Sunday, June 2, 2013

Temple Persona

Here’s my perspective on one of the roles that temples can play in our lives. It was published in the souvenir released today at the Inauguration of Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Devasthanam

Deho Devalaya.” The Upanishads equate the body with the temple. This similarity can be interpreted in many ways. Just like the body provides us with many tools to live a rich and fulfilling life, the temple provides innumerable tools to live an enriching, complete life. One should practice the art of sensing the world through the organs of the temple, just like we practice the art we are born with, of sensing the world through the organs of the body. The religious teachings, the rituals, and the symbolisms that constitute the temple provide us with the right ways of sensing the world. For instance, take the most treasured sense of taste. Just like the body provides teeth, tongue, saliva and other artifacts to revel in this sense of taste, temple provides many ways to appreciate this same sense.

While the body provides those artifacts to cherish the senses in the very basic plane of existence – the bottom most slice of Maslow’s pyramid, the temple provides ways and means to enjoy the senses at the highest plane of happiness. What we eat in the temple, called the Mahaprasadam, is respected as the God Himself. "Annam parabrahma swaroopam" – food is a manifestation of God, claim our scriptures. Temple teaches us to devour food as if it were divine. Temple food is deliberately rich and delicious - not to be hogged and consumed to satisfy a basic need, but to be enjoyed as a divine blessing at a much higher plane.

When we see divinity in the objects of desire like food and opposite sex, the lowly basic need that lets the senses loose, transforms into a want of the higher plane of love and devotion. The female form of God is revered at the highest level in the temple, as Adi Parashakti – the ultimate power behind the entire creation. When we imbibe the temple’s ritual to revere the female form as the most powerful, our basic instincts give way to discretion and devotion. Vijaya Dasami or Dasara as it is popularly called is one of the most celebrated festival in the temple and is devoted entirely to the worship of the female form.

Vijaya Dasami, means Victorious 10th (day). My interpretation of Vijaya Dasami, however, is Victory over the ten senses. The festival symbolizes the destruction of tamo guna that feeds into the senses. What is the most tempting sensation to a man, that even sage Viswamitra, with his severe penance and determination, could not overcome? It is the female form. What better entity can we propitiate to conquer this sensation than the female form of divinity itself? When I was small, my grandmother used to call Dasara as an essentially boys' festival and always insisted that I celebrate it as much as I can - wear new clothes and recite hymns in praise of the goddesses, at least. I didn't understand then, but it does make sense now. Not that only boys need to conquer the ten senses, but they do need it more, at least in this context.

Durga, the goddess who is worshiped for the festival, means unattainable - cannot be reached. As long as we have a terrestrial form, absolute victory over the senses is unattainable. But the festival symbolizes the goal that we should try to achieve, even if it is unattainable in this birth. It reminds us of the need to keep trying to detach from worldly matters by practice, devotion and dispassion. We cannot imbibe all these deeply rooted symbolisms to refine our existence, without the help of the temple and the rituals it prescribes.

Bhadram Karnebhih Shrinuyama Devah” - Oh God, may we hear Good with our ears, proclaim the invocation in Mandukya Upanishad that is often recited in the temple. “Bhadram Pashyema-Akssabhir” comes next - May we See with our Eyes what is Auspicious. Those are the best ways to utilize the hearing and visual senses. Temples help us do that – we hear only good in the temple and see only that is auspicious. With practice, we can do the same everywhere else – hear only good and see only auspicious ignoring all the rest.

Another claim from the same Mandukya Upanishad is: “Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati” - One who knows God becomes One with It. If we contemplate on God at all times, trying to know and experience Him and His qualities, like in the various sahasranama recited at the temple, we will become one with Him. Then, as said in the Narada Bhakti Sutras, “Tasmin Tajjane Bheda Abhavaat” - there is no difference between the God and his devotees. That is why, the Manu Samhita says, “Krante Vishnum” - Contemplate on God (Vishnu) in your every step. The temple inculcates this habit.

The “Deho Devalaya” aphorism can be given another interpretation. Like all rivers flow into the ocean, the temple that the body is, is always longing to submerge into the Devalaya, the temple. “Jivo Brahma Sanatana” – the indweller in the body is God, is the next part of the aphorism. Food, a form of God does not fulfill its raison d’etre until it submerges into the God in the body. Similarly, the temple that the body is, does not realize its true purpose until it dissolves in the purity of the Devalaya, the temple.

The serene vibrations of the mantras (man-tra: that which rescues the mind) recited in the temple purify the mind and body. How do we react when we see a long lost friend after many years? How about when we hear our dearest song – a bhoole bisre geet - that we grew up with? Our heart jumps with joy. That is exactly what happens to our eons old soul when we hear the ancient mantras that have been in existence for almost as long as our souls. Even some 3-year-old kids recognize the mantras wherever they are played, as “those recited in the temple.” It goes to prove that their soul is well acquainted with them. Recognizing those sounds would not have otherwise been possible at such a young age and in such a short period without the “Poorva Janma Vasana Balam”.

Participating in the Siva Abhishekam on Monday evenings and reciting Rudram and other suktas along with the priests is one of the most treasured activities that I look forward to, in my weekly routine. Seeing the pleasant personalities of the idols, priests and devotees makes me forget all the stress and unwind. We never see an angry or upset face in the temple. Temple automatically stimulates pleasantness, which then becomes contagious. We are very fortunate to have the temple in the heart of Silicon Valley under the stewardship of the highly learned Sri Marepalli Naga Venkata Shastri garu. To the devoted, the temple makes every day a festival and every routine, a ritual.

It is not spirituality if its experience does not create happiness. Temple helps experience the happiness of spirituality. The depth of a religion is unfathomable to those who never see beneath the rituals it prescribes. Temple helps fathom the depth. I made temple an integral part of my daily life and hope you will too.