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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00077 Jan 2005

 
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  Dear Swami,
The agamas have not overcomplicated the matter but we have oversimplified the 
matter.Our acaryas hold the worship of SAAKSHAT BHAGAVAN superior to that of 
antaryami aspect of HIM.
dasan 


On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 rtvrajan wrote :
>
>
>
>
>Representationally Hinduism is polytheistic; with this state of
>affairs it is hard to see that Hinduism is monotheistic. Also the
>modern Hindu communities developing the in the alien land cannot
>afford to have a specific deity in every street corner. Thus we have
>all different facets of the One God concentrated in one Super temple
>in each major city these days.  If only we could teach people that
>there is only One God living as the antharyAmi despite all the
>outward differences, we would have successfully portrayed the true
>aspects of the upanishadic truths.  But the practical situation is
>quite different! The wishes of the people as well as the Agamas have
>complicated the matter way too much.  Probably we can choose to a
>different sannidhi each time we visit the temple, and experience the
>anubavam of the Lord in the specific at the specific visit. When the
>gyana matures, we can all the One God through the Vishnu tatvam.
>
>dAsan
>Rajan
>
>--- In SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Sudarshan K Madabushi"
><mksudarshan2002@xxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> > --- In SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "rvv21" <ranjanvv@xxxx> wrote:
> > >>      I think it's unlikely you'll find a "Vishnu-only" temple
>in
> > the > UK (apart from ISKCON temples) - but I could be wrong.
> > However, the > sizeable Sri Lankan Tamil community in many parts
>of
> > London have > retained their Shaiva temple culture to a relatively
> > high degree and > have constructed many 'south-indian' style
>temples,
> > if you were > interested in seeing them for interest. Many have a
> > sannidhi for > Lakshmi/Naaraayana as well.
> >
> >                        ****************
> > Dear members,
> >
> > This is a very interesting thread of discussion and I like your
> > exchanges.
> >
> > One of the odd things I have noticed about Hindu temples abroad is
> > this: they are designed to accommodate and built to serve the
> > sentiments of all denominations of Hindu religous society. Such
> > design and architecture is no doubt well-intentioned but the
>results
> > are sometimes a mixed bag.
> >
> > I toured parts of USA East Coast last year. My host was kind
>enough
> > to take me to a very beautiful temple in Maryland. It was called
> > Shiva-Vishnu temple but inside I was surprised to see many more
> > special "sannidhi-s" (shrines or sanctums) for a number of other
> > deities in the Hindu pantheon -- Ganesha, Murugua, AmbAL, AyyappA,
> > Venkateshwara, Krishna... I saw devotees come in throngs and each
> > proceeded straight to that shrine he or she wanted to particularly
> > worship. Thereafter he or she spent a few moments at other shrines
> > before exiting. I couldn't help thinking it all vaguely resembled
>the
> > modern and convenient "multi-cuisine cafeteria" concept applied to
> > temple architecture i.e. you come shuffling in a long queue with a
> > plate in hand, go slowly around the table and help yourself
> > generously to the dish you particularly like, and just a little
>bit
> > of everthing else in the spread.
> >
> > Don't get me wrong. It's not that I want to be critical of "Shiva-
> > Vishnu" temples, I hasten to add. Who knows, perhaps the "Agama
> > sAstras" themselves do, in fact, permit such "cafeteria" design of
> > temples. But I must say this: I cannot help sometimes wondering if
> > the presence of more than one Deity within a temple-precinct does
>not
> > go against the essentially monotheistic grain of Hindu religious
> > thought and practice. My own personal experience is that when I am
>in
> > the presence of the main Deity inside a temple I'd rather fully
> > concentrate on worshipping that one Divine Entity alone. But
>instead,
> > I often find that, at the back of my mind somewhere, I'm being
> > distracted by the anxious thought of having to rush for "darshan"
>to
> > the "next crowded counter" -- viz. other satellite shrines
> > or "sannidhi-s". The result is that a temple visit, far from
> > affording one an opportunity for experiencing a certain sense of
> > abiding One-ness with God, leaves the devotee with a strange
>feeling,
> > instead, he's just concluded a long and hectic series of business
> > appointments.
> >
> > Let me confess to one more thing. I always come away from a temple
> > feeling a little guilty and disappointed if, after I've
>had "darshan"
> > of the main Deity first, for some reason or other, I've been
>unable
> > to offer worship at subsidiary "sannidhi-s". I've never relished
>such
> > a feeling. It has always robbed the first experience a little of
>its
> > joy.
> >
> > An exclusively Vishnu temple (with His other divine forms serving
> > perhaps as smaller satellite "sannidhi-s") seems to me OK. An
> > exclusive Shiva temple too seems OK. An exclusive Devi or AmbAl
> > temple is OK too. But a "Shiva-Vishnu temple", and many of
>similarly
> > newly-built, multi-themed, composite "designer temples" (in India
>and
> > abroad we come across these days) -- they all seem to me to be
> > somehow straying far from the central monotheism of that very
>Faith
> > they are actually meant to reflect and enshrine.
> >
> > What do members think? I'd like to hear your learned comments.
> >
> > respectfully,
> > dAsan,
> > Sudarshan
>
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>Yahoo! Groups Links
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