Guest guest Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Hare Krishna Sumeet, Can you provide scriptural reference which says Gaudiya Vaishnavas accept arca-murti as absolutely identical with Svarupa of Brahman? I'm a bit lost here. iys Aravind. Aravind Mohanram Ph.D. Candidate Dept. of Mat Sci and Engg., Penn State University, University Park, PA 16801 www.personal.psu.edu/aum105 Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hare Krishna See this from Jaiva Dharma, it is here where the logic of deity worship as per Gaudiya Siddhanta is described. Although one should read this whole article, but i will post here only the relevant portion.[Portion relevant to your question.] http://www.mandala.com.au/jaiva_dharma/ch11.htm "Pure and wise saints gaze on the form of the Supreme Lord. When their hearts are purified by devotion, they know that the Deity form of the Lord is pure spirit. As the heart becomes more and more purified by devotion, the worshipper gradually comes to understand that the Deity form of the Lord is a spiritual form reflected within the realm of the material world. Thus the Deity form is the spiritual form of the Lord, a form that the great saints have arranged to be reflected within the material world. An advanced devotees can directly perceive that the Deity form is perfectly spiritual. An intermediate devotee thinks the Deity form is a mental image. At first a neophyte devotee thinks the Deity is a statue made of material elements, but as he gradually become pure in heart, he also gradually comes to understand that the Deity is actually made of spirit. Therefore the Deity form of the Lord should be worshipped by all classes of devotees. To worship an imaginary form is forbidden. However, to worship the real eternal form of the Lord is very auspicious. Therefore the worship of the Deity of the Lord is established for all three classes of Vaishnavas. There is nothing wrong in it. On the contrary, it brings the greatest auspiciousness. In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.14.26) the Supreme Lord Himself declares: "When a person purifies his heart by hearing and singing pure songs describing Me, he gradually becomes able to see spirit. He becomes like a person whose eyesight is restored by medicinal ointment." Now that you have read the above, please read the following: http://www.prabhupadavani.org/Bhagavatam/text/360.html "Krsna is so kind that He has consented to appear in a way so that we can see. At the present moment we cannot see Krsna as He is spiritually embodied, sad-cid-ananda-vigrahah, because we have no eyes to see sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [bs. 5.1]. ****So here is also sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, arca-murti***. It is not idol worship. The atheist class may say so, but it is not so. Those who have got eyes, they can see. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He entered the temple of Jagannatha, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord. Here is My Lord." So one has to become santah. Then one can see. But it is culture, by culture. Premanjana- cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva [bs. 5.38]. When you develop that culture, when you develop that love for Krsna, then you will see immediately and you will faint, "Oh, here is my Lord." Compare both together - Jaiva Dharma and Prabhupada Vani. Besides this i will be very happy to see if anyone can show that Gauidyas don't consider Arca Murti to be itself Sat Chit Ananda Vigraha of bhagavan as it is there in Vaikuntha rather actually have their siddhanta along the lines of Sattvata Samhita "bimbakrytyaatmana bimbe samagaatya avathiste". and bhagavata where Krishna is invited into deity by sadhak. Because then gaudiya's siddhanta regarding arca is not against scriptures. SB 11.27.23: The worshiper should meditate upon My subtle form — which is situated within the worshiper's own body, now purified by air and fire — as the source of all living entities. This form of the Lord is experienced by self-realized sages in the last part of the vibration of the sacred syllable omì. SB 11.27.24: The devotee conceives of the Supersoul, whose presence surcharges the devotee's body, in the form corresponding to his realization. Thus the devotee worships the Lord to his full capacity and becomes fully absorbed in Him. By touching the various limbs of the Deity and chanting appropriate mantras, the devotee should invite the Supersoul to join the Deity's form, and then the devotee should worship Me. You should study this chapter - Lord Krishna's Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship. http://srimadbhagavatam.com/11/27/en Your Servant Always, Sumeet. achintya, Aravind Mohanram <psuaravind> wrote: > > Hare Krishna Sumeet, > > Can you provide scriptural reference which says Gaudiya Vaishnavas accept arca-murti as absolutely identical with Svarupa of Brahman? I'm a bit lost here. > > iys > > Aravind. > > > > Aravind Mohanram > Ph.D. Candidate > Dept. of Mat Sci and Engg., > Penn State University, > University Park, PA 16801 > www.personal.psu.edu/aum105 > > > > > > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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