Darshan means to see. In
Sanskrit, Darshan or Darsana means ‘sight’, ‘vision’ or ‘glimpse’. It is not
seeing a thing or person. It is a glimpse of Divinity. It means to see a Guru or Murti (Image of
God) at the place of worship. The effects of Darshan go far beyond mere seeing.
In Darshan there are no talks or prayers. There is silence and communication.
There is a connection between the seer and seen, between man and God, between
creation and Divinity. In the initial
stages, the connection is felt. In later stages, the sense of sight follows the
sense of feeling, and there is a vision or glimpse. It is the connection of
Consciousness of the self with that of the Divine Consciousness. Through Darshan there is an expansion of Consciousness.
In temples, the entire place and specifically
the area where the Image or Murti of God is kept – the Garbagraha , is charged
with higher vibrations. When we go to the temple, we look at or see the Murti
of God in silence. A connection forms by which a blessing flows from the
Murti of God to us. In that silence many truths are revealed to
us. These truths can be about life, about personal problem, higher insights
about self and Divinity. And this blessing is received every time one goes to
the temple for darshan. In advanced stages, a mere thought of being in a place
of worship is sufficient to receive the blessing. Further advancements results in blessings
being received at the appropriate time even if there has been no visit to the
place of worship or no thought even.
A darshan is an intimate
communion between the Guru and disciple. The disciple sits in the aura
radiating from the Guru. The emanations of energy from the Guru enter into the disciple
elevating his thinking and consciousness. A field of awareness is created in
which there is transmission of blessings from the Guru to the disciple and
uplifts him. The disciple sitting in the radiance of the Guru’s aura and
chakras receives light emanations from them and through the aura of the Guru,
truth of life and creation is transmitted to the disciple. Timeless wisdom,
divine truth, universal principles of life are effortlessly transmitted to the
disciple. It is often difficult to receive these directly from Divinity,
because the individual might not have prepared sufficiently. However, in the presence of the Guru, all
insufficiencies are helped to be overcome by the Guru and the Guru bridges the
individual and Divinity.
When you go to the temple or
to visit a Guru, go with an open heart. Keep aside ego and pride. Stand in
front of the Guru or Deity in silence and let the magic work through you. This
is a holy experience of self with God. It is an opportunity to receive old
revelations in light of the level of progress you have made, your current
reality, which makes life so fresh, beautiful and uplifting.
