding God and pradhakshanam (circum ambulation)
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Palestinian synagogues that have been excavated in the modern era include bathing pools at the entrance, apparently used for cleansing those who gathered for worship The synagogue excavated at Beth Alpha, for example, contains a mosaic that depicts the temple courtyard with an altar, the temple veil, lampstands, and the ark of the covenant
The Structure of Indian temple is identical with the parts of human body. The vimana is the head, the Sanctum is the neck, the front mandap is the stomach, the prakara walls are the legs, the gopura is the feet and the Lord in the Sanctum is the Soul or the Jiva (Life) of the body According Kathopanishad, The body of ours is the temple of the Divine

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Temples Example

Mayan Temple

Hampi Dravidian Style

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Aztec Temple
There was a complex religious system in Technotitlan. Superficially, the religion seems to resemble that of the Greeks, with a broad mythology encompassing a large number of gods and goddesses, in addition to serpent gods. However, the Aztec religion concerned itself with the concepts of time and space very deeply. Within the religion were the concepts of multiple creations and destructions of the universe. The current world was supposedly the fifth and final creation. (Aztec temples 4)
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Buddhist Temple Parts

Main hall The sacred objects of worship, such as statues, are displayed in the main hall. In Japanese, main halls are usually called kondo, hondo, butsuden, amidado or hatto.
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Lecture hall

Lecture halls are for meetings and lectures and often also display objects of worship. Lecture halls are called kodo.

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Pagoda

The pagoda, a structure that has evolved from the Indian stupa, usually comes with three (sanju no to) or five (goju no to) stories. Pagodas store remains of the Buddha such as a tooth, usually in form of a representation.

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Gates

Gates mark the entrance to the temple grounds. There is usually one main gate, and possibly several additional gates, for example, along the temple's main approach.
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Bell

On New Year's eve, temple bells are rang 108 times, corresponding to the Buddhist concept of 108 worldly desires.

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Kaaba

Muslims throughout the world face the Kaaba during prayers. For most places around the world, coordinates for Mecca suffice. However, in the Sacred Mosque, worshippers pray in concentric circles radiating outwards around the Kaaba. Therefore, the focus point is in the middle of the Kaaba. As one is not permitted to take a GPS reading from on top or inside the Kaaba, an estimate must be made from various positions around the Kaaba.

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Jerusalem Temple

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Samples of Temples

Chola Temple in the South

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Periya Koil Thanjavur, TN

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True to art historian Fergusson, the Chola artists conceived like giants and finished like jewelers Built about 1000 years ago
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Jain Temple - Adinath

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Hindu Temple - Chicago

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Procedure To Worship

"Each of the five senses contributes to our joy in life. It is this offering of the objects of the five fold joys that is known as Panchopachaaraas to God, the offerings during puja namely GANDHA (Sandal), PUSHPA (flowers), DHOOPA (incense), DEEPA (lamps) and NAIVADYA (Food). If our organs of sense perceptions and their stimuli are reverentially offered to the Lord, then we shall not be inclined to misuse these sense organs. By such dedications to God, we deflect these from evil propensities and sublimate them to a divine goal.Shankaracharya
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Prana Pratishta and other practices

Until a particular day, the sculptor goes on chiseling that piece of stone, but after a certain day, it becomes invested with divinity, and we start performing

abhisheka (bathe the idol in water, milk, fruits) , archana( recitation of mantras to invoke benefits and ward off dangers) ) , deepaharati (using Camphor light to pay reverence to the idol God) etc. for that deity; it

acquires divine power and it obtains chaitanya (Consciousness including subtle activity). We see divinity in our idols and, therefore, we do abhisheka, alankara or decoration, naivedyam( types of food prepared with a lot of Ghee Clarified Butter) , haarati (camphor light) and many other upacharas (religious practices). -

Sankaracharya

Pilgrimages or Thirtha Yatra Instead of Yatra of the soul prayer, sacrifice (giving up temporarily), Prayaschittha (Atonement)

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Prana Prathisthta and Sahaj Marg

Relevance to our System: It is therefore necessary to understand what precisely our Master is doing, and how it is nothing but this very same Prana Prathishta, now being done to human individuals, thereby converting such individuals into temples of God. In essence, therefore, what is done during transmission is to put Divinity back into the heart of the individual where it really belongs, and thus remove man's dependence from external objects and put it back within himself. PSM Vol 10 - Rev.Master
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Benefits of Temple Worship

Provides a place, purpose and procedure to worship gods Provides a way to connect and think of God, when internalization of HIM is not sought after Provides a cause for discipline and restraint at least temporarily People seek peace of mind and some get it for some time It is an industry in itself with Government Departments controlling the activity Provides economic sustenance for some Idol is dumb and hence provides no resistance But strengthens ones ways, relieves ones burden of guilt on ones conscience.
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"Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested; for the goal, the unmanifested, is very hard for the embodied to reach

From The Bhagavad Gita, Ch.12, Verse 5

Bhishma said: Some worship Brahman in images. Some worship Him as existing in attributes. Some repeatedly realise the highest Divinity which has been described to be like a flash of lightning and which is again indestructible. Others who have burnt their sins by penances, attain to Brahman in the end. All those high-souled persons attain to the highest end. According to Babuji Maharaj, God is abstract and we cannot meditate on the abstract. The next subtle thing is divine light and hence meditation on divine light in the heart is prescribed.

From The Mahabharata Santi Parva, section CCXVII Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli

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Nirguna is all jnana, knowledge, but saguna is full of love, of bhavana, of feeling. There is the moisture of the heart in it and perfect safety for the bhakta (devotee). When the principle of devotion or bhakti, enters into any action, it is only then that it appears easy. It is not difficult to push a boat in the water; but how hard to drag the same boat on land, on rocks? If there is water under the boat, we can cross over to the other shore as without effort. In the same way, if our life's boat floats on the waters of bhakti (devotion), we can sail easily in it. But if life is dry and the way dusty, stony, full of pitfalls then it would indeed be hard to drag the boat along. The principle of bhakti (devotion), like water, makes easy the voyage of our life. The truth of the matter is that saguna and nirguna complement each other. Sant Vinobha Bhave
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What Ramana Maharishi said

Worshipping the formless reality by unthought thought is the best kind of worship. But when one is not fit for such formless worship of God, worship of form alone is suitable. Formless worship is possible only for people who are devoid of the ego-form. Know that all the worship done by people who possess the egoform is only worship of form. We project ourselves into the idols and worship them because we do not understand true inward worship. -Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Superstition is a great enemy of man, but bigotry is worse. Why does a Christian go to Church? Why is the cross holy? Why is the face turned toward the sky in prayer? Why are there so many images in the Catholic Church? Why are there so many images in the minds of Protestants when they pray? My brethren, we can no more think about anything without a mental image than we can live without breathing. By the law of association, the material image calls up the mental idea and viceversa. This is why the Hindu uses an external symbol when he worships. He will tell you, it helps to keep his mind fixed on the Being to whom he prays. He knows as well you do that the image is not God, is not omnipresent. Swami Vivekananda
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Law of Association and Idol Worship

Modern Day Practice

Too complex and confusing with the required know-how of the priest hood More temples with new gods with new powers populism in temples Promotion of middle men in brokering deals with Gods special archanas (rituals) asking for things Begging from Gods in the name of prayer Total solidification by the most sincere Provides cultural and social continuity
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Drawbacks

Fear and temptation are two instruments of religion No prana left in idols any more, since the prathishta was done long time ago Temples fell into disuse Temples are abused for personal gains by priests and politicians Has remained merely as a place for asking for relief, blessings, prosperity and health Real purpose of God Realization as Self Realization is forgotten Temples were also exhibitions of Kings love of architecture and authority were places of performance of art, dance and music

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We worship the idol itself as God. This is the great error, and so grossness grows.. if your goal is Realisation then the way must be subtle and correctly followed Rev Babuji
Formless worship is possible only for people who are devoid of the ego-form. Know that all the worship done by people who possess the ego-form is only worship of form. - Sri Ramana Maharishi With such a clear enunciation of principles of worship one would have expected to find the people to be able to follow them without difficulty. But it is mystifying to find that something akin to almost utter confusion prevails. The average person seems to prefer to stick to the bondage of the ritual life. It has this attraction that so long as one obeys the priestly injunctions for a stated period of time - generally curtailed to a few minutes a day - he enjoys a liberty that is almost permissive the rest of the time. In the contemplative life, or the life of the mystic, there is a freedom that does not exist at lower levels of existence, but this freedom appears unattractive to most persons, as it carries within itself the need for responsible action by the person.- Rev. Chariji in My Master.
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Need to transcend Temple Worship

why we do something is as important as how we do it.. So the goal first, then the guide God is simple and the way of attaining Him must likewise be simple God cannot be found inside religions Discrimination is necessary No progress without change
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In Summary

Temple worship may fill a need for humans at a lower level of approach Ritualistic life and not the contemplative life For new generation, it seems to have run out of its usefulness, primarily due to past generations inability to put reason before rituals. Masters work on human consciousness. Most of the Idols do not have any spiritual charge left in them Epics, Proverbs, History, Mythology can expand the minds of children and adults alike Where temple worship ends, religion ends. Our Duty Acceptance and Tolerance towards temple worshippers Explain with authority to transcend temple worship and adopt contemplative life
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Conclusion

Every culture has a Symbolic Universe Temples are the epicenters of this cultural universe A place to share Joys, Pains, Sufferings, Pray for relief and well being, offer Gratitude Centers of Education and Entertainment via High art and music and even meditation. Sahaj Marg and Temple Worship

Flowers and Garlands Incense Prasad Pictures Statues And Thank God for the Living Masters
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