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| CHURCH |
India is still a spiritual nation. Even those who eat money, drink money and sleep money have to be part of religious ceremony once a while to be part of the larger spiritual community. Secularization has not really done away religion. And this pattern is most likely continue for the rest of the future one can predict about. And because strands of Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism can embrace atheism without any slightest hint of discomfort, how much ever Hitchens or Dawkins proselytize, India will continue to be spiritually lively.
Yet there are areas of practice that this spiritual communities must reform to remain relevant. And one area that they all need a paradigm shift is in the area of construction of huge worship centres. All the prominent religious communities are guilty of constructing lavish and gigantic worship centres. Many of these worship centres have no need for such sizes. Surely, one must construct worship centres big enough to accommodate the devotees. However, contruction of such worship centres much bigger than the requirement is a waste of resources.
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| TEMPLE |
There are other ways to spend the money. The country has millions of people going to bed without two meals a day. And there are millions of children who don't have access to schools and basic healthcare. Each year nature's fury in the form of flood hit certain parts of the country, and had dams being constructed at appropriate locations, such calamities could have been avoided. Religious devotion without concrete expression of concern for one's neighbour is an empty religion. Building magnificent worship centres without showing love to other human being will not take a devotee closer to whichever deity on worships.
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| MOSQUE |
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| GURUDWARA |
Too much money has been wasted in building Churches, Gurudwaras, Mosques and Temples. One can see massive worship centres being built each year across cities. And this trend must be arrested quickly. If it is the pride that prompted devotees to build construct such worship centre, such devotees are farthest from the spirit of authentic worship. The pride of having participated in the construction of the most massive worship centre, at the expense of other urgent requirements, is the lure of distorted worship that subtly attacks devotee of all religious traditions. If one is to express spirituality in an authentic way, then it must be through showing love and care toward those who are in need, not through wasteful construction of massive worship centres.
I am not proud of the resources that people belonging to my religious community are wasting. Are you?
I'm not proud either :) I think the church should have *NO* physical property it is mindful of.
ReplyDeleteThe construction of worship centres in older times could be justified, when the country have more than enough money and these kind of constructions were major means to encourage and showcase art. These days however, having 'the largest lock made of gold', 'Rathyatras', 'golden sheet over the peaks', 'dresses and accessories of Gods studded in precious stones' - all of these things are in such bad taste. I'm so ashamed sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAnd the $ 22 billion in Shree Padmanabaswamy Temple is just crazy. Someone said the money should be used to start a university... I am with the idea.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting question and you have obviously given it a great deal of thought. I recently visited the San Jose gurdwara right after it opened it's new hall which is either the 1st or 2nd largest gurdwara in the world. the langar hall is also immense and just keeps going. This gurdwara had very humble beginnings, and has changed buildings at least twice previously in order to accommodate the ever growing sangat. I actually felt a lot of pride when looking down at the singh who has been quietly handling collections. This same singh has read akahnd paath for more than 24 hours uninterrupted. The actual building project began nearly two decades ago, but the sangat has persevered and now there is room for all sangat to gather worship, for classes, for amritsanchar, for all to partake langar. There is a great sense of community. I don't see ornate extravagance rather an answer to need for community.
ReplyDeleteI do know of Sikh families who quietly make donations for hospitals, orphan and widow care etc, but would be nice to see more visible steps taken towards 24 hour langar and community outreach.
Sikhs' langar has been a wonderful tradition. And Sikh's generosity is appreciated even by other religious communities. For example, I remember my friend telling me that if I ever get lost in a new city, try to find a Gurudwara and get shelter there... because Sikhs are generous people and they'll give you food and shelter. It seemed he has had similar experience.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet when I look at Gurudwaras, I used to think that the grandeur can be more simple and less expensive. I think there is a difference between architectural construction and extravagance... you know what I mean! And it's the latter that I am talking about.