stone or spirit?

[Guest guest]

The material body certainly consists only of material elements, but when one

awakens to Krsna conscious understanding, the body is no longer material but

spiritual. The material body is meant for sense enjoyment, whereas the

spiritual body engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

Therefore, a devotee who engages in the service of the Supreme Lord and who

constantly thinks of Him should never be considered to have a material body.

It is therefore enjoined, gurusu nara-matih: one should stop thinking of the

spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body. Arcye

visnau sila-dhih: everyone knows that the Deity in the temple is made of

stone, but to think that the Deity is merely stone is an offense. Similarly,

to think that the body of the spiritual master consists of material

ingredients is offensive. Atheists think that devotees foolishly worship a

stone statue as God and an ordinary man as the guru. The fact is, however,

that by the grace of Krsna's omnipotence, the so-called stone statue of the

Deity is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the body of the

spiritual master is directly spiritual. A pure devotee who is engaged in

unalloyed devotional service should be understood to be situated on the

transcendental platform (sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [bg.

14.26]). Let us therefore offer our obeisances unto the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, by whose mercy so-called material things also become spiritual

when they are engaged in spiritual activity.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 8.3.2

 

 

 

Everyone knows that the Deity is made of stone. That atheist class will say,

"How is this? These foolish people are worshiping a stone statue." But no,

that is not same stone statue. Stone is also Krsna, because bhumir apo 'nalo

vayuh [bg. 7.4]. So one who knows the art, by worshiping stone also, he can

worship Krsna. By worshiping stone also. It is Krsna's mercy. Because at the

present moment, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc.

Madhya 17.136]. By your blunt senses, you can not understand what is Krsna,

what is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's activity.

Therefore Krsna, by His causeless mercy, has come before us in the form of

stone so that we can see Him. Because we cannot see beyond stone. We cannot

see beyond wood. And wood and stone is also not beyond Krsna. That is also

Krsna. So Krsna has given us the facility to worship Him in the way as we

can understand.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972

 

 

 

Everyone knows that this Deity is made of stone. The ground floor, the

marble stone, black and white, and the Deity is also black and white.

Everyone knows. But why you see the black and white Deity in this temple and

gather together and offer prayer? Is it the same marble of the ground, black

and white? That means you are seeing in a different position. That is love,

love of Krsna. Those who haven't got the love, they are seeing that "The

same stone on the floor and same stone in the Deity. What these foolish men

are worshiping?" They say that "I can worship this stone also." No, no.

Krsna says, "Yes, that is... The stone on the floor, that is also I am, but

I am not present there." This is called acintya-bhedabheda.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976

 

 

 

Everyone knows that Deity is made of stone, but do we worship the stone? Do

we construct so big, big temples for worshiping a piece of stone? No. Unless

one has got this connection, that "Here is the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, Saksad brajendra-nandana..." Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw

Jagannatha Temple and immediately fainted. He saw saksad brajendra-nandana

Hari, Krsna, immediately. So we have to learn how to see Vaisnava and Visnu.

That is Krsna consciousness movement. That means we have to purify our

senses. Then we can see Krsna always.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972