Tradition of sitting in temple

Q. Here in South India there is tradition of sitting in the temples for sometime. Can you talk about it?

#SriSri: It is an old tradition, it is said that you shouldn't return from a temple without sitting there for sometime. Some people don't even sit for 5 second, they sit for a second then get up and run. Don't do this. When you visit a temple you should sit for 10-15 mins and meditate. God is within us. Those who look for god in temples and other places are not intelligent. “Jahan baithe wahin hai kailash” (You have everything right where you sit). When you sit with your eyes closed and go deep in meditation then the mind becomes stable and centered then you get everything. This is why in olden times they used to go for pilgrimage, so that people could sit with the saints in ‘satsang’ and meditate, listen to knowledge. Nowadays it has become commercialised, people go there perform some rituals and run. I am not saying don't perform the rituals, do what but you have to do, but halt, rest there, sit and meditate. For this you don't have to go to ‘Kailash parvat’ or anywhere. Meditation is most important. When you go into the depths of meditation you get everything.