i spent this weekend lounging around and posting my extensive mumbai blog post, but the highlight of it all would have to be seeing the birla mandir temple.
before entering, we had to take off our shoes, rid ourselves of our phones and cameras and go through security. the temple is made out of white granite and it felt like a cool stream under our bare feets. i was sad we couldn't take pictures--we went right at sunset. the magenta sun and purple saturated sky spilled onto the whiteness of the temple and illuminated the whole city. oh my heart!
inside the temple were mini shrines to different hindu gods and goddesses, but the temple is devoted to lord venkateswara, the god who destroys people's sins. there were many levels of hindu shrines, but something that made me fall in love with this temple even more was these panels showcasing all the main religions: islam, christianity, judaism, buddhism. each had its own panel, with an excerpt from their main text and/or teachings. if i were to go to a church or a synagogue or mosque, i don't think i would find a section dedicated to other religions. it all felt so welcoming.
on the uppermost level, there was a room totally dedicated to lord venkateswara. he had a huge statue in the inside with flowers draped over him, people praying to him, and a scoop of lemony juice for you to take as you left.
in front of us in the line to go inside the venkatewara room was a small child, restless and whiny. it went on like this for the whole time we were in line, about ten minutes. but as soon as we stepped into the room, the child went silent. that holy silence was kept the whole time the family walked through. and then the most beautiful part was that when we walked out, the child's hands reached out toward the shrine, whining to go back inside.
in oregon last semester, one of my professors, nancy, believed that all children are mystics. mystics in the sense that you have a deep connection with an ultimate power or you experience an inner light in yourself and/or in others, or any deeply spiritual experience. it's quite religiously ambiguous; all sorts of people with different beliefs can be mystics. that child in the temple was experiencing a mystic moment. like nancy taught us, we all were mystics in our childhood. but as we grew older, we were taught what to believe or what was real or what was wrong, losing our trust in our inner mystic.
i hope to make it to the temple at dusk again, perhaps with a book to read, a snack maybe. but most of all, a welcoming spirit to beckon my childhood mystic back for another chance.
allow yourself be mystified,
lauren
before entering, we had to take off our shoes, rid ourselves of our phones and cameras and go through security. the temple is made out of white granite and it felt like a cool stream under our bare feets. i was sad we couldn't take pictures--we went right at sunset. the magenta sun and purple saturated sky spilled onto the whiteness of the temple and illuminated the whole city. oh my heart!
inside the temple were mini shrines to different hindu gods and goddesses, but the temple is devoted to lord venkateswara, the god who destroys people's sins. there were many levels of hindu shrines, but something that made me fall in love with this temple even more was these panels showcasing all the main religions: islam, christianity, judaism, buddhism. each had its own panel, with an excerpt from their main text and/or teachings. if i were to go to a church or a synagogue or mosque, i don't think i would find a section dedicated to other religions. it all felt so welcoming.
on the uppermost level, there was a room totally dedicated to lord venkateswara. he had a huge statue in the inside with flowers draped over him, people praying to him, and a scoop of lemony juice for you to take as you left.
in front of us in the line to go inside the venkatewara room was a small child, restless and whiny. it went on like this for the whole time we were in line, about ten minutes. but as soon as we stepped into the room, the child went silent. that holy silence was kept the whole time the family walked through. and then the most beautiful part was that when we walked out, the child's hands reached out toward the shrine, whining to go back inside.
in oregon last semester, one of my professors, nancy, believed that all children are mystics. mystics in the sense that you have a deep connection with an ultimate power or you experience an inner light in yourself and/or in others, or any deeply spiritual experience. it's quite religiously ambiguous; all sorts of people with different beliefs can be mystics. that child in the temple was experiencing a mystic moment. like nancy taught us, we all were mystics in our childhood. but as we grew older, we were taught what to believe or what was real or what was wrong, losing our trust in our inner mystic.
i hope to make it to the temple at dusk again, perhaps with a book to read, a snack maybe. but most of all, a welcoming spirit to beckon my childhood mystic back for another chance.
allow yourself be mystified,
lauren
you already are mystical my dear LB.
ReplyDeletelove you very much. keep being well.