Gurunathar’s Divine Message Ashwini Pooja 25-06-2011
Another question has been repeated here. “Since there are several births for those who have died why should we conduct shradham or devasam pooja on their death anniversaries for more than five years?” When you do this it is for your mental satisfaction .In the forthcoming years on that day distribute food (anna dhanam) and dedicate the accruing benefits (punyam) to the respective soul wherever he or she may be. I shall say this would be a good practice. The hungry must be fed. There is no distinction between high or low where this is concerned. There is also no difference between man and woman. Hunger is common to all. When a hungry person has eaten well and blesses you it is indeed a good blessing! My belief is that if you practice this it will do you good.
Some others believe that according to orthodoxy (acharam) when a person in a family has passed away the others should not go to any temple for a year. I feel this is foolish. What is the connection between one person completing his or her destiny and the other’s relationship with God? The Saivaite belief and my doctrine is that when a person dies and the necessary ritualistic ceremonies are completed, he should go to a temple. Saiva Siddhantha proclaims this. I would say, others who mention differing practices could be various acharayas or from other religions. True spirituality as I have mentioned earlier begins where religion ends. If I say this, it is only based on the fact that those of you, who come here, come to seek progress spiritually. Before ending my talk I would like to clarify something.
A person who performs Manasika pooja (mental worship) asked me “While performing mental worship can it equal the religious practices conducted in a temple?” I would ask, why not? Why can they be not performed? If your heart is the temple, your breath is the music of the nadaswaram, the heart beat is the mridangam, our different nerves are the articles used for the pooja and the light your eyes can see become the arati. If you can develop this tendency, your heart will become a very good temple. After achieving this, you will not feed the need to go to many other temples. The person who has asked this question still wanders in search of a temple because his mind has not reached that level of maturity, I would say.
(Translation of Gurunathar’s Divine message given to and read by Guruji Shri.K.V.Narayanan)