I had the privilege of visiting several temples in Tamil Nadu last month, including the iconic Rameshwaram, one of the Char-Dhams for Hindus. It was an eye-opening experience that stirred memories of my younger days in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, where I visited temples more frequently.

Over time, however, my visits had become less frequent. The reasons were a plenty. Two that I feel important to discuss include first there is “no conversation” and second mostly I provide my “wish list” to the deity and leave. I’d ask for personal favors such as success in exams. Even if I go repeatedly to the same temple, I have no visibility of “fulfilment”.

As I reflect on those early years, I find myself chuckling at the simplicity and short-term nature of those requests. It feels almost childish now. But there was another, subtler reason for my growing distance from temples: the lack of conversation.

When I was in engineering, I started asking deeper questions about life: What is my purpose? What will I do 40 years from now, after retirement? What is the purpose of life? Is there anything that we are missing in our mundane life? There was confusion, there were questions in mind, no clarity who will answer and my point of not checking in temples was clear. Though, in hindsight, I wish I had tried asking few people in there.

These existential questions expanded into a spiritual search. I felt a profound confusion, unsure of where to turn for answers. While I distanced myself from temples, I started reading different books (those days internet was just in its nascent stage). I was fortunate in my younger days that I came across some good people to guide me (my Engineering college professor Dr Anand Saxena was my first guide), help me and later on I joined The Art of Living foundation, which helped address many of my questions (My Art of Living teacher Dr Shrikant Agashe was a great help). Some were answered, some new added too.

Slowly, the internal debate of why to go to a temple subsided. Though, I am talking about a journey of 20+ years here – 1997 till 2022. As I moved to Bangalore recently, my perspective has shifted. Whenever I visited a temple nearby (which is still a rarity), it no longer feels like a place to simply make personal demands. Instead, it began to feel like a sanctuary for service – an opportunity to give back and help those in need, rather than merely asking for favors. Slowly, I noticed a shift in my own approach to prayer. When I found myself asking for something, the request went beyond me and my immediate family. My thoughts began to expand, and I started wishing for the well-being of everyone—neighbors, society, and humanity as a whole.

This growing understanding reminded me of a Sanskrit shloka I had learned in school:

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः |
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niraamayaah
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चित् दुःख भाग्भवेत्
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu, Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet
शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih

In childhood, it was not as clear to me, now when I look at the deeper meaning and see my own’s prayers going in the same direction, I realize the futility of “The wish list” One’s prayer must call for universal happiness, health, and auspiciousness, extending beyond personal desires. The Shloka states exactly the same. I realize how important it is to move from asking for individual blessings to seeking blessings for the entire world.

This shift in mindset became even clearer when I thought about recent global events—COVID-19, wars, and countless challenges faced by humanity. It’s more important than ever to pray for the collective good of society. When you step into a temple, it’s not just about you.

So, next time you visit a temple, remember that it’s not about the wish list you carry with you. It’s a space for self-reflection, for expanding your consciousness, and for sending out your prayers not only for your own needs but for the well-being of all. It’s a place for peace – peace within, and peace for the world.

The experience of going to Rameshwaram was unique, at the same time, it gave me many additional clarities be it prayer or be it running to Temples.

Image source: freepik

Categories: Buddha

KRD Pravin

Here I am supposed to write about myself. Professionally, I am quite serious and a workaholic; personally I am an individual who enjoys what he does and takes life as it comes. I am passionate about my work and actions and empathetically careful, attached and committed to them. All this makes me a fierce competitive professional and yet a compassionate soul, the Yin and the Yang together. Balancing is the art to be practiced using the middle path. From - http://business2buddha.com/about/

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