temple within the heart.

I realize that I've written quite a few blog posts but I haven't yet explained the reasoning behind my blog name: Temple Within the Heart.

So, here it goes!

temple within the heart

Our heart is incredibly precious. We place such heavy importance on it-and for good reason too! Our heart pumps blood continuously to the different organs of our body so they can function smoothly and allow us to carry out our daily activities. When we talk about our emotions and feelings, we tend to say that they develop in our heart.

"I give you my heart!" ----> another way of saying I love you!

"I love you with all my heart" ----> I love you very much

"She doesn't have a heart." ----> She isn't sympathetic

So, our heart is a very special place. If we nourish it well, we will be able to see a great amount of changes in our lives.

• If we feed our hearts hatred and jealousy, they will be mirrored in our relationships and our perspective of life. If we feed our hearts love, warmth, and kindness, they will be reflected in our relationships and our perspective of life.

In the same way, whatever we build in our hearts, we will see it reflected in our relationships and the way we look at the world.

If we build an ice fortress, our outlook on life will be distorted by a lack of emotion, warmth, feeling, empathy, compassion, and kindness.

But, if we build a temple within our hearts, perhaps, we may start to treat the world as a temple as well. And we may regard others as the cherished children or family of the Lord. Perhaps we will see everything as the creation of the Lord and be repeatedly reminded of Him.

Whereas material temples are constructed with beautifully cut slabs of marble and towering pillars, the temple within our hearts is gradually built with love, devotion, and the desire to serve Lord Krishna and His dear Vaishnavas (devotees).

I strive to build a temple within my heart. A temple that will house the Lord and entice Him to dance eternally within my heart.

.

mama mana mandire raha niśi-din

kṛṣṇa murāri śrī kṛṣṇa murāri

Please abide in the temple of my heart both day and night, O Krsna Murari, O Sri Krsna Murari!

Extracted from bhajan: Mama Mana Mandire

Written by: Bhaktivinoda Thakura

picture credits: Ramdas Abhiram Das and Dhrti Dasi (sosacredart from instagram)