Also, I’m not sure if it was a fever dream or a lived experience, but I have a faint memory of this small temple hidden somewhere in Kathmandu without any idol inside, instead they had a small mirror hung inside with भत्किएको देवता written on top in bold.
And in response to your title, What is a temple: It got me thinking and in my opinion, a temple feels like a cleverly designed tool for control. I mean back when temples were established, they were designated places of worship where gods supposedly resided, and were a places to practice devotion. Built in locations where one must traverse a healthy distance, which added to that cathartic gratification. Like in your experience, most temples were surrounded by the divine beauty of nature. However, it feels like they were built to have an imposing presence of any particular god they commit to worship, illustrated in artistic renditions. As much as I enjoy the art that surrounds temples, whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim or Hindu, they are all larger-than-life establishments always indulged in the theatrics of grandiosity to promote that divine presence.
And when you consider why temples exist the way they do. Temples feel like spaces where our governing narratives that are designed to keep us in check are made real. It becomes a place to program culture, community and ideologies with dogmatic propaganda driven by religious sects. Through the excessive ritualistic practices, communal conformity and payments for services, temples reinforce those narratives.
Isn’t it strange how every temple visit and act of worship feels transactional. You're expected to show up with suggested items, sacrificial offerings, currencies, and a performative set of rituals. All to earn/ receive some blessings, forgiveness, good health, more wealth or love even. It feels ungodly and very human designed with how holy assistance is tied to what you offer. Temples mostly serve the ruling class, important castes/ priesthoods, leading heads who orchestrate a spiritual ritual-based act of enforcing conformity and making us submit to them higher powers, to whom these religious heads claim to have a better connection through their religiosity.
It feels less-sacred, superficially-divine and more a place to serve those who benefit through the masses’ beliefs in superstitious delusions that supposedly maintains social cohesion.
Temples throughout history enforce an undertone of fear, with an unspoken reminder to obey and conform. Religious people often scare me with how seriously they believe their favorite stories as absolutes.
It’s amazing how much wealth places of worship can collect without having to pay taxes. Temples create profitable businesses surrounding their mythos and legacy. I perceive places of worship as slightly artistic and creative financial institutions.
Astute! I do wonder if anything else can supplement/complement the kind of psychological and emotional benefits that places of worship supply to the institutions’ benefactors? Perhaps diversifying sources of psychological and emotional comforts would make people not cling on to their own versions of truths as much?
I don't think diversifying would be enough, undoing years of mimetic hypnosis through carefully sculpted stories that have become woven into the fabric of our society, it seems like a pipedream. People have become addicted to these very customs and practice things as a habit with no concern about the historical context. People hate change, they like what they are familiar with, and the familiar is the traditions rooted in the very systems that brew these cyclical set of problems. The stories, rituals and experiences have become identities for most people and it seems highly unlikely that there will be any progress unless a few generations of folks who identify with the old-methods pass away, and gives way to a new generation to adopt alternative methods. Critical discourse, debates and stories that challenge the norm might help, but I doubt that people in Nepal will be allowed to explore ideas that challenge what benefits a certain few who profit from conformity. I'm sure you've seen how our leading government heads or abusers in positions of power utilize our beliefs as a way to maintain authority. We surely need a great reset.
Quite an insightful read as always, hope you can permanently be the kind of better person that you strive to be. It’s terrible to see religious people spew hate and the othering of what is strange to them. The contents of the website display the willful ignorance and corruption that motivate such government bodies responsible for maintaining an honest record. The biases based on a sense of superiority or inclination to one faction over others. It's disheartening to see how easily communities can get fractured despite similar interests. Also, most people love comfort/ convenience and if one can reduce effort, one probably will choose the easier route. For most, the destination is the goal instead of the journey.
Also, I’m not sure if it was a fever dream or a lived experience, but I have a faint memory of this small temple hidden somewhere in Kathmandu without any idol inside, instead they had a small mirror hung inside with भत्किएको देवता written on top in bold.
And in response to your title, What is a temple: It got me thinking and in my opinion, a temple feels like a cleverly designed tool for control. I mean back when temples were established, they were designated places of worship where gods supposedly resided, and were a places to practice devotion. Built in locations where one must traverse a healthy distance, which added to that cathartic gratification. Like in your experience, most temples were surrounded by the divine beauty of nature. However, it feels like they were built to have an imposing presence of any particular god they commit to worship, illustrated in artistic renditions. As much as I enjoy the art that surrounds temples, whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim or Hindu, they are all larger-than-life establishments always indulged in the theatrics of grandiosity to promote that divine presence.
And when you consider why temples exist the way they do. Temples feel like spaces where our governing narratives that are designed to keep us in check are made real. It becomes a place to program culture, community and ideologies with dogmatic propaganda driven by religious sects. Through the excessive ritualistic practices, communal conformity and payments for services, temples reinforce those narratives.
Isn’t it strange how every temple visit and act of worship feels transactional. You're expected to show up with suggested items, sacrificial offerings, currencies, and a performative set of rituals. All to earn/ receive some blessings, forgiveness, good health, more wealth or love even. It feels ungodly and very human designed with how holy assistance is tied to what you offer. Temples mostly serve the ruling class, important castes/ priesthoods, leading heads who orchestrate a spiritual ritual-based act of enforcing conformity and making us submit to them higher powers, to whom these religious heads claim to have a better connection through their religiosity.
It feels less-sacred, superficially-divine and more a place to serve those who benefit through the masses’ beliefs in superstitious delusions that supposedly maintains social cohesion.
Temples throughout history enforce an undertone of fear, with an unspoken reminder to obey and conform. Religious people often scare me with how seriously they believe their favorite stories as absolutes.
It’s amazing how much wealth places of worship can collect without having to pay taxes. Temples create profitable businesses surrounding their mythos and legacy. I perceive places of worship as slightly artistic and creative financial institutions.
Astute! I do wonder if anything else can supplement/complement the kind of psychological and emotional benefits that places of worship supply to the institutions’ benefactors? Perhaps diversifying sources of psychological and emotional comforts would make people not cling on to their own versions of truths as much?
I don't think diversifying would be enough, undoing years of mimetic hypnosis through carefully sculpted stories that have become woven into the fabric of our society, it seems like a pipedream. People have become addicted to these very customs and practice things as a habit with no concern about the historical context. People hate change, they like what they are familiar with, and the familiar is the traditions rooted in the very systems that brew these cyclical set of problems. The stories, rituals and experiences have become identities for most people and it seems highly unlikely that there will be any progress unless a few generations of folks who identify with the old-methods pass away, and gives way to a new generation to adopt alternative methods. Critical discourse, debates and stories that challenge the norm might help, but I doubt that people in Nepal will be allowed to explore ideas that challenge what benefits a certain few who profit from conformity. I'm sure you've seen how our leading government heads or abusers in positions of power utilize our beliefs as a way to maintain authority. We surely need a great reset.
Quite an insightful read as always, hope you can permanently be the kind of better person that you strive to be. It’s terrible to see religious people spew hate and the othering of what is strange to them. The contents of the website display the willful ignorance and corruption that motivate such government bodies responsible for maintaining an honest record. The biases based on a sense of superiority or inclination to one faction over others. It's disheartening to see how easily communities can get fractured despite similar interests. Also, most people love comfort/ convenience and if one can reduce effort, one probably will choose the easier route. For most, the destination is the goal instead of the journey.
Where are our hackers when we need them 🤔
In this economy, I'd like to imagine our hackers scamming people for money lol