This chapter tells you Why do we do pradakshina, regard trees and plants as sacred, fast, ring the bell in a temple, worship the kalasha, worship tulasi.

When we visit a temple, after offering prayers, we circumambulate the sanctum sanctorum. This is called pradakshina.

• Why do we do pradakshina ?

We cannot draw a circle without a centre point The Lord is the centre, source and essence of our lives. Recognizing Him as the focal point in our lives, we go about doing our daily chores. This is the significance of pradakshina,

Also every point on the circumference of a circle is equidistant from the centre. This means that wherever or whoever we may be, we are equally close to the lord. His grace flows towards us without partiality.

• Why is pradakshina done only in a clockwise manner ?

The reason is not, as a person said, to avoid a traffic jam ! As we do pradakshina, the Lord is always on our right In India the right side symbolizes auspiciousness. It is a telling fact that eve in the English language it is called the "right" side and not the wrong one ! So as we circumambulate the sanctum sanctorum we remind ourselves to lead an auspicious life of righteousness, with the Lord who is the indispensable source of help and strength as our guide the "right hand" - the dharma aspect - of our lives We thereby overcome our wrong tendencies and avoid repeating the sins of the past.

Indian scriptures enjoin - matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava, acharyadevo bhava. May you consider your parents and teachers as you would the Lord With this in mind we also do pradakshina around our parents and divine personages. The story of lord Ganesha circumambulating his parents is a well-known one.

After the completion of traditional worship (pooja), we customarily do pradakshina around our-selves. In this way we recognize and remember the supreme divinity within us, which alone is idolized in the form of the Lord that we worship outside.

As we circumambulate, we chant:

Yaani kaani cha paapaani

Janmaantara krtaani cha

Taani taani vinashyanti

Pradakshina pade pade.

"All the sins committed by an individual from innumerable past births are destroyed by each step taken whilst doing pradakshina."

From ancient times, Indians have worshipped plants and trees and regarded all flora and fauna as sacred. This is not an old fashioned or uncivilized practice. It reveals the sensitivity, foresight and refinement of Indian culture. While modern man often works to "conquer" Mother Nature, ancient Indian "worshipped" her.

Why do we regard plants and trees as sacred?

The Lord the life in us, pervades all living beings, be they plants or animals Hence, they are all regarded as sacred. Human life on earth depends on plants and trees. They give us the vital factors that make life possible on earth: food, oxygen, clothing, shelter, medicines etc. They lend beauty to our surroundings. They serve man without expectation and sacrifice themselves to sustain us. They epitomize sacrifice if a stone is thrown on a fruit-laden tree; the tree in turn gives fruit!

In fact, the flora and fauna owned the earth before man appeared on it Presently, the world is seriously threatened by the destruction of forestlands and the extinction of many species of vegetation due to man's callous attitude toward them. We protect only what we value Hence in India, we are taught to regard trees and plants as sacred Naturally, we will then protect them.

Indian scriptures tell us to plant trees if, for any reason, we have to cut one. We are advised to use parts of trees and plants only as much as is needed for food, fuel, shelter etc. We are also urged to apologies to a plant or tree before cutting it to avoid incurring a specific sin named soona. In our childhood, we are told stories of the sacrifice and service done by plants and trees and about our duty to plant and nourish them. Certain trees and plants like tulasi, peepal etc., which have tremendous beneficial qualities, are worshipped till today.

It is believed that divine beings manifest as trees and plants, and many people worship them to fulfill their desires or to please the Lord.

Most devout Indians fast regularly or on special occasions like festivals. On such days they do not eat at all, eat once or make do with fruits or a special diet of simple food. Some undertake rigorous fasts when they do not even drink water the whole day! Fasting is done foe many reasons - to please the Lord, to discipline oneself and even to protest. Gandhiji fasted to protest against the British rule.

• Why do we fast?

Is it to save food or to create an appetite to feast after the fast? Not really. Then why do we fast?

Fasting in Sanskrit is called upavaasa. Upa means "near" + vaasa means "to stay". Upavaasa therefore means staying near (the Lord), meaning he attainment of close mental proximity with the Lord. Then what has upavaasa to do with food ?

A lot of our time and energy is spent in procuring food items, preparing, cooking, eating and digesting food. Certain food types make our minds dull and agitated. Hence on certain days man decides to save time and conserve his energy by eating either simple, light food or totally abstaining from eating so that his mind becomes alert and pure. The mind, otherwise pre-occupied by the thought of food, now entertains noble thoughts and stays with the lord. Since it is a self-imposed form of discipline it is usually adhered to with joy.

Also every system needs a break and an overhaul to work at its best. Rest and a change of diet during fasting is very good for the digestive system and the entire body.

The more you indulge the senses, the more they make their demands. Fasting helps us to cultivate control over our senses, sublimate our desires and guide our minds to be poised and at peace.

Fasting should not make us weak, irritable or create an urge to indulge later. This happens when there is no noble goal behind fasting. Some fast, rather they diet, merely to reduce weight. Others fast as a vow to please the Lord or to fulfill their desires, some to develop will power, control the senses, some as a form of austerity and so on. The Bhagavad Geeta urges us to eat appropriately - neither too less nor too much - yukta - aahaara and to eat simple, pure and healthy food (a saatvik diet) even when not fasting.

In most temples there are one or more bells hung from the top, near the entrance. The devotee rings the bell as soon as he enters, thereafter proceeding for darshan of the Lord and prayers. Children love jumping up or being carried high in order to reach the bell.

• Why do we ring the bell ?

Is it to wake up the Lord ? But the Lord never sleeps. Is it to let the Lord know we have come? He does not need to be told, as He is all - knowing. Is it a form of seeking permission to enter His precinct? It is a homecoming and therefore entry needs no permission. The Lord welcomes us at all times. These why do we ring the bell ?

The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious sound. It produces the sound Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness.

Even while doing the ritualistic aarati, we ring the bell It is sometimes accompanied by the auspicious sounds of the conch and other musical instruments. An added significance of ringing bell, conch and other instruments is that they help drowned any inauspicious or irrelevant noises and comments that might disturb or distract the worshippers in their devotional ardor, concentration and inner peace.

As we start the daily ritualistic worship (pooja) we ring the bell, chanting :

Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam

Gamanaarthamtu rakshasaam

Kurve ghantaaravam tatra

Devataahvaahna lakshanam

I ring this bell indicating

The invocation of divinity,

So that virtuous and noble forces

Enter (my home and heart);

And the demonic and evil forces

From within and without, depart.

First of all what is a kalasha? A brass, mud or copper pot is filled with water. Mango leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed over it. A red or white thread is tied around its neck or sometimes all around it in an intricate diamond-shaped pattern. The pot may be decorated with designs. Such a pot is known as a kalasha When the pot is filled with water or rice, it is known as purnakumbha representing the inert body which when filled with the divine life force gains the power to do all the wonderful things that makes life what it is.

A kalasha is placed with due rituals on all-important occasions like the traditional house warming (grhapravesa), wedding, daily worship etc. It is placed near the entrance as a sign of welcome. It is also used in a traditional manner while receiving holy personages.

• Why do we worship the kalasha ?

Before the creation came into being, Lord Vishnu was reclining on His snake-bed in the milky ocean From His navel emerged a lotus from which appeared Lord Brahma, the Creator, who thereafter created this world. The water in the kalasha symbolizes the primordial water from which the entire creation emerged It is the giver of life to all and has the potential of creating innumerable names and forms, the inert objects and the sentient beings and all that is auspicious in the world from the energy behind the universe. The leaves and coconut represent creation. The thread represents the love that "binds" all in creation. The kalasha is therefore considered auspicious and worshipped.

The waters from all the holy rivers, the knowledge of all the Vedas and the blessings of all the deities are invoked in the kalasha and its water is thereafter used for all the rituals, including the abhisheka, The consecration (kumbhaabhisheka) of a temple is done in a grand manner with elaborate rituals including the pouring of one or more kalashas of holy water on the top of the temple.

When the asuras and the devas churned the milky ocean, the Lord appeared bearing the post of nectar, which blessed one with everlasting life. Thus the kalasha also symbolizes immortality.

Men of wisdom are full and complete as they identify with the infinite Truth (poornatvam) They brim with joy and love and represent all that is auspicious. We greet them with a purnakumbha ("full pot") acknowledging their greatness and as a sign of respectful and reverential welcome, with a "full heart".

Either in the front, back or central courtyard of most Indian homes there is a tulasi-matham-an altar bearing a tulasi plant. In the present day apartments too, many maintain a potted tulasi plant. The lady of the house lights a lamp, waters the plant, worships and circumambulates it. The stem, leaves, seeds and even the soil, which provides it a base, are considered holy. A tulasi leaf is always placed in the food offered to the Lord It is also offered to the Lord during poojas, especially to Lord Vishnu and His incarnations.

• Why do we worship the tulasi ?

In Sanskrit, tulanaa naasti athaiva tulasi - that which is incomparable (in its qualities) is the tulasi. For Indians it is one of the most sacred plants. In fact it is known to be the only thing used in worship, which once used, can be washed and reused in pooja as it is regarded so self-purifying.

As one story goes, Tulasi was the devoted wife of Shankhachuda, a celestial being. She believed that Lord Krishna tricked her into sinning. So she cursed him to become a stone (shaaligraama). Seeing her devotion and adherence to righteousness, the Lord blessed her saying that she would become the worshipped her saying that she would become the worshipped plant, tulasi that would adorn His head. Also that all offerings would be incomplete without the tulasi leaf - hence the worship of tulasi.

She also symbolizes Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. Those who wish to be righteous and have a happy family life worship the tulasi. Tulasi is married to the Lord with all pomp and show as in any wedding. This is because according to another legend, the Lord blessed her to be His consort.

Satyabhama once weighed Lord Krishna against all her legendary wealth. The scales did not balance till a single tulasi leaf was placed along with the wealth on the scale by Rukmini with devotion. Thus the tulasi played the vital role of demonstrating to the world that even a small object offered with devotion more to the Lord than all the wealth in the world. The tulasi leaf has great medicinal value and is used to cure various ailments, including the common cold.

Yanmule sarvatirthaani

Yannagre sarvadevataa

Yanmadhye sarvavedaascha

Tulasi taam namaamyaham

I bow to the tulasi, at whose base are all the holy places, at whose top reside all the deities and in whose middle are all the Vedas.