English guide Level III Sem 2-

2010
Places of worship - the significance By Mojo S
Why are places of worship built? What is their history and significance in the
modern world? (1036 words) (Second text)

The temple is not a flight of fancy of man. Its roots lie deep in man's inner unconscious.
Right from ancient times, wherever man has lived in whichever stage, he has
constructed something resembling a temple somewhere close by. There is no race on
earth which has not built a temple, a church, a masjid and so on. There is no
resemblance between the arrangement and design of a temple and a church but the inner
aspiration and urge of man whether Hindu or Christian remains the same. Another point
to note is that the universal urge to build places of worship lies only in man. Animals
build only dwellings, shelter but no temples. Without man having a deep awareness of
the God, a temple could not be built. It is necessary to make an inquiry into the
significance of building a temple. Just like we build guesthouses for guests, the idea of
building temples must have been conceived in a moment, when the divine was not a
figment of imagination but a living experience.

The temples function as receptive instruments. Though godliness and human beings are
present everywhere, only during special circumstances within us do we become attuned
to that godliness. So temples serve as centers of receptivity, to enable us to feel the
divine in existence and to become spiritually elevated. Patterns and arrangements i.e.
temple, masjid or church do not matter...the ultimate purpose is same. The temples in
India are constructed of 3-4 patterns. The temple domes are based on the model of the
sky. The domes (small, semi circular prototypes of the sky) are constructed so that the
resonance of the prayers can bounce back on us. The dome throws back the prayers and
chanting done under its canopy. The sound is not lost in the vast sky. The purpose is
that when anyone chants intensely, the dome makes the sound reverberate forming a
circle of the echo. Such a sound circle is a blissful experience. With the circle
formation, we become the recipient as well and the divine enters into us. All thoughts
come to a stop. The bells and gongs outside temples serve the purpose of bring back our
attention (if it drifts) to the circle of sound created by the vibration of chanting. It is akin
to the ripples created by throwing a stone in the pond. The ringing of the bell creates a
discontinuity in our normal chain of thought and alertness.

Certain flowers and incense are used to maintain harmony of the temple. For e.g. in a
mosque only "lobhan", a kind of fragrant resin is used as incense and in a temple, only
dhoop and agarbatti. All these have a connection with sound. The sound of Allah has an
inner harmony with the fragrance of lobhan. These links were discovered through the
inner search for enlightenment. Similarly, the amount of light to be used, whether to use
kerosene or ghee and other external aids. It may not be easy to explain the difference
between a kerosene light and ghee light if you have not experimented with the same.
With light created by burning kerosene, our eyes begin to burn and become tired and
painful. With ghee the same become cool and soothed. All these external aids are just
parallels. And when a place of worship has been provided with them, it becomes
charged with the vibrations. Hence the stipulation that no one should go to a temple
without bathing. Taking a cold bath breaks the mental associations. In fact in old days,
silk clothes had to be worn because silk helps to generate body electricity.
English guide Level III Sem 2-
2010
With all these precautions and arrangements, the places of worship become charged and
also affect anyone even passing by with its magnetic field. For e.g. it is said about
Mahavir that within a certain radius of him - wherever he might be - it was impossible
to commit violence. It was his charged field - a walking temple. We need places of
worship like temples where we can make our offerings and receive something in return.
Man always forgets.

What is sublime and valuable, we forget; what is trivial and commonplace we

remember continuously. We have to make an effort to remember God but our desires
and passions are present all the time. Going downhill is easy; going uphill is always
difficult. The temples help keep the inner search alive. Very few of us are naturally
inspired to seek; most only feel inspired when we actually see things.

So when we see godliness personified within the shape of a temple, something of it

lingers in our minds. This is especially so for people who cannot visualize the
unmanifest divine. A temple is a place for rest and relaxation where you can find relief
and peace. It is a source of inspiration.

Vocabulary

- MAHAVIR: es el nombre más de uso general referir al sabio indio Vardhamana quién
estableció lo que se consideran hoy para ser la central tenets de Jainism.

- MASJID: A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam (Arabic: , which

literally means a place of prostration. The word "mosque" in English refers to all types
of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic
between the smaller, masjids dedicated for daily five prayers and the larger masajid
where the daily five prayers and the Friday congregation sermons are held, which is
attended by more people and play more roles such as teaching Qur'an.

- DHOOPS : another masala (tipo de incienso hecho con especias) sub-group. They are
an extruded incense, lacking a core bamboo stick. Many dhoops have very concentrated
scents and put out a lot of smoke when burned. The most well-known dhoop is probably
Chandan Dhoop. It contains a high percentage of Sandalwood.

- AGARBATTI : Indian incense in Hindi

- GHEE is clarified butter, the butter oil, without the lactose and other milk solids. It is
traditionally prepared by gently heating butter until it becomes a clear golden liquid.
The lactose and other milk solids coagulate and are meticulously removed. This process
also evaporates most of the natural water content, making ghee light, pure and resistant
to spoilage.