The Temple Outside the Temple
A temple is often described as a place of peace, faith, and devotion. Every day, thousands of people walk through its gates carrying flowers, fruits, sweets, incense sticks, and prayers. They come with hope in their hearts and faith in something greater than themselves.
But whenever I stand near a temple, my attention is rarely drawn to the idols inside.
Instead, my eyes go to the beings waiting outside.
The old beggar sitting quietly in a corner.
The stray dog lying on the hot ground.
The hungry cow searching through garbage.
The puppy watching every passing person, hoping that someone might notice it.
And every time I see them, one question comes to my mind:
Why do we find it easier to offer food to God than to a living creature that is starving right in front of us?
I am not writing this to criticize anyone’s faith. People have the right to pray, to worship, and to find comfort in religion. Faith gives strength to millions of people, and I respect that.
What I struggle to understand is something else.
We spend money on flowers that will wilt in a few hours. We buy sweets that will be placed before an idol. We purchase incense, candles, decorations, and offerings because we believe it is an act of devotion.
But outside the temple gates, there are living beings who are hungry, lonely, injured, and forgotten.
Many of us walk past them without even looking.
Why?
Has God ever personally asked us for flowers?
Has God ever demanded expensive offerings?
Or have we simply continued these traditions because we were taught to do so?
We often follow what our parents, relatives, and society teach us. There is nothing wrong with that. But we also have minds of our own. We have the ability to think, question, and decide how we can make the world a little kinder.
Some people say that praying brings peace to the heart.
I believe that helping a hungry animal can bring peace too.
Perhaps even more.
There is a special feeling that comes from feeding a dog that has not eaten all day. There is something deeply human about giving water to a thirsty animal in summer. There is something beautiful about helping a creature that can never repay you.
That kind of kindness does not require a temple.
It only requires a heart.
If you ask people whether it is good to help homeless animals or offer gifts in a temple, many will say that helping animals is the better thing to do.
Yet when the moment comes, most of us choose the ritual.
The animal remains hungry.
The beggar remains ignored.
The road remains full of lives waiting for compassion.
Sometimes I wonder how different the world would be if even a small portion of the money spent on rituals was used to care for abandoned animals.
How many dogs could be fed?
How many injured animals could be treated?
How many shelters could be built?
How many lives could be saved?
Every day, countless animals sleep on roads, suffer from hunger, get hit by vehicles, or die without ever knowing what love feels like.
Not because there is no food in the world.
Not because there are no people in the world.
But because there is often not enough attention given to those who need help the most.
I know not everyone will agree with my thoughts.
And that is okay.
This is not an attack on faith.
It is simply a plea for compassion.
Pray if you want to pray.
Visit temples if they bring you peace.
Follow your beliefs.
But while walking toward the temple, take a moment to notice the lives outside it.
Notice the dog waiting near the entrance.
Notice the hungry cow.
Notice the abandoned puppy.
Notice the person sitting silently with an empty stomach.
Because kindness should not stop at the temple door.
The greatest act of worship may not be placing flowers before an idol.
It may be feeding a creature that is hungry.
It may be helping a life that cannot ask for help.
It may be showing love where the world has shown indifference.
I do not know whether these words will touch anyone’s heart.
But if even one person decides to feed a stray animal after reading this, then writing these words will have been worth it.
Because no animal deserves to die on the streets from hunger, neglect, or loneliness.
They deserve food.
They deserve safety.
And above all, they deserve love.
Thank you for reading.
I am also a writer. You can find my work on Inkitt, including my science-fiction story, 2089: When Nature Fell Apart.
