Saint Tirumoolar, in his Tirumantiram, classified temples into two categories, said Sarala Rajagopalan in a discourse. One is the temple that moves and the other is the temple that does not move.
A temple that does not move is understandable. But how can a temple move? Tirumoolar’s explanation is that the human body, in which God resides, is a moving temple. A temple built of stone or bricks is, obviously, the unmoving one.
When a temple is built, we install an idol and then we offer milk and fruits to the deity in the temple. But these offerings do not reach God’s devotees.
But when we offer food to His devotees, it is as if we are offering it to the Lord who resides in them. When we offer costly clothes to a deity in a temple, the clothes do not serve the needs of His humble devotees. But when we offer clothes to those of His devotees who cannot afford good clothes, then it pleases God and it is as if we have offered the clothes to Him.
Superficially, these might seem like the arguments of an atheist, who sees offerings to God as a waste. But if one were to study the import of Saint Tirumoolar’s words, then one can see the deep meaning in his advice and one can also see the significance of his words.
We say that God resides in everyone and we urge people to meditate on the One who is in everyone. That being the case, any offering to a human being is nothing but an offering to God.
When food or clothes or shelter are offered to the needy and deserving, it is a form of worship and is perhaps the form of worship most likely to please God.
In other words, Saint Tirumoolar advises people to offer what they can to moving temples, in which God is present.
