Simandhar Swami

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Foundation

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of His absolute pure Self and atoms of his physical body would be floating around in the atmosphere. The benefit is tremendous.
Questioner: Is there a difference between worshipping Simandhar Swami in my home and worshipping Him in a temple?
Dadashri: There is a difference.
but pratishtha of the formless has been done in it. The Gnani brings the idol to life. It all depends upon the strength of the instillation of life force.
But for the present manifest form, the living tirthankara Shri Simandhar Swami, it is a completely different matter altogether! In the absence of a manifest form, you never know what types of negative things may happen.
Questioner: Is it because pratishtha (ceremony attributing life-force in an idol, ideally done by a Gnani Purush) has been done?
Questioner: And for many an era, there is no manifest living tirthankara.
Dadashri: And if there is no manifest form, then at least we have the twenty-four tirthankaras of the past.
Dadashri: The idol has been made alive, life force has been instilled through a specific ceremony. And there is also the protection from the celestial deities. So there is a certain atmosphere and the effect is greater there. There is a difference in contemplating Dada in your mind as opposed to being here with me, is there not?
Only The Current Living Tirthankara Can Help
Questioner: Dada, what is the need for building all these temples and other such structures when the real goal is to attain the Soul?
Questioner: But Dada, you are living.
Dadashri: There is equal life in that idol too! Just as this body of mine is living so is the idol of Lord Simamdhar. Those who are not awakened and not Self-realized consider only this body as living. To the Gnani, the other too, the idol is equally alive. This is because all that is visible and with form, whether it is in the idol or the physical body, all is form. There is nothing that is perceived through the five senses that is beyond form. There is therefore no external difference between the two. It is the senses that perceive this.
Questioner: But they believe that this living body has the form as well as the formless and in the idol there is not formless, right?
Dadashri: The temples are very necessary. They should be built. But there is no point in building a temple of those who have departed. In the case of Simandhar Swami however, it is a different matter. He is present and people can benefit by worshiping the one who is present. He is the living Lord and salvation is achieved by doing His darshan. People can only be blessed if we build temples with his living idol. You need a medium to reach people, which is why this inner message received by me from Him is of critical importance. This will bring results. Even those who have not taken Gnan will benefit by doing darshan of Simandhar Swami. That is why we have to build all this; otherwise I would not get involved in it and nor would I involve all of you. I am telling you this because he is the living tirthankara. There is no point in talking about the tirthankaras of the past. We have enough
Dadashri: There is no presence of the formless in an idol,