All About Oneness Temple - Sri Amma Bhagavan's Precious Gift to the Humanity
The Structure: In all ancient civilizations, not only were some buildings considered sacred, but all architecture was believed sacred. The architecture of different traditions differ in design - the church, the mosque, the Indian temple, the Buddhism, the Jain, Hindu, Sikh...yet they are all sacred. The Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre is a 3 tiered structure with waiting halls at the ground and middle level and the meditation hall at the top. It can accommodate 28000 people at any given point of time. The meditation hall has a surface area of 2500 square meters and the lower halls have a surface area of 6700 square meters each. The total height of this structure is 32.85m, which includes:
* The height of the meditation hall floor, from the ground level is 12.35m.
* The height of the base of the main tower from the meditation hall floor which is 10.2m.
* The height of the central tower which is 9.8m.
The Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre has the rare distinction of probably being the only one of its kind dedicated to the cause of setting man totally and unconditionally free, to complete mukti. With many more architectural feats such as a pillar-less 25,640 sq ft hall to its credit, this Centre is indeed a modern day wonder and a blessing.
The Oneness Meditation Centre is designed on what is known as the "Golden Ratio". It has the largest span of 50 m. for a civil structure of pre-stressed beams, which is a box section. 3m. wide and 3m. deep. It is a feat of engineering and design to cast and post tension these 8 criss-crossing RCC beams that take the load of the entire roof structure. It is designed on ancient Indian Vaastu energy principles orientated with entrances to all the cardinal directions. It is designed so that when viewed from any direction, it has the same perspective.
The Centre is specially designed as a three dimensional projection of the powerful Surya Yantra, one among many esoteric sacred patterns extolled in the ancient Hindu scriptures. In the design of this structure, all these ancient knowledge systems have been integrated.
Vaastu and architecture were venerated as the mother of all sciences, as it integrated and expressed the entire culture and spiritual knowledge and mastery of every ancient tradition in each civilization. Indian civilization is one of the rare civilizations and perhaps the only one, which has survived the onslaught of time and preserved its ancient wisdom, knowledge, skills and crafts through the ages, till the modern times.
Energy Studies
In order to understand the approach of our ancient masters, we need to study and research their experiential knowledge. It was and is based on deeper understanding - by means of meditation and yoga, under the watchful eye and guidance of the Guru, master or Rishi - of the subtle energies, that exist and work in every human being, in every building. The understanding is also of the interaction that takes place between the building and the human body.
The ancients speak of harmonizing 3 spaces - GHAT AKASH or body space, GRIHA AKASH or building space and MAHA AKASH or universal space.
The body space refers to the subtle energies that exist in and around our human bodies and their individual and interactive dealings / workings .The different volumes of vaults and spires, designed in the meditation hall from all four sides are based on the proportions of our subtle bodies.
The Annamaya kosha, pranamaya, manomaya, vignyanamaya, envelop and contain each other in an egg shape around the body wider at the head and narrower at the feet. As one progresses from the periphery to the inner part of the meditation hall, one by one all the subtle bodies, of every individual become harmonized, fortified and at one with the energies of creation and the creator.
The entire planning of the meditation hall level 3 is a series of three entrances, each one enveloping the other, symbolizing the human body.
The Griha Akash is the building space that symbolizes the energies of form. Sacred buildings are basically three dimensional yantras or mandalas. We need to understand the importance of the energies of proportion and their secret purposes such as the significance of the golden section (1:1.614) used by the ancient civilizations of Egypt, rediscovered and applied during the renaissance period in Europe and found in practically all sacred architecture. This entire Meditation Centre is built on a raised platform of 130m. X 106m, this is surrounded by a moat of water and large water bodies at the four corners that virtually make it an island. There are cascading water bodies on the central aisle of the main staircase that charge the entire atmosphere with negative ions which in turn energize the human body. Also it helps cool the surrounding air and the impact of high dry temperatures.
The energies of orientation: a) static energy relating to the cardinal directions is used for orienting the buildings, and b) dynamic energy relating to the diagonal directions is used for allocating spaces for different activities.
The Vaastu tradition of architecture explains the energies of the materials used in any building, the nature of their radiations and patterns, and the knowledge of how to use them. For example, when using wood for the frame of a door or window, when fixing the vertical members, a cut section of the wood has to be so placed that it reflects the energies of the living tree, which are its molecular structure. Therefore the root of the tree should be towards the bottom, the top towards the top, the interior facing the interior of the house, the exterior facing the exterior of the house. This principle applies also to the usage of all natural stones and other natural materials. The Centre is built of white marble which has a very high energy level.
Inherent in the design are the understanding of the shape, proportions, numbers, the direction of opening of the shutters and their alignments or non-alignments, as they help convert static energy to dynamic energy. Also the understanding of the staircases which help channel the flow of energy, from floor to floor, clockwise as you climb up, in the northern hemisphere, and anticlockwise for the southern hemisphere. The octagonal staircases at each corner of the Centre are a perfect synthesis of the energies of the cardinal and diagonal directions (static and dynamic) as the stairs channel energy from floor to floor.
The proper usage of colors according to orientations, due to changes in the day and night cycles, shows their harmonizing effect on the color radiations and patterns of our bodies. The subtle and powerful interaction of the different parts of our bodies, namely the head, the trunk, the leg and the entire body are each a support for a subtle body. These are affected by, or in harmony with, the different activities in the different spaces of the buildings and structures.
Oneness is a spiritual organization that draws inspiration from the spiritual vision of its founders, Sri Amma & Sri Bhagavan, namely to set humanity totally and unconditionally free. Extolled by possibly every form of religious and spiritual literature world over as the state of Oneness, Enlightenment, Jeevan-Mukthi, Self-Realisation or Nirvana, this experience of inner freedom has been the primordial quest of mankind since time immemorial. An awakening into Oneness or Inner transformation according to Sri Amma Bhagavan cannot possibly result from mere intellectual understanding or practicing values, but only through a neurobiological transformation in the brain. This process is facilitated by the phenomenon of the Oneness Deeksha (aka) Oneness Blessing, sourced in the divine consciousness of Sri Amma & Sri Bhagavan.
The Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre has been specially constructed to enhance the phenomenon of the Oneness Deeksha and produce a radical shift in human consciousness. The special structure of this Meditation Centre makes possible an intense field of divine grace, wherein this transition in consciousness from separation to oneness would naturally result in all those who pray and meditate here.
Generous contributions of innumerable friends and followers of 'Oneness' worldwide, combined with seven years of dedicated, incessant toil under the able leadership of Sri Krishnaji (Sri Amma Bhagavan's son) has made possible this marble architectural wonder. The special architectural design of this Centre draws inspiration from numerous world religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, thus epitomizing the spirit of religious and cultural oneness. Built in accordance with the timeless principles of ancient sciences, this Centre could be best described as a vortex of divine grace that would initiate a process of awakening into Oneness and God Realisation in all those who pray and meditate here.
The distinct feature that sets apart the Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre from many other structural marvels of today is that it is dedicated to the complete liberation of mankind and the raising of human consciousness.
What happens in the Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre? What does it do?
* This Centre is for the people of all religions and faiths. They would have a direct experience of their own god here. Entering this structure itself would act as a Deeksha. Anybody who is entering the hall in a state of prayer or meditation has their chakras activated and kundalini awakened. This Meditation Centre marks the beginning of a new destiny for India and the world's spiritual tradition.
* Meditation in the sacred presence of the golden ball of divine grace would make the ignorant - intelligent, it heals the sick, it blesses the needy with prosperity and gives courage to the cowardly. Seekers across the world come to this Centre to meditate and pray in the presence of the Golden Ball of Divine grace. Their consciousness gets elevated leading to states of causeless love and causeless joy.
* Ancient Indian wisdom enumerates a four fold purpose to life namely Artha (pursuit of wealth), Kama (fulfillment of desires), Dharma (pursuit of inner growth and contribution) and moksha or Mukti (awakening into oneness).
Sri Amma Bhagavan's vision is one that encompasses fulfillment of Artha and Kama, thus resulting in a natural flowering of the heart (Dharma) and ultimately an awakening into oneness (mukti). Their singular passion in life, namely to set humanity totally and unconditionally free gains expression in this magnificent structure call the Oneness Prayer and Meditation Centre.
The Prayer and Meditation Centre stands to fortify and fulfill the 4 fold purpose of life, thus creating a new individual with an entirely new outlook to life and to the world at large. A massive convergence of human aspiration and divine intervention, this vortex of divine grace has been created as an answer to the relentless seeking of humanity over the millennia.
* The sacred precincts of this Centre would greatly augment the descent of the Golden ball of Divine grace, thus magnifying the transformative effects of the Oneness Deeksha/ Oneness Blessing phenomenon multifold. The massive flood of oneness miracles that issue forth includes the healing of the body, mind and spirit, abundance and success in all areas of life, flowering of intelligence and awakening of love, dissolution of self centered misery and the birth of causeless joy arising form contribution and service, awakening into oneness and god realizing to name a few.
