Abhishegam

Gallons of Milk Wasted?

Often times we hear so called 'intellectual' people say we are wasting resources showers deities in the temple. Some even term deities as stone. They question why pour so much of milk on a stone when there are so many beggars starving outside the temple compound? I call this lack of spiritual understanding and ignorance towards the concept of Atman and lack of understanding of thyself.

If a beggar is starving outside, that is purely his Karma Palan (Karmic effect). If someone decides to donate to the beggar or feed his hunger, that is the donors Karma Palan and it is the correlation of both the Atmas from past lives, etc. If someone doesn't wish to donate to the beggar, instead buy milk to shower the deity, that is also that individual's wish and his own prerogative. Who are we to decide on what one should do and should not do?

Athmartham (Soulful)- Either donating to an orphanage or buying milk for Abhishegam (ceremony of showering a deity) should be done willfully and soulfully. There shouldn't be elements of compulsion or mere fulfillment of desires, vows etc. Whatever that is done wholeheartedly brings the Palan (effect) that it ought to. Donating to a beggar or orphanage does not substitute pouring milk for deities. it is only complimentary to the effect of the Palan.

We abide to a belief system. The belief system if understood, appreciated and absorbed in the right context, performing Abhishegam in the temple brings about LogaKshemam (world prosperity). To a naked eye, it looks like milk is poured to some stone and goes to the drain in vain. However, if your spiritual consciousness is high, you would see the stone as presence of the Almighty himself, you would feel the presence of energy and you as the devotee, rendering your humble service as how you will feed your child, parents, etc.

Likewise, feeding a beggar in need is also a good deed. However, with our limited abilities, we can't promise that the beggar will be bestowed with food for his hunger tomorrow. It is only the Almighty that can refuge him from his Karmic cycle and ensure him a happy life. it is totally beyond our control. Hence, we pray for LokaKshemam and seek the Almighty's blessing for all living beings (Sarve Janaha Sugino Bhavantu).

We use our Karma Indhriyas (senses) to experience a moment. When we see a flower, we deceive it to be a flower and not anything else. Our brain processes what we just saw and accepts it to be a flower. On the contrary, if we see a flower and we deny to accept that it is a flower, then our brain does not accept that to be a flower. This is the Karma Indriyas function. As we progress through the spiritual path with proper guidance from a Guru, we start realizing a deeper function of these Karma

Indriyas. We realize that certain experiences are beyond words and it is beyond judgement of the eyes that see, the ears that hear, etc. We start processing these through our Nyana Indriyas (enlightened senses). It is the same eyes that sees milk being poured on a stone, but the Nyana Indriyas takes that sight to a greater level of consciousness. It sees that moment as the Almighty being showered with nature's pure element like milk and the deity emitting radiance of positive energy to the entire universe, bestowing his presence, grace and blessings onto you. At that moment, the thought of milk being wasted, in vain to the drains shutters. One experiences Sat-Chit-Ananda (ultimate state of blissfulness). Hence, to the point, milk poured on deities in the name of Abhishegam is not in vain. Neither that experience of witnessing the ceremony in the name of Darshan cannot be substituted with donation made to a beggar. Please do not conclude our age old teachings and rituals with a narrow mind. If you are not able to digest the fact, just consider it as your Karma Indriyas require greater spiritual awakening to become Nyana Indriyas.