The Five Truths: The Heart of our Altar
When you enter our temple sanctuary on Middle Abbey Street, your eyes will be drawn to the center of the room. This is the altar of Sri Sri Pancha Tattva. These beautiful Murtis (sacred manifest forms) are the presiding Deities of Dublin, serving as a focal point for our meditation, kirtan and devotion.
Who are the Pancha Tattva?
"Pancha" means Five, and "Tattva" means Truths. They represent the five features of the Absolute Truth who appeared 500 years ago to teach the world the path of love and joy through the chanting of the Holy Names.
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Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: The Golden Avatar (Divine Incarnation) who brought the practice of congregational chanting to the world.
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Sri Nityananda Prabhu: The personification of Daya (Mercy) and compassion.
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Sri Advaita Acharya: The one who called for the Lord to descend to help humanity find peace.
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Sri Gadadhara Pandita: The representation of internal spiritual energy and devotion.
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Sri Srivasa Thakura: Representing the devoted community of believers and the power of faith.
The Altar Experience
The Murtis (sacred forms) of the Pancha Tattva are treated with the utmost love and respect. Every day, they are offered fresh flowers, incense, and beautiful music.
Even as we live in the busy heart of Dublin, the altar offers a window into a world of spiritual tranquility.
Beside the main altar, you will see an Image (portrait) of our founder, Srila Prabhupada. He sits upon the Vyasasana (an honorary seat for a spiritual teacher), where he continues to guide the Dublin community toward a life of peace. We honor him as the one who brought this ancient wisdom to Ireland.
Spiritual Vocabulary: A Guide for Visitors
To help you feel at home during your visit, here is a guide to the words you will hear,
Gaura Arati (The Offering)
A beautiful 20-minute ceremony where we offer incense, lamps, and flowers to the Deities. It is a way of welcoming the Divine into our daily lives.
Darshan (Sacred Connection)
Literally meaning "to see" or "to view." It is the time when the altar curtains are open, and guests can sit quietly to meditate on the beauty of the sacred forms.
Kirtan (Musical Meditation)
Call-and-response singing accompanied by the Mridanga (traditional clay drum) and Kartals (hand cymbals). It is a shared spiritual experience of sound.
Prasadam (Sanctified Food)
This word literally means "Mercy." It refers to pure vegetarian food prepared with love and offered to the Lord. When you eat at Govinda’s, you are eating Prasadam.
Japa (Personal Meditation)
The practice of quietly chanting the Maha-Mantra (The Great Prayer) on a string of 108 beads.
Harinama (Public Chanting)
When you see us on O'Connell Street, we are performing Harinama. (Hari = The Lord, Nama = Name). We bring this "musical prayer" to the streets to share the joy of the mantra with everyone in Dublin
Bhakti (The Yoga of Love)
Derived from the word bhaj, meaning "to serve with love." Unlike physical yoga poses, Bhakti Yoga is a "yoga of the heart"— connecting our everyday actions to a higher spiritual purpose.
