Re:Ammachi's advice re Gods and images / Vivekenanda

[Guest guest]

Stephen,

I remember reading About worshiping gods and images in Vivikenanda's

"complete work's".In the Vedic scriptures it exlains how "a God or a sage or

some extroadinary being is taken up and lifted, as it were, out of his own

nature and idealised into Brahman and then worshipped." The Advaitin says

"Is not everything Brahman when the name and the form have been removed from

it.? Is not He, the Lord, the innermost self of everyone? says the

Vishishtadvaitin. Buddhism,Vedantism and certain forms of christianity

freely use images. Mohammedans and Protestans refuse help of images, though

the Mohammedans use the grave of their saints and martyrs almost in the

place of images. Vivekenanda.

Mother says in Her May 2000 Matruvani: Question: What is the necessity

of image worship and why do some religions denounce it? Mother says: What

we worship is not the image. We worship the omnipresent God through the

image. Images symbolise the principle of Godhead. They are the means to

concentration. We teach children with the help of pictures of parrots and

doves and naming them, we enable children to recognise them. When they are

grown up this practice is not necessary. As one progresses in sadhana, the

mind learns to become one-pointed without relying on such aids. One cannot

say that God is not in the image. He pervades the entire animate and

inanimate world, whether living or non-living, and to serve them in that

spirit."

As your friend suggested, your heart will know , may your heart be happy.

Love and light, Vimala >kalima <kalima

>Ammachi

>Ammachi

>Re: Re: 1000 Names

>Fri, 14 Jul 2000 09:50:19 -0400

>

>

>

>Stephen Ferguson wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > On a final point, I keep wondering about the state of devotion itself.

> > Having been brought up Roman Catholic, I have the underlying fear of

> > 'worshipping false Gods', and I was wondering if it is right to worship

>God

> > THROUGH Amma, or is the worshipping of Amma a way of worshipping God? Or

>is

> > the word 'worship' itself at fault here? And is devotion a milder form

>of

> > worship?

> >

> > I suppose I'm asking these questions because, like many others, when

>you've

> > taken so many wrong turns in life you want to make sure that you are

>taking

> > the right ones.

>

>Namaste,

>

>

>Listen to what feels right to you. Your spirit will let you know when you

>are

>on the right path. There will be no mistake about it.

>

>Aum Shanti,

>Shelly

>

> >

> >

> > Lots of love to you and everyone reading this communication.

> >

> > Stephen (food_of_love)

> >

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> > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

> >

> > Ammachi-

>

 

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