Atman Needs No Temple

I felt the soul is always a tiny tiny tiny fraction of God's prowess which is filled in abundance everywhere in all elements in all species in all plants in all places up above and beneath the sky and below the earth. So that is why no one till date attempted to imprison the soul in a temple church synagogue mosque or in a monument. Souls do not mutate I suppose. There must be a law operating behind every soul. When life extinguishes it is said the soul had gone out of the body either reached its destination namely the lotus feet of the lord or got into another body in the making.
While among species good and bad coexists so also in God's corporate the celestial and devils aka Raakshasas exists. Every good or celestial has its opposite has bad or Asuras.
Both need the ambrosia and try to get it but there was coloration between the two to churn and share the elixir.
Your question should have been why no big temples for asuras like Ravan?

It is said my many monks that to look inward to attain peace. By closing my eyes, I could see only darkness but anyways existence is felt because soul is intact somewhere in the body. It is believed it is within or close to heart. From @Gamma notes, I gathered
MacDougall's experiment popularized the concept that the soul has weight, and specifically that it weighs 21 grams.

So soul weight is 44gms when it is in an earthian.
When soul finds tough to continue its shelter, it communicates with some medium out there and that medium organises the next journey and shelter for the soul in another body. Matter and bodies perish reduced to ashes or buried deep in earth's belly and eventually merges with five elements.

 

Dear Hari Sir, There was a discussion among Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as to how we can make the human beings work hard to find Atma. Brahma suggested to keep Atma in the space so that man can never reach him. Vishnu suggested to keep it under the deep sea so that man will struggle to reach. But as we all know man has reached both the space and the ocean floor. Shiva suggested to keep Atma inside the man so that he would really struggle to find it. All three agreed and finally decided to place Atma inside the man. Rest is history and the man struggles to find it even today.

Man has the discrimination but mostly uses it for worldly achievements using his mind instead of finding the ultimate power inside him which will make him blissful.

In my view, the soul is imprisoned over many life until man makes his effort to liberate it. It is subtler than air and ether as air and ether can’t be seen but experienced. Living in Florida, I know the power of both air and space as we experience many hurricanes and space shuttle launches into the space. But I am yet to realize my Atma using my body, mind, and intellect.

 

@Thyagarajan sir even in Sri Lanka, there are many temples devoted to Ravana. It is fascinating to see the significance of each and how and why is Ravana worshipped in each temple.

@Viswamitra sir that was a fascinating tale behind how atman came to reside within us.

@HariLakhera sir, I heard in a religious discourse that we worship only one God. Just like our body has parts that perform specific functions - like the eyes to see, tongue to taste, legs to transport us etc, the one supreme God has His delegates to perform a specific function. Lakshmi - the Goddess to pray for wealth, Ganesha - remover of obstacles etc.

Having said that, since old times we have been told that our body itself is a temple. We should take good care of it. We should not abuse it. Maybe they say that because our body is where the atman resides and the elders want us to respect our atman by respecting our body.

 

this remind me of a Pandiya King awaiting Lord Shiva for inaugurating the huge temple that he had
Construced for many years at a huge cost. The auspicious time approaching but There was no sign of Lord arriving or appearing there.
Same night he had a dream. In that dream he seeks reason for Lord’s non appearance. In response, Lord mentions a saint’s name & the temple edifice that saint had constructed in his heart was much huge and so He had gone their to inaugurate!

 

@messedup thank you for being here and awarded a like for my 2 cents here.
Regards.

 

It is just like various ministries in central and states in a nation. To assist them they hv secretaries male & females. And then those secretaries hv subordinate offices and that office equipped with mini officers and staff and tables and chairs some revolving. Over the table & underneath the table transactions of public importance and social oriented . For every category of social and public issues transactions takes place in black and white up or and below the tables. Every one cry their woes and worries. Demands will be made and dakshinas collected on a platter or in Hundi or by trustee . It is democracy. Every one cry for help to Almighty and His deputies read coterie.
When men at helm is pleased with greenbacks so also lesser gods and devis propitiated and grant boons pari pasu or commensurate with bundles of money on platter or in hundi.
We are seeing at every nook and corner where pedestrian traffic is huge a semi God idol installed or carved out of trunk of huge trees so that public can pray and wish for baby and other boons. Pray in public making hue and cry vociferously too.
I hope you got the analogy of organised nation vis a vis God's kingdom or realm or universe!

 

If you talk literal food, then yes; our body feeds itself for sustainence. However, our brain (which is also a part of our body) feeds our atman by reading and absorbing good things and spiritual texts. Similarly you mentioned doing good deeds. Our hands and mouth, which are parts of our body feed our atman positivity and compassion by doing good deeds and saying good things.

The food we offer our atman is intangible. However the benefits we reap from them is manifold.