Sarvadarshi Chintana - Chetana Paramatmanige Achetana Chintana

One foreign devotee asked Madhwa visitor in Udupi - What you see in temple when you come here?

The answer from the person was "I come to see Lord Krishna". Then the person asks another question have you seen Krishna talking, walking, speaking? The person says "No, it is not possible". Then he adjusts himself in just clarifying it or just saying broader meaning like inside everyone Krishna is there etc.

In the answer of the person it looked like - we visit Krishna statue(murthi) than really seeing Krishna. That means we see Achetana item(statue) in Chetana Swaroopi Krishna.

This reminds us to really understand what is the real meaning of the word Darshana(Sanskrit and many languages)? Is it that you see GOD or GOD see you?

Following is an extract of the meaning of the word DARSHANA in English [ref - What does DARSHANA mean (esamskriti.com)]

The word darshana means the eye, dream, intellect, dharma, attainment, mirror, scripture, six philosophies, colour, direct perception, sight, the sight of a holy person, the sight of God, the sight of the image of a deity, a vision, a glance, regarding, analysis, rejection, intuition, contemplation, looking after, caring for, viewing, cancelling, flushing, purging, casting out, removal, contradiction, scattering, denying, extermination, spitting out, destruction, refusal, banishment, expelling, driving away, negative reply, negative response, override, rebuff, refusal, putting to shame, who or what puts to shame, obscuring, rival, offer, repudiation, reproach to, command, order, determent, knowledge, prevention, warning, eclipsing, Vedic sacrifice, showing, aspect, appearance, insulting, directing, virtue, moral merit, religious knowledge, understanding, visiting any sacred shrine, worshipping in the presence of any image, demonstrating, teaching, foreseeing, inspection, examination, displaying, exhibition, becoming visible, visiting, going into the presence of, audience, semblance, producing in court, judgement, apprehension, opinion, mention, assertion, experience, and intention.

 So, what is the right answer?

One should visit the temple and pray swaroopa of the lord and let the lord see us. Let us see some examples of today's world. We visit a minister or Swamiji not just to keep seeing them, rather our intention is that they should see us (so that they can bless us, lift us out of problems, wish us etc). In the same way, one should come under God's attention and get washed off with sins and earn Punya. This is the Chetana Swaroop Chintana. 

If you do Chetana roopa chintana as God speaking, looking, towards you then your visit is worth it. Hence, to make the lord attention to us we should do:

• make sure that we wear the symbols that he loves
• we should do prayers that explain him
• you need to perform the way how GOD devotees do
• you should make sure you try to be pure in heart, mind and also in food habits when you visit lord/God places.

 Hence, try to make sure that you visit the temple not just to complete a checklist, just to put in whatsapp status that you made a good yatra, you took multiple times darshana of GOD by you looking into the God murthi. Rather, you should feel of lord / God presence. Pray that he walks with you, he helps you, talks to you(swaroopa chintana) then God would attend to you. Else you are one among many visitors to a bigshot and not getting anything.

Even visiting or looking at God devotees in such places or at your own place is most important so that you can feel God present in them, God's association with them, and get the attention of him through their presence.

So, change your theory of pilgrimage else you earn more sin than punya...