Philosophy of Idol Worship

[Guest guest]

The idol is a support for us in spiritual childhood. A form or image is

necessary for worship in the beginning. It is an external symbol of God for

worship. It is the reminder of God. The material image calls up the mental

data. Steadiness of the mind is obtained by image worship. The worshipper will

have to associate the idea of infinity, omnipotence, purity, perfection,

freedom, holiness, truth and omnipresence. It is not possible for all to fix

the mind Absolute. A concrete form is necessary for practicing concentration.

To behold God everywhere and to practice the presence of God is not possible

for the ordinary man. Idol worship is the easiest form of worship for the

modern man.

Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross-. They

have the image of Cross in their mind. The Muslims keep the image of the Kaaba

stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world keep some

image or the other in their mind. The mental image is also a form of idol.

Everyone is thus idol worshipper. Pictures, drawings, symbols etc. are all

forms of idol only. Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but are

shining channels through' which the heart of the devotee is attracted to God

and flows towards him. Many would say, "Oh God is an all pervading formless

being and how can God be confined to this idol!" Are these people ever

conscious of His omnipresence? Do they always see Him alone in everything? No,

It is their ego that prevents them from bowing to the idols of God and with

that motive, they put this excuse forward.

The idol is a substitute or symbol. The image in a temple though it be made of

stone, wood or metal is precious for a devotee as it bears the mark of his

Lord, as it represents something which he holds holy and eternal. A flag is

only a small piece of painted cloth, but to a soldier it stands something that

he holds very dear. He is prepared to give up his life in defending his flag.

Similarly, the image is very dear to a devotee. It speaks to him in its own

language of devotion. The image arouses devotion in the devotee. A piece of

ordinary white paper or colored paper has no value. We throw it away. However,

if there is the stamp of Government on the paper (currency note), we keep it

safe in pocket. Even, so an ordinary piece of stone has no value for us. We

throw it away. However, if we behold the stone idol, we all bow our heads with

folded palms, because there is the stamp of beloved lord on the stone. When you

worship an image, we do not say; "this

image has come from Punderpur. It was bought by Shriram. Its weight is 50 lbs.

It is made of white marble. It has cost me Rs. 500/-" No! We superimpose all

the attributes of the Lord on the image and pray. When our devotion and

meditation become intense and deep, we do not see the stone image. We behold

the Lord only who is pure Consciousness.

Image worship is very necessary for beginners. By worshipping the idol, the Lord

is pleased. The idol is made up of the five elements. The five elements

constitute the body of the Lord. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes

to the Lord. If you shake hands with a man, he is highly pleased. You have

touched only a small part of his body and yet he is happy. He smiles and

welcomes you. Even so, the Lord is highly pleased when a small portion of his

cosmic body is worshipped. An idol is a part of the body of the Lord. The whole

world is His body. The devotion goes to the Lord. The worshipper superimposes on

the images the Lord and his attributes.

In Hindu way of idol worship, a devotee offers sixteen forms of reverence to the

Lord. First, the presence of the deity is invoked. Then a seat is offered the

feet are washed, and water and hospitality is offered. The idol is bathed,

dressed and invested with the sacred thread. Sandal paste is applied to its

forehead, flowers are offered and incense is burnt. Then a lamp is lit and

waved before the deity. Food is now offered, together with the burning of

camphor. A gift of gold is offered. Finally, the Deity is bidden farewell. In

these external forms of worship, the inner love finds expression. The wandering

mind is fixed now in this form of worship. The aspirant gradually feels the

nearness of the Lord. He attains purity of heart and slowly annihilates his

egoism. To the worshipper who has faith in the symbol, any kind of image is the

body of the Lord, be it made of stone, clay or brass or be it a picture, drawing

etc. Such worship can never be

idolatry. All matter is a manifestation of God who is therein worshipped. Idol

worship makes concentration for man simple and easy. This is one of the easiest

forms of self-realization. It is one that suits the majority of people today. A

look at the picture of God will elevate our mind to divine heights. This is

truly a wonder and a miracle.

Regular worship of idol unveils the divinity latent in it. The picture comes to

life. The idol speaks. It will answer our questions and solve our problems. The

God in us has the power to awaken the latent Divinity in Idol. God is enshrined

in the idol. From here, He will protect us in a special manner. The idol will

perform miracles. The place where it is installed is at once transformed into a

temple. Those who live in such a place are freed from miseries, diseases,

failures and worldliness itself. The awakened Divinity in the idol acts as a

guardian angel blessing all. The idol is only a symbol of the Divine. A devotee

does not behold therein a block of stone or a mass of metal. It becomes an

emblem of God then. So we can realize God through' worship of Idol. The whole

world worships idols alone in some form or another. Idol worship is only the

beginning of religion. Certainly, it is not the end. There are different grades

of worship. The supreme state

is Self-realization. Second in is Meditation on the supreme self. The third is

the worship of symbols. The fourth is the performance of rituals and

pilgrimages to holy places. The Shastra are like kind mothers. They take hold

of the hands of the aspirants and take them systematically to the higher form

of worship. Therefore, we all can shed our ignorant disbelief this moment.

Enshrine supreme, unshakable living faith in our heart this very moment. Recall

to our mind the glorious examples of saints of the past who reaped the rich

spiritual harvests. We all too can enjoy great peace, happiness and prosperity

here and attain Him here and now if we all have faith in idol worship.(A

Contribution by Sai devotee Mala Gupta, Abu Dhabi, UAE)

source:saibaba.org

Arun Reddy Nukala

+44-7946-595063

+44-2085-695116Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE

Messenger