173. Family Deity, its Blessings and Limits

A foreigner going round collecting instances of prayers answered will collect hundreds of thousand of events in towns and villages. The same is true of the Church going public in the West in terms of wish fulfilment. Devotees cut across religions in search of such relief. A rich man had a heart attack. His wife had a good lot of jewels on her. Her first thought was a prayer to her family deity to save his life and she offered all the jewels on her person. He was saved. Of course, it is a very famous temple.

When people are well educated, liberated from ordinary superstition, they awake a little in their souls, but they cling to these prayers and rituals, forgetting that the deity that grants so many prayers is no longer capable of playing a role in their lives, as their souls are awakened. It is a paradox. It is an unconscious awakening!

One such person paid his annual visit to the same place. On his return, he met with an accident and was in bed for long. Next year, he faithfully went there. He got a fever no one in Kolkatta could diagnose. He suffered for months, until his awakened soul sought its own remedy. To these awakened people, each time they visit their family deity, a very bad news awaits at home. They rationalise, "In spite of God's protection, I suffer this much." If the soul is more awakened, even before the visit life, health and mind bring in minor tragedies. Generally, the deity is given up in the next generation out of circumstances.

Boys often develop sentimental attachment to their teachers of earlier classes and cling to them even when the teacher says, 'I am not competent.' One such boy declared to his eighth standard teacher who was reluctant to teach him at home while he was in SSLC, "Sir, I do not care whether I pass. If you are not going to teach me, let me not have tuition at all." This boy did pass, perhaps because of his devotion. The awakened soul is not inimical to the deity. When the quality of worship in a temple degenerates to superstitious rituals, the ORIGINAL deity installed there leaves, and his place is occupied by vital spirits whose touch is enjoyed by superstition. People evaluate temples by their popularity, not by their spirituality. Spiritual discrimination is desirable. On entering the premises, spiritual elevation is a sure sign of Spiritual Presence.