Every Hindu temple in India - and perhaps any other worship site of all other religions - has a sacred tree and/ or a sacred stone that is in its center and is root of the energy of the temples’ worship. That is the norm. These stones or trees are sacred because of their age, they were a place of gathering of the community. A shelter. A resting place for the soul. A place to hear our hearts, to speak our true nature. To remember our true nature, of connectedness with the environment and the nature of the Earth. To hear the whispers of wisdom that only an old tree can reveal. Revelations beyond words, or better yet, prior to words. Thus a place where human deed and thinking would surrender.
Then the worship gained a construction force, temples grew and grew, higher, larger, more decorative and darker, in an attempt perhaps of a more evident meaning of the source and object of worship. Even without using words, temples filled their structures with many symbols and narratives. In an expression of careful sensible respect and thoughtful intentions towards the worshiped. In the temple and prayer rooms one can admire the intricate and meticulous components that give form to a whole meaning of soulful worship. In a larger scale, monumental temples make use of fanatics to adore the gods. All to enhance the attached relationship between god and men, to portrait the connection of man and its divine nature. An exterior compass of a journey within, that can be easily mislead the journeyer of the Self in a direction of other destination that not the Self. And yet human mind still poured into the plain and simple worship site. Maybe to harbor more devotees and rise temple energy, but at the same time channeling any individual devotion through communal devotional reflections. The individual aspect of spirituality is hard to keep in such circumstances. And perhaps serves us in a certain stage of our spiritual journey, but on other stage it might not. Individuality is key to any spiritual seeker. Only because it is one self that has to on its own take him/ herself to discover and be its own true nature. And Nature is and will always will be the means, as long as we have a body on Earth. Vibrant healthy nature sites will always be a bigger reflection of our true nature, of our souls frequency. The interdependency is so big, that any respect to Nature is respect our Self, any rest in Nature is a rest in our Self, any knowledge of Nature is knowledge on the Self… It saddens me how it is evident the reversal of the mental devotional act and the natural source of our devotion. I rather enjoy a tiny stone sculpture - even though tiny filled with meaning and of our understanding - in the middle of its raw environment, wether a natural desert or an abundant forest. And that little stone would guide me to connect with my surrounding and inner nature. Rather experience this than huge temples amassing thousands with only one alone natural object of worship, if so - in a vain attempt to reflect the whole natural cosmic rule and perseverance within and without - as in this foto/video. I see the tree alone and minimized. Perhaps a single tree is easier to worship, than if that tree would be in the midst of thousands of plants. To worship trees in the forest all together as one entire being, human mind has to expand and stop. And that is not intended. When worshiping human mind has to know very clearly what is its heart opening to, and when the object of worship is an unquantified, unconditional, universal subject as God, a cosmic ruler, it became very hard for the mind to reduce that to a single point and able to go beyond such reductions. Then only the heart can connect to that. One thing I have most recently learned to admire in Indias’ cultural and religious practice is the existence of a prayer room, or Puja room in every home. Houses are designed with a small room for prayer and worship. It is indeed a temple at home. This is something that surely creates a more intimate connection with the worshipped objects. As every different families has a different and specific deity. This personal puja room very much so gives space for the realization of our own deities, our own beliefs and form of worship. This home temple habit is much more significant than a temple of masses. It may not carry the energy, strong and vibrant of the prayers of many people throughout many years. But it is mostly about your own energy and your present worship state, as it should be in a public temple. Home puja rooms witness a more vulnerable, raw and naked individual in worship. At home things are for you only, you are not doing things going with the current of your neighbor devotees nor to be witnessed as a great devotee. Home prayers in a puja room if done genuinely and heartfelt generate a flame maybe not so bright and strong but true to you. As in opposition with public worship spaces that carry so many different energetic signatures. The selfish act of human pursuit of spirituality seems at times a race to get the gods attention, even if just for a split second of attention, a devotee would be happy to steal gods attention, away from their ruling duties, rather than trying to be closer to god by bettering themselves and ultimately understanding our divine true nature. At times the seeker seeks only a divine consolation for its scars and struggles, or praises for its accomplishments - the blessings. A site filled with powerful energy channels it to you. Such as the pinochle of a temple building harnesses the energy down to the worship womb and then to the devotee. So would an old tall tree, a high rock or a mountain. It saddened me that the worship in this site I expose in the video is then taken to the river nearby. And on top of platinum paper plate, a candle and gift (coconut, flower, rice, turmeric, etc…) is sent afloat down the river, taking their offers and praises to the gods. To the gods of the sky, of the water, of the earth, of the sun, the rulers of that sacred natural site and it all. And maybe centuries ago there wouldn’t be any polluting plates and plastic bags, as simple banana leaves or other would do to improvise a float. Now these offers don’t travel much down the river and sink. The pollution there is absurd. It’s hard to believe that it is above the law this mass pollution. Even though it is said they clean every sunday. The act in itself is harmful. Harmful to the local and global nature as it is to the human mind. During the act planting seeds of toxicity towards oneself, the others and natures infinite affected species. When natures only gives. Our attempt to give back to Nature, is at this level of worship a failure. Even with our most beautiful poems and devotional art to reveal us closer to our true nature. Even as when the best of poems and arts are the best when they leave our mind in awe and contemplation. When will we understand that words and acts will never be enough!? Indeed there is an apparent contradiction in self-knowledge traditions - such as religious and cultural lineages like the Vedas, Hinduism and Yoga - that, in todays context, practices turn up to be harming and disarranged with its original goal. Specially due to the globalization of the past decades. I would say, devotees have been absorbing customs through comercial brainwash, that have deviated faithful intentions of being one with Nature. I just hope that ever more we all can relate and connect to the inner temple of our body - meaning planet Earth and our physical body - , of our mind - our thoughts and emotions - and spirit - our energy and life purpose. That through these we connect with all others and the whole Cosmos, only to remember the subtlety of our true Self… that we make use of our devotional state to bring us back to our center, instead of getting lost prayers. That maybe this is all we need to bring ourselves into the right path. Sérgio Ramos 2/7/2024
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