Science behind avoiding devotional Practices sitting on the floor!
A Girl devotee asked like this:
Hare krishna.. ji i ve a request.. plz u ve to clear my dbt.. im a devotee of lord krishna and i love to read bagvat gita and bagavatham. I used to read sitting on floor.but many people told me dat i ve to sit either on mat or any clothes otherwise we wont get any benefit of reading gita.. is this true? Plz clear my doubt.
REPLY:
What they advised is correct scientifically. But, it is not an offense, but, will make the devotional practices less beneficial.
Of course, You can read Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatham, perform pujas, chant manthras or hear lectures sitting/ standing on floor. Not an offense. But, the effects will be less if we do so.
The advice is to keep a mat on the floor and then sit or stand and then perform pujas, chant, do reading or hearing.
(Sleeping Facing North is bad, but Chanting facing north is good. Why? READ HERE!)
That is why, in many temples, we can see carpets on the floor.
In case you happen to stand on the floor, you should not place those books on the floor. You should keep these auspicious books on a cloth or atleast on a paper base. As we walk on the floor, keeping them on floor means, a disrespect.
Similarly, we should not keep any pic or deity of Krishna on floor. Even the vessels used for preparing and offering food to Lord should not be kept on the floor, except on the clean platform meant for them.
Same applies for chanting bag and tulasi mala. Keep all the above things on a piece of cloth or paper. Not on the floor that is contaminated with the dusts from our feet.
Giving respect is the general reason.
(Science behind loud kirtans and active dancing in devotion! What is it? READ HERE! )
There is a scientific reason behind this advice:
Earth will pass all the electromagnetic and other waves into it if we stand or sit on it directly.
For example, if we touch electricity standing on the floor, we get more attack because of connection with the earth. Even the powerful lightening is easily absorbed by the earth. Earth destroys any material and make them one with the soil. Thus, earth is very powerful in absorbing everything.
When we hear lectures or read books on Krishna or other deities, we gain some spiritual energy that is passed to the ground.
If we chant sitting or standing on the floor directly, the gained spiritual energy will be passed to the ground.
This spiritual energy will be continuously absorbed by the earth if we sit directly on the floor and we will forget the contents in near future. The spiritual vibrations will also be absorbed by the earth.
That is why, we are advised to keep a cloth or carpet on the floor and then stand or sit on it while reading or hearing about God and while performing pujas.
Wonderful. Isn’t it?
Every advice of old scriptures have science behind it.
Hope you are clear.
(What are the recommended colours of clothes to wear in temples? READ HERE!)