So I went to this temple in Livermore in the USA. For all practical purposes, it is a classic, conservative South Indian temple with all possible gods and goddesses. They even have very strict rules, like no camera or taking pictures inside the temple, no eating etc. Most people are happy to follow along as it maintains the temple atmosphere.
However I noticed that one of the priests was sitting in a corner fiddling with something, and I realized that it was an iPhone. He was doing what other ordinary people do, obsessively check email, or God forbid, Facebook!
Now I am at a dilemma about what to think: should I just roll my eyes and say Ghor Kaliyuga, what an unworthy priest! Or should I think, he is a human after all, with usual desires, priesthood is just a job, nothing more nothing less, why expect more from him?
He is also human, being a priest is his proffesion just like how when i am free in between patients i type here in this forum and i wont consider myself unworthy cos I am not typing while seeing patients.May be it was his free time.
See all of us want freedom in whatever we do but always want to impose the strictest rules for a priest.
Let them have fun too after all they do have a demanding job that starts from early morning to late night sometimes and many lack exercise and time for relaxation and are overweight and do have major health issues.
As long he does his job well that should be enough..may be he was typing in TB forum or making a new friend in Facebook.
A priest is still very much in the world like anyone of us..He has not given up both pleasures and displeasures of the world.Let him have fun too.
Just to add some humor to your query.."BTW what were you doing not concentrating on God but finding fault with another?" hehehehehe No offence ok..just for fun.
Ok I will tell you why I said this. 3 weeks ago I commited the same offence of judging another.
My dad had a house bhajan in which he had called one of his friends who is very religous types and keeps saying about his bhakthi( he is young some 40+)
Much to our suprise he didnt sit on the floor but sat on the sofa while the bhajan went on.Seats are provided for elderly people with health issues but this guy had no real health issue so we were suprised.
So I thought may be he has some health problem we dont know about.
The following week we went to his house for a bhajan and there he was seated on the floor dressed like a priest and doing all pooja etc.
I was wondering how come he is seated on the floor here but was seated on the sofa in my fathers house last week.
Then a sudden thought came to me as if i was being admonished "what are you doing not concentrating on God and more concerned where that guy sits?"heheheehhe
So i dropped the thought who sits where..