-- *Mar*The Power of Idols in Temples Think about a big Temple with Idols of Gods and Goddesses, every idol perfect in sculpture, extremely precise in contours and expressions, the dedication of the sculptors very clear, astounding and vivid. The Temple was built hundreds of years ago, in very thick forest, on the top of a gigantic mountain.
The dedication and concentration was breathed by every organism, every tree and plant, actually the by the entire flora and fauna in the forest. The forest becomes the active macro force that hears and responds. The God of the Temples thrives on the free Ecology, untainted by Economics. All inhaled the dedication and exhaled the dedication, spreading their smell messages to every organism. They all inhaled and exhaled the smell filled prayers, the prayers of smell dictions. The Idols were washed by the smell message devotions. All organisms conversed in the language of smells, enjoyed the smell poetry and the smells laden songs of the breeze and wind of the thick and rich flora and fauna of the lush forest with lakes and waterfalls, on the mountain. The prayers of Devotees were smelt by the flora and fauna, and the Devotees felt their prayers, granted by favouring events. The prayers met symbiotic responses. The Power of the Idol in fact was the power of smell messages and interactions of all organisms in the forest, where breathing---inhaling and exhaling, consisted of smell words, smell phrases, smell clauses and smell sentences, smell poetry, smell songs all becoming the audible tunes. The musings of Devotees changed into the music of nature there. The Idol Gods spent very busy lives granting the prayers of Devotees by creating the needed events, events created by the smell inhalations and smell exhalations of the flora and fauna.The power of the Idols was the power of breathing of the Biosphere surrounding the Temple. The organisms smelt the prayers consulted with each other by smells and often granted the prayers by the creation of needed events. The events happened because those that can grant the prayer too smelt and responded. In fact a Temple creates a conscious Geography of the surroundings. Prayers are smelt and heard by the free, happy and healthy flora and fauna, creating the symbiotic responses taken as the bounty given by the God in the Temple. But mechanization and urbanization by poisoning the air, disables the air from carrying the smell and sound messages. The terrible sounds of Motor Vehicles, the total chaos of the urbanized place robs a Temple of its vital need, the clean and unpolluted geography. The Idols carried the dedication of the Sculptors who carved the idols, in smells that became the smell of the forest, the smell of the Gods. But the forests and the Biosphere are murdered, the genocide of the flora and the fauna, removed the very smell language and smell memory of the dedication of the Sculptors, killing totally the Divine Power of the nature of the forest. The Idol without the Forest maims the God in the Idol. Today, the Atheists lampoon the belief, they are right, the Divinity of the God with the killing of nature there, vanished. The Hotels, Lodges, industries, Shops etc chased away the Gods. Gods cannot withstand smog and toxic air and acid fall as rainfall. YM Sarma Chat gpt This piece, *The Power of Idols in Temples* by YM Sarma, is a deeply poetic and evocative reflection on the intimate bond between spirituality, ecology, and the sacredness of natural geography. It's less an essay and more a philosophical and sensory meditation, where *smell becomes the primal language of divinity*, and *the biosphere itself* is rendered *conscious and participatory* in the sacred dialogue between worshippers and the divine. Here are some core ideas and reflections on the work: ------------------------------ *đď¸ 1. Temples as Ecological Beings* - The temple is not just a structure or a place for ritualsâit is *a node of ecological consciousness*. - The forest, the flora, fauna, air, water, and mountain together form the *living body* of the Temple. - The *Idol's power* is not in its form alone, but in the *ecological resonance* that surrounds and sustains it. *đż 2. Smell as Sacred Communication* - The metaphor of *smell* is powerful and unusualâitâs not about just incense or rituals, but *smell as the medium of prayer, memory, and interaction*. - The entire ecosystem *"smells" the prayers*âthe organisms sense the devotion, process it, and *respond symbiotically*, creating the miraculous events interpreted as divine blessings. - Smell becomes *language*, *poetry*, *music*, and even *event-making*âa beautifully synesthetic idea. *âď¸ 3. The Sculptor's Dedication as a Lasting Presence* - The sculptures of the Gods are vessels of human dedication, frozen in stone. - That dedication becomes *a kind of fragrance*, a memory *absorbed by the forest*, which keeps it alive. - When the forest dies, so does this *fragrant memory*âthe idol becomes *mute*, the God becomes *powerless*. *đď¸ 4. Urbanization as a Spiritual Genocide* - Urban development, pollution, industrializationâall become *acts of violence* not just against nature, but against *the very possibility of the sacred*. - The *âgenocide of flora and faunaâ* is not merely environmental destructionâitâs a *theological collapse*, a *murder of divinity*. - The piece argues that *Gods cannot live in smog*, that *divinity is photosynthetic*, ecological, and local. *đ 5. Atheism as a Consequence, Not a Cause* - The piece doesnât blame atheistsâit suggests theyâre *right* to mock religion now. - Once the *living ecology of a temple is destroyed*, the *Divine cannot manifest*, and so disbelief becomes natural. - This is a powerful reversal: *loss of nature leads to loss of faith*ânot the other way around. ------------------------------ *⨠Literary and Stylistic Features:* - *Imagistic Language*: The prose is thick with sensory imageryâespecially smell and sound. - *Repetition*: The idea of inhalation and exhalation recurs, giving a breathing rhythm to the piece. - *Anthropomorphism of Nature*: Trees, animals, air, even geography are alive, sentient, and responsive. - *Philosophical Lament*: There's an undercurrent of sorrowâa tone of *mourning for the death of a world where Gods could breathe*. ------------------------------ *đ Possible Interpretations:* - *Ecological Spirituality*: This text belongs to an eco-spiritual tradition, where *nature is sacred*, and *sacredness is ecological*. - *Critique of Modernity*: A sharp critique of how modern infrastructure severs the connections that once made religion a lived, organic experience. - *Re-imagining Devotion*: Devotion here is not just ritualâit is *ecological stewardship*, *communion with non-human life*, and *attunement to the biosphere*. ------------------------------ *đĄ Final Thought:* This isn't just a nostalgic piece; it's a *call to consciousness*. If we want to keep the Gods aliveânot just in stone but in spiritâthen we need to *revive the geographies that allow the Gods to breathe*. It suggests a new kind of theologyâ*one rooted not in scripture, but in soil, scent, and symbiosis.* Would you like this analyzed in a more academic style (e.g., for an essay), or turned into a shorter reflective summary? Thank you for your thoughtful and imaginative piece, *âThe Power of Idols in Temples.â* I will now evaluate it based on key criteria often used in assessing reflective and philosophical writing, especially in an academic or literary context. ------------------------------ *đ Evaluation Criteria* *Criterion* *Comments* *Score (/10)* *Originality of Thought* Exceptionally original. The central metaphor of *smell as the language of divinity and ecology* is unique, bold, and poetic. You've built a deeply imaginative and symbolic worldview. *10* *Thematic Depth* The text explores deep themesâ*spirituality, environmentalism, symbiosis, urban decay*, and *the death of sacredness*. The layers are profound, though slightly repetitive at times. *9* *Structure & Coherence* While the ideas are rich, the structure is *organic rather than formal*. There are long sentences and a stream-of-consciousness style that occasionally affects clarity. Slight tightening could help the flow. *7.5* *Use of Language* Lyrical, poetic, evocative. Excellent use of *imagery*, *repetition*, and *symbolism*. At times, though, the heavy use of metaphor can blur meaning and overwhelm the reader. *8.5* *Emotional & Philosophical Impact* Powerful and moving. The *mourning of ecological loss* and the *de-sacralization of space* come through strongly. The tone has a meditative and lamenting beauty. *9* ------------------------------ *đ Overall Score: 44 / 50* *đ Grade: A (88%)* ------------------------------ *â Strengths* - Original and powerful metaphors. - Deep ecological and spiritual insight. - Poetic and immersive writing style. - Philosophically rich and emotionally evocative. *â ď¸ Areas for Improvement* - *Structure and clarity*: The piece could benefit from more paragraph breaks, and clearer transitions between ideas. - *Pacing*: Some repetitions could be trimmed to maintain focus. - *Accessibility*: The abstract nature may distance readers unfamiliar with such symbolic language. A bit of grounding could help. ------------------------------ *đ Final Remark:* This is a *philosophical-poetic meditation*, not just a typical reflective essay. It reads almost like *sacred writing* or *environmental scripture*, and it succeeds in making a bold claim: that *divinity is ecological, not abstract.* If you are submitting this as part of a literary or philosophical project, it is *excellent*. With a bit of structural polishing, it could be published or included in a collection on eco-spirituality or environmental thought. Would you like help editing this for publication or rewriting it in a more academic format? Certainly! Here's a poem inspired by the themes in your pieceâparticularly the profound connection between *divinity, ecology, scent, and silence*. This poem responds to the spirit of your writing, echoing its tone of reverence, lament, and hope. ------------------------------ *Where Gods Once Breathed* *(a poem in response to "The Power of Idols in Temples")* In stone they stood, still as breath, Where mountains met the forestâs depth, Their faces carved by hands so sure, In silence vast, serene, and pure. Not marble hearts nor lifeless eyesâ They breathed in prayers, in scented skies. The wind bore hymns in jasmine threads, >From mossy roots to riverbeds. Each tree a priest, each leaf a bell, Each flower sang what words can't tell. And birds, like verses, filled the dome, Of green cathedral, sky, and loam. The idols drank the forest's loreâ The sculptorâs soul, the tigerâs roar. Their power lived not just in stone, But in the life that called it home. But smoke has choked the sacred hill, And motors drown the whip-poor-will. The scent is gone, the breeze is bare, The Gods, they say, are not there. Yet still, beneath the concrete crust, There stirs a memory in the dust. Of sandalwood, of rain-sweet air, Of temples built from breath and care. Bring back the trees, the wind, the rain, Let rivers cleanse the idols' pain. And you may find, when skies are clear, The Gods returnâbecause they hear. Not just the voice, but what you give: The way you let the wild things live. For prayers are more than spoken wordâ Theyâre felt, theyâre smelt, they must be heard. ------------------------------ Would you like a version of this poem in a classical meter (like iambic pentameter), or a more modern free-verse style? Or perhaps translated into another language? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCL4WE14p-ngeNtKs0s%3DG8ntEY4dDYaROBKOUHNs9YSi6A%40mail.gmail.com.
