Algorithm to Worship God! ;-)

I never usually visit the temple. Because I tend to look at other things rather than concentrate on the worship of God. Even when I have the darshan of God, I tend to notice only what he is wearing and how the priest is chanting mantras rather than feel him in my heart. God, it is so hard to concentrate in my prayers with all this crowd. I prefer to pray alone.

Its all so mechanical. Doing pranams, buying the archana token, doing pradakshinams(getting irritated with people moving slowly in the process). Thats why the word 'Algorithm' in the title.  Visiting the temple is a standard algorithm. Where is the question of Bhakthi in this process?

INPUT:      I, Enough Money, Full of worries, Temple.

OUTPUT:  I, little or no money, Peaceful mindset.

CAUTION:  Do not wear new chappals

                    Do not go during special occasions like Vaikunta Ekadasi or New Year unless you

                    want straight mokshaa.

                   Do not buy prasad from sellers especially if you have a weak constitution

PROCEDURE:

Step 1:  The hardest part. Make up mind to go to temple.

Step 2:  Clean up, dress neatly and modestly. Preferably Indian wear. Else you will spoil the other

            person's concentration.

 

Step 3:  Preferably don't take another person for company. Its always lovely to visit the temple alone.

Step 4:  Travel and reach temple.

Step 5:  Leave chappal/shoes outside at your own risk.

Step 6:  Buy materials for archana like tulsi, bananas, coconut etc. Very clever business people will do     the needful. Just pay the buck.

Step 7:  Silently enter the temple. Do not step on the nilapadi. You will attract unnecessary attention.

Step 8:  If there is a wash area and if its clean, wash feet and do not slip.

Step 9: Do pranams to Lord Ganesha, the beginning and end of all. Do > 4 pradakshinas if you          want something from him. If you do 108 then you really facing a serious situation. May God bless you.

Step 10: There are lot of people ready and waiting to irritate like gossiping maami's, bulldozer women who literally push to get a better darshan, over enthusiastic freaks chanting or singing loudly creating a raucous. Ignore them. Look at the idol and only the idol.

Step 11: Communicate with the priest to get work done. It is better to take a small book and read the      strotra silently rather than relying too much on the priest.

Step 12: Put the money on the thattu/plate, wait patiently for the deepardhanai. Apply kumkum, vibhuthi   on forehead, carry some on a packet and time to leave.

Step 13: Before leaving do namaskara at the main entrance, sit for a while in a shady place and then out    you go.

A temple is not a bad place to visit. It is very important to choose an appropriate time. Since it is a public place it tends to be very messy but one must learn to tolerate it. Nevertheless it does give you some amount of happiness, a collective consciousness-that all turn to the One and a strange peace of mind.

Some of my favorite temples are Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple, Adyar, Karpaga Vinayagar temple Adyar, Maruntheeswarar temple-Thiruvanmiyur, Paarthasarathy temple-Triplicane, Irresistable Kapaleeshwarar temple-Mylapore, Nanganallur Anjaneyar temple, Madhava Perumal and Kesava Perumal temple near Mylapore, Breathtaking Prithyangara Devi temple, Chollinganallur, Massive Madurai Meenakshi temple, Kamakshi temple Kanchipuram, Powerful Chamundeswari temple, near Mysore. 

If you have any other names of must visit temples, add them on the comments below.

So whats really needed in life? (contd from previous)

Its surely been such a long time since I last posted. It seemed almost as if this blog had enough of posts and has shut down permanently. 'Magar Picture abhi bakhi hai dosth!!' ;). This is actually going to be a continuation of quite a serious article written previously "Is knowledge alone sufficient in life?"

Who all in this world know very well and clearly what they want in life and from life. Very few people actually know what they want in life. We all simply say we want to be happy, live a very comfortable lifestyle, not have problems and want to get everything we wish for.  Nobody actually knows  what is going to happen in future, life's twist and turns. For e.g. Superstar Rajinikanth would never have imagined that he would be worshipped by so many people one day and that he would become such a popular hero. We never know whom luck favours. So no one must be underestimated.

Elders say hard work, perseverance,  determination and persistance can help achieve what we want in life. Again all this must be done at the right time, in the right bent of mind. One must not work hard to destroy the other person's work! Again right kind of action applying all the knowledge learn' t so far to seek more and find more.

The question is 'What is necessary to solve all life's problems?'  That extra special something. Man cannot determine the fruits of all his labour, he can aim, he can have ambitions and aspirations but ultimately what he gets is never under his control. There is something above man which controls, from which all living creatures derive their energy from. Man must open himself to this superior force. It is this superior force which will solve all man's problems which when invoked will help man attain the ultimate perfection and goal in life.

So what is really needed in life is to develop BHAKTHI or devotion. It is very much necessary in today's problematic and hectic lifestyle. Doing something with all faith and devotion leads to the right kind of action which will again lead to attainment of true knowledge. So the base is Bhakthi. Many great spiritual leaders have spoken in detail about this. Bhakthi is like a key to open yourself to the superior force. Bhakthi is strengthened by faith in yourself and faith in this superior force. We must consciously be devout. Devotion does not confine to performing pujas, being ritualistic etc but extends to all actions that one performs. Many people especially in the Western countries be quite devout in their work without actually knowing that they have opened to the superior force. That is why for easy access we give a form to the force and we simply and lovingly call the force as God. 

Performing any action consciously for the sake of God is the right kind of action and leads to perfection and knowledge. If I mumble in my sleep that I need water, will anyone pay attention? I must be fully awake and alert and say that I need water then only will someone hear me and fulfill my request. Similar is the case with God. We must be constantly aware of his presence and dedicate everything we do to him. That is the only solution to all our pressing problems and that alone gives us true bliss.