Uniqueness of Rama at GondavaleI
earnestly wish everyone goes at least once to Gondavale and pays homage ,to Rama there. Rama there is unique; when you stand before Him, He makes you aware of your defects, which is most important. Only when a man knows that he is suffering from some disease, does he find a way for its cure; similarly, when he knows his defects, he will surrender to God for their removal. Rama will certainly bless him, because it is His vow to shower Grace on anyone who totally surrenders to Him.
Who is a good physician? He who increases the patients appetite by medicine, allows him nourishing food, and gives him medicine that digests it and eventually the patient becomes free of the disease. My Rama is similar to this; I, therefore, earnestly desire everyone to see Him at least once.
A temple should have its door open, but only for genuine devotees of God. Even if only a few persons gather for a festival, it is the real joy, if they are absorbed in nama. The objective should not be merely a large gathering. A temple is primarily a place of devotion; it should therefore be simple; and intense devotion should be practise there. A temple should be maintained only on charity, not on stable assets. It should produce aspirants with high spiritual ideals, and sworn to strict moral discipline. Devotion is very dear to God. Instead of building temples of gold, efforts should be to intensify devotion in simple temples built of stone and clay.
Remember, everything happens according to God's will; so don't reject what you get, and be not sorry for what you don't get. We have forgotten God. Festivals are necessary for creating remembrance of God and its constant maintenance. Like the sun staying at one place lights the entire world, God pervades everywhere by His divine power. An unsuspecting person with purity of attitude, sees God even in stone idol; purity, of course, must be of a hundred percent standard, with no adulteration. One who inwardly maintains constant awareness of God, and in his conduct controls his impulses, gets spiritual experience very soon. Experience of the effect of nama can be obtained by taking nama itself. Similarly, the experience of God can be obtained in the awareness of Him.
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