Prof. Anil Kumar (AK): Swami! Since God is omnipresent and omniscient, do we need temples and should we go on pilgrimage to holy places like Shirdi, Puttaparti, Tirupati, and so on?

Bhagavan: This is a foolish question. You are exhibiting your ignorance and your ‘fashionable’ way of thinking which, more often than not, is perverted. There is no relationship between what is said and what is experienced. You say that God is everywhere.

But it is merely an expression, vocal and verbal. Do you really have strong faith that God is present everywhere? Do you have that experience of the divinity, which is all pervasive? You are simply speaking like a parrot.

Here is a simple example. Blood circulates throughout the body of a cow. But you can draw milk only out of the udder! You can’t squeeze the ear or twist the tail of a cow to get its milk, can you? Therefore, the all pervading God can be visualised and experienced in a temple and at a holy pilgrim centre.

Source: ‘Satyopanisad’ by Prof. Anil Kumar Kamaraju