In my early days of seeking God I too did not understand Idol Worship and to me the whole concept of an omnipresent God only living in a Murti did not make much sense. This was also the case with many Hindu rituals that seemed to make no scientific sense whatsoever. However after I met my Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji, my whole perception changed. He de-mystified the ritualistic aspect of my religion and at the same time showed me the deeper meaning of Brahman which was in absolutely no conflict with any of the other faiths on this planet. An Idol is but a rock, metal, paint or even mud, But it is through Praana Prathishta and the Devotion of the Bhaktas that give it the wish-granting & healing abilities of God. It is not fear of failing some exam that makes it powerful but rather constant showering of Praana through Mantras and Love that actually empowers it. That is the beauty of Hinduism.. we truly can make any idol divine. When you go to a temple you dont bow down to every painting of a god but rather to the main idol because that is where the Praana has been activated. Similarly the aspect of wearing a tilak actually stimulates the pituitary gland making us more aware (Very useful before exams, so your mom was not just being silly)… just see where you tap with your index finger the next time you need to remember something. Guruji opened my eyes to many more rituals, simplifying them and showed me how rituals in Hinduism are just like a beautiful play between a Devotee and the Divine. The Aarti, Offerings and Water are just to signify how God gives us light, food, flowers and so much. Its nothing but an expression of Gratitude! Yes, over the years due to a lack of depth we have forgotten the purpose of these rituals and in the process added a few unnecessary ones like animal sacrifice, which is not mentioned as forward leading in any of our Vedas. But rituals are not enough, for they only give you a taste of Brahman! Only when one meditates and goes deep within does one truly realize the depth of all these practices. Just as white light contains an infinite spectrum of colors, the Divine contains so many energies and characteristics. Sometimes an Idol may represent one characteristic and it is fine to celebrate one or many aspects. It is the right of every Bhakta to find a form or characteristic of the Divine that they relate to merging their senses and devotion into that. Eventually they come to the one omnipresent Divine Brahman which is the combination of Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Devi Maa and all the other Gods. That is the end goal, which is experienced in silence and in deep meditation. The goal of Hinduism is to first relate to an aspect of God on an exterior level and eventually turn inwards and see the same characteristic within ourselves. At the time Ganesha Pooja an idol is treated as a visitor not a permanent resident. This too shows that we are willing to empower the divine and celebrate his presence but then immerse Him in water. It shows that even though we fully celebrate the Divinity of the Idol, we also realize that God is omnipotent and omnipresent and this is just a play of devotion and love. Devotion and Meditation are the two main pillars in achieving or experiencing the Divine. There is no real wrong number in devotion as the Divine will always listen and eventually give you what you need… maybe not always how you want it. There are many Gurus in India who show a correct path to realizing ones true self. To simply criticize that which we dont understand or are afraid of truly makes no logical sense. If you want to know more then do the Art of Living Part 1 and Part 2 courses and you will get a glimpse of Infinity!
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 20:48:37 +0000
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