Miscellaneous - Religion   

Visiting temples

Chennai: Elders tell us to visit temples, and to offer worship to the deity there. But we are too lazy to do as they say. Many argue that since they have puja rooms in their house, they are quite content to worship there, and that there is no need for them to go to a temple. But even if we do have a puja room and do worship there, we must still go to an ancient temple everyday, said Mathivannan in a discourse.

Ancient temples have been visited by sages and saints, and if we go there, the breeze that touched them will touch us too. And can there be a greater blessing than this?

We cannot assume that merely reading of scriptures is enough, without temple worship. If knowledge alone is enough, then why would great saints have visited temples? Gnanasambandar saw Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati, and was fed milk by the Goddess. He was only three when they appeared before him. And yet his visits to temples began only after this, showing that although he had seen God in person, he still wanted to go to temples.

Ramalinga Adigalar saw Lord Subrahmanya at the age of seven, and composed verses in praise of the Lord at the age of nine. Yet he would walk all the way to the Siva temple at Thiruvottriyur everyday, a considerable distance from his house. He would worship the deities there, and then go to the grave of Pattinathar and worship there too.

Did not Adi Sankara and Ramanujacharya visit temples? Such saints have shown us that knowledge should in fact spur us to visit temples.

Knowledge should not be offered as an excuse for not visiting temples. The atmosphere in temples is auspicious, because of the countless great men who have visited these temples in the past. We should consider ourselves blessed to follow in their path.

We do not have to subject ourselves to any hardship to worship God. If we worship with sincerity and faith, God will hear our cries. It is said that Subrahmanya will give with His 12 hands, if we worship Him with our two hands.

The Lord is a doctor, who cures us of the disease known as samsara.

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