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THE WAY OF LIFE
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You cannot be happy in your life without glorifying (stavana) the Paramatma.
Has love for the Paramatma arisen in your heart? A heart that abounds in love can understand the Paramatma truly, eventhough the Paramatmatatva is inscrutable and incomprehensible under ordinary circumstances. The senses and the intellect cannot comprehend the Paramatma. The Paramatma cannot be understood by any of the senses. The intellect also cannot understand the Paramatma. The only means by which you can comprehend the Paramatma and gain access to him is the heart - a sacred and pure heart.
From the Audience : The Paramatma is not present before us. How can we worship him ?.
Maharajashri : You can visualise the Paramatma in the idol of the Paramatma. This is the purpose with which the temple of the Paramatma is built. Even the idols of the Paramatma are installed in temples for this purpose. In this phase of time called Avasarpini, Emperor Bharatha the son of Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankar constructed a magnificent temple on the Astapad mountain, where the Paramatma Rishabhdev attained Nirvan and installed in that temple the idols of the twentyfour Tirthankars. We can read about this in the Dharmagranthas. Therefore, we can say that the tradition of building temples and establishing idols has been in existence from times immemorial. Deeming the idol itself the Paramatma, concentrate upon it and meditate upon it. In order to concentrate and meditate on the Paramatma, visit the temple regularly and carry out Darshan (seeing) Pujan (worshipping) and Stavan (glorification) of the Paramatma.
HOW TO VISIT THE TEMPLE ?
The moment you set out for the temple concentrate your mind on the Paramatma, and begin thinking of him. Of course, the heart in which the melodies of the love of the Paramatma keep resounding need not be drawn towards the Paramatma because such a heart is always attached to the feet of the Paramatma.
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