The Healing Power of Temple
by Dr. M. Rajaram IAS
A temple is a scientific construction designed to store the energy of Shakti. A visit to the temple primarily uplifts the soul, while providing delight to all aspects of our being.
Our physical body gets the necessary exercise it needs when we walk around the huge temple complexes with many prakaras or circumambulatory paths.
Each of the five organs of sense that the physical body houses is engaged in a divine way during our visit to temples. The beautiful sculptures and the ultimate darshan of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum in the dim light of burning camphor cools the sense organ of sight. This organ is tired from seeing the world of objects such as computers, television, mobile phones…
The difference between seeing and engaging with objects of the world and seeing and engaging with the deity in a temple is that the man-made world sucks out our source of prana while the temple architecture and the refined activities in the temple reflect it back to us manifold. It is for this reason that we feel energised when we walk out of a temple.
Our sense of smell is addressed with the fragrance of fresh flowers, camphor, incense sticks and other divine aromatic compounds that are waved around the deity as well as taken around the temple.
The auditory sense is catered to with divine sounds of chants pleasing to the ear. The sounds of the bells and chants correct our neural network in the brain and our thoughts flow in the channel of success.
And then there is the sense organ of taste. Delicious prasad in small quantity is relished with reverence and devotion. This not only appeases our hunger, but also prepares the mind to accept challenges, trials and tribulations that life throws at us, as prasad is the gift of the Supreme.
The mind becomes quiet. Such a mind is a meditative mind naturally. Such a mind is successful in the world of action. Whoever wishes to quieten their mind should visit neighbourhood temples and make pilgrimages to remote famous temples. Temple visits indeed heal the mind and body.
Dr. M.Rajaram is a trustee of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre organisation in India.