Idol worship: They, who say the stone is God; in vain is their service.

[Guest guest]

" IDOL WORSHIP

 

PART 1. INTRODUCTION

 

Sikhism believes in One immortal formless God. The God of all people

regardless of religion or race. God is self-illumined, without fear,

sans enmity. Truth is Gods name.

 

PART 2. THE STONE GODS

 

The Guru Granth Sahib rejects any worship of physical items such as

stone idols, animals or plants. The worship of images, tombs or

sacred stones is also rejected.

 

" They, who say the stone is God; in vain is their service. He, who

falls at the feet of the stone; vain goes his labour. My Lord ever

speaks. The Lord gives gifts to all the living beings. The Lord is

within, but the blind one knows not. Deluded by doubt, he is caught

in a noose. The stone speaks not, nor gives anything. In vain are the

ceremonies of the idolater, and fruitless his service. " (Guru Granth

Sahib, Arjan Dev, P.1160)

 

" The idol gives not the hungry and saves not the dying. " (Guru Granth

Sahib, Nanak, P.1240)

PART 3. THE HINDU IDOLS

 

Although Guru Nanak's parents were Hindus, he rejected the theory of

the Hindu stone gods. Since most of the Sikhs are originally from

India it has been difficult to rid themselves of this concept.

 

" The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord and are going the wrong

way. As Narad instructed so worship they idols. They are blind, dumb

and the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools take stones and

worship them. Those stones when they themselves sink, how shall they

ferry thee across? " (Guru Granth Sahib, Nanak,P.556)

 

PART 4. PLUCKING LEAVES FOR STONE GODS

 

The idol worshipper plucks leaves from flowers and then they throw

them over the stone idols. The verses below show that plucking the

leaves kills life for a useless cause.

 

" Thou tearest off the leaves, O lady gardener but in every leaf there

is life. The stone (idol) for which thou pluckest the leaves, that

stone is life-less. In this, thou art mistaken, O lady gardener. The

True Guru is the living Lord. " (Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir, P.479)

 

" The blind ignorant ones stray in doubt and so deluded, deluded they

pluck flowers for worship. They worship the lifeless stones and adore

tombs. Their service all goes in vain. " (Guru Granth Sahib, Ram Das,

P.1264

 

PART 5. CONCLUSION

 

The worship of idols in any form does not free the mind to doing

services of just cause. The rewards are none to them, the reward

achieved in their lives are of consequence and not the result of idol

worship. People always need some sort of hope when their minds are

not yet enlightened. The philosophy of The Guru Granth Sahib takes

one to a higher plane of thinking to rid the mind rituals. "        

                                

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