I am a Temple President.
Before you congratulate me, so are you.
The great saints and sages explain that this body is a temple of Krishna who resides within as Paramatma, Supersoul. Not only that, but the body is made up of Krishna's material energy in the form of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. This concept is just starting to settle in. I'm living in my master's house and am in charge of keeping it clean and fit as a proper residence for Him, cleaning it inside and out.
Externally, I wash this temple with soap and water, then apply sacred tilak decorations. Internally, I apply the cleaning agent of Sri Krishna's Holy Name, who is all pure, all powerful, all cleansing, to sanctify this temple's atmosphere, mind, and heart and make it a suitable sitting place for Sri Sri Radha-Shyamasundara. After engaging this mind, ears and tongue in hearing and chanting, I make the rounds and engage the rest of this body's senses in the service of Krishna... sa vai manah krishna padaravindayor.
I am a temple president. Who would have thought. Yikes!
References: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.11, purport:
"A devotee should see that because Krishna is present in everyone's heart as Paramatma, every body is the embodiment or the temple of the Supreme Lord; so as one offers respect to the temple of the Lord, he should similarly properly respect each and every body in which the Paramatma dwells."
As a point of interest, this concept is also taught in The Bible, 1 Cor. 3.16:
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
And: 1 Cor. 6.19: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
Before you congratulate me, so are you.
The great saints and sages explain that this body is a temple of Krishna who resides within as Paramatma, Supersoul. Not only that, but the body is made up of Krishna's material energy in the form of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. This concept is just starting to settle in. I'm living in my master's house and am in charge of keeping it clean and fit as a proper residence for Him, cleaning it inside and out.
Externally, I wash this temple with soap and water, then apply sacred tilak decorations. Internally, I apply the cleaning agent of Sri Krishna's Holy Name, who is all pure, all powerful, all cleansing, to sanctify this temple's atmosphere, mind, and heart and make it a suitable sitting place for Sri Sri Radha-Shyamasundara. After engaging this mind, ears and tongue in hearing and chanting, I make the rounds and engage the rest of this body's senses in the service of Krishna... sa vai manah krishna padaravindayor.
I am a temple president. Who would have thought. Yikes!
References: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.11, purport:
"A devotee should see that because Krishna is present in everyone's heart as Paramatma, every body is the embodiment or the temple of the Supreme Lord; so as one offers respect to the temple of the Lord, he should similarly properly respect each and every body in which the Paramatma dwells."
As a point of interest, this concept is also taught in The Bible, 1 Cor. 3.16:
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
And: 1 Cor. 6.19: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
