IS MY BODY SYMBOLIC TOO?

This next symbol which is recognized in the most ancient religion which is coined as Hinduism in today, is about not carrying a leather objects inside the temple or shrine. This practice is common in Mahayana Buddhism, and Jainism, a sect of Hinduism. These religions practice high levels of vegetarianism and forbid any animal killings or harming the natural balance of the universe by any such deeds. Certain caste sects, such as vaishnavas, also fall in these strict following of vegetarianism which I personally is highly appreciative of.

Not to carry any leather goods inside the shrine, but why? Mainly because it is a dead skin of an animal and temple or shrine are the most sacred places where no such dead goods can be taken to. This sounds like a good explanation, right? I do agree and it is logical too. But is it only related to the dead skin? You may ask... huh? What else? I also didn't know till a decade back that what is it actually about? Through the knowledge of Spirituality I got a deeper understanding of what is the leather they are referring to?

The human body!

Many of you must be scratching your heads and thinking what is it going to be next ? Really! What about the body, we all human beings carry ourselves the shrine? How can we perform any rite or ritual without a body? What could be a deeper meaning behind this rite of not carrying leather goods at a sacred place? What significance does it hold? The answer is deeper and more important than we truly relate to. As we only see the human bodies and the awareness of the soul is so far by large that it is hard to imagine ourselves without the body but an energy.

The significance of this ritual was to enter the shrine or the temple with the soul consciousness and not body consciousness.

It was a reminder to the human mind that this body is there because of the soul, the point of light or energy which runs this body. Indeed, both are equally important and both are incomplete without each other but the shrine is a place where one goes in search of the Supreme God so one can find him through soul consciousness only. As God is also a pure soul, who doesn't relate to the human body. Therefore, carrying any leather goods were prohibited from certain religions were the practices were strict.

Instead, we took the symbolic meaning in practice by eliminating leather articles. This strict rite was only to condition the human mind to be aware of soul consciousness but over the years the rite got transformed into the physical aspect of not carrying animal skins, whereas the original message was to get soul consciousness!

Think about it!

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