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 Worshipping a Symbol - My View Point

 

 

Shri Lalit Kumar Nahata, New Delhi

 

For anyone striving for a spiritual world idol worship is the first and the foremost step-concentrate on the lord in some form and direct your spiritual energies on to that form or object. That is where idol worship assumes significance. In the initial stages of a human’s spiritual evolution, the striver needs a tool, a medium to cling to. When an evolved soul reaches the top rung of spiritual awareness, such a soul may not need these crutches or tools; but even such realized souls will never discount the importance of such medium for the evolving humans. In this context, one remembers what Swami Vivekanand said during his discourse in Chicago in USA on the 19th September, 1893 before the World Religious Conference “ Childhood gives both to youth etc.” So, should we assume that an old man would be justified in calling his childhood and youth days as useless or a wicked phase of his life? Not at all! One never becomes old without having been a child or youth.

Idol worship has been there down the ages because this comes naturally to a human being. Unless you imagine the thing to be venerated in the form of a certain object/ idol it is as difficult to concentrate spiritually on that thing, as it is life without breathing.

Idol worship is not something to be despised; on the other hand, it is a very essential medium or aid for the evolving soul to climb up the spiritual ladder. How far one is justified in despising idolatory worship when such a worship enable a devotee to experience higher spiritual solace? Even the evolve souls cannot question the efficiency of such a medium.

According to his or her faith everyone directly or indirectly does ‘Idol worship’. Even a follower of Islam while doing ‘Namaz’ (praying), subconsciously assumes that he/she is standing in the Kaba (Mosque at Mecca) and positions himself/herself in the direction where the above Mosque is situated. Such a Mosque is also a symbol of a religious place for them. For the Christians the Church is a symbol of their holy place. The Protestants among the Christians respect the symbol + (cross) as much as the Catholics worships the idols of ‘Mother Marry & infant Jesus.’ The Gurudwaras are the symbol of a holy place for the Sikhs where they worship the ‘Adi Granth’ as a symbol. If all these are not Idol worship what are they ? Every faith has it’s objects of veneration and the followers do ‘Idol worship’ in one form or the other. “An idol or symbol is lifeless and therefore no education is imparted by it”. say the condemners of faith. Yes, an idol, by itself, may be lifeless, but the divine power of the facial expressions which are animate and are passed on to the devotees are very much there to be felt by such a worshipper. When the devotees pray to the idol they are not praying to the lifeless stone or sculpture but to the inherent power their mind invests with the idol. They are unknowingly guided by this latent power. The idol, on it’s own, does not guide the devotee but the devotee has to draw guidance from it. The idol is like a milestone in the spiritual journey. The milestone is a dumb stone on the road but the travelers by noticing the milestone know their position and proceed correctly on the path further. The idol of the Lord to a devotee, sends out similar signals in the path of spiritual realization. Through this medium of \idol worship, a devotee can one day attain spiritual realization! in this way even the epic religious scriptures adorning the various libraries are lifeless; but don’t they guide a seeker on the right path?

Through these aids, the devotee brings before his mind’s as of on am mirror, the grand personality of the divine being and aims to merge his ‘Atman’ (soul) with that Parmatman’ (supreme soul) ! Does it not make sense then that idol worship is a powerful medium to attain the supreme spiritual Bliss? In prayer while idol worship has it’s symbolic importance, the importance of the visual impact of the idol on the devotee cannot be discounted. What you learn by actually seeing cannot be taught by any number of scriptures/sacred books. There are always conflicting literatures ever confusing a reader. Bit a visual object is free from controversies and misunderstandings. By seeing an object with our own eyes we get to know the details about the particular object but we cannot understand the same by reading a thousand words about it. What you feel with your organs whether by seeing, hearing, smelling, touching or tasting is always better than just the theoretical study of many years. A devotee gets immense inner pleasure by just looking at the idol of his or her beloved God, and this is no less than any other pleasure. The same idol helps the beginner in spiritual quest to slowly transcend different levels of spiritual awareness till one reaches a stage spiritual when one does not require any external aids to attain spiritual salvation!

Just by seeing a picture, in a fleeting second, one’s ideas/ conceptions undergo a see-saw change. For example, when one looks at the picture of venerable personality immense respect wells in one’s mind when one looks at the picture of one’s ancestors a feeling of pride is born; when one espies a frame containing a child’s picture, love and affection rules one’s heart at that moment. Similarly when one confronts the picture of a miscreant or an enemy a feeling of hatred and retribution arises in the mind . when one is subjected to such varying moods by seeing just pictures, who can deny that when one has the ‘sight’ of one’s beloved deity even in the form of an idol his or her mind gets filled with a deep spiritual awareness and a sense of abject obeisance to the Almighty Lord!

When one stands before the Lord’s idol, one is filled with reverence; one becomes humble and is overwhelmed by a sense of abject surrender to him. That intellectual philosopher Shri Rajneesh (Osho) has aptly said. ”When you bow at the feet of the Lord in a temple it is not the point whether the head that bows is bowing before the God or not ! The feet are only symbolic. They only serve the purpose of making you bow your head before the Lord.

According to revered Swami Shivanand Saraswati, even the science of Psychology admits that through idol worship , the power of concentration of the mind is easily obtained :for beginners in spiritual quest idol worship is very much a needed medium to stabilize the mind on one point which is indeed difficult. For devotion one needs some aid, that is external worship. The seeker concentrates in the form of God as seen in the idol and slowly the devotee turns inwards and starts realizing the Eternal Bliss that Lord is , and at ate same time starts realizing his/her own self! He /she starts slowly realizing that his/her own soul is but an aspect of they all-pervading Supreme Spirit. In this way, idol worship is of great merit!

For a solider the flag is every thing. He cannot tolerate an insult to his flag. For it’s sake, he is prepared to sacrifice his all, including his own life, A devotee’s attachment to the idol also some thing on these lines!

Some people aver that the Supreme Spirit is all pervading, formless and indescribable. Of so, how can you confine him in an idol? OK, But do these people, knowing the Lord as all pervading respect Him that way? How one can aver/worship the form less, when one does not pay obeisance to the visible object /idol. Actually these people, filled with self egotism, do not even bow before the idol of the Lord, let alone remembering Him in his all-pervasive form! God save these people!

If one remembers the devotion of God by simply remembering his name or his great qualities or by hearing of his spotless character, or by following his commands, one can devote himself /herself similarly to the great soul by standing in obeisance before his idol, statue or picture! If this fact is not admitted; then one’s devotion towards the great soul is incomplete!

It devotion sells out-of just remembering the name of God, how can one ignore worship by way of obeisance before an idol? A name is not based on the qualities of anyone but on the form of that someone, of a name was given to God just on their qualities/attainment there would be no reason to call them by different names. In spite of the same qualities the body structure of the God being different the necessity of giving different names is there. When only by changing the name of particular figure of the God can give fruitful results then why not by worshiping the figure? This is nothing but sheer foolishness. Of only by taking the name of the Lord gives us prosperity then by praying to the idol of the Lord will be more prosperous. There would be no two opinions about this for any intelligent person, without name and form to pray into a formless object and to imbibe it’s qualities is indeed very difficult for a devotee.

For example a Muslim devotee does not straightaway believe in idol worship, but actually, instead of a small idol, what occupies their mind at the time of devotion, is the full premises of the mosque and each and every part. An idol hating Muslim worships every brick of the mosque as pure and for defending the premises, they are even prepared to sacrifice their life. They do not believe in idols but they are prepared to sacrifice themselves or take the life of somebody else for the sake of the Mosque. Disrespect to a Mosque is something that a Muslim can never tolerate! Is this not a type of idol worship?

Like a Muslim who does not believe in idol worship but still has some form imbibed in his heart, similarly ,a Protestant, an Arya Samaj, Kabir Panthi, Nanak Panthi, ‘Bayees’Panthi Terah Panthi also cannot ignore the disrespect of objects that they revere. They cannot tolerate any disrespect to a picture or a statue or an image that they revere.

When an idol worshipper or one who is opposed to idol worship is equally pained when disrespect is shown to the objects that they revere, is it not sheer foolishness to argue whether idol worship is needed or not ! these arguments emanate out of lack of appreciation of what actually occurs at the ground level in the path of devotion of different sects!

Yogi Saint Chetananand brings out beautiful the efficacy of idol worship by illustrating this example which is as follows: To think of God in a ‘formless’ manner is like comprehending fire without it’s form. Fire is everywhere, it is in the wood, the grass, the stone or the match stick. Bit, it is not visible unless the above objects are put to an impact. When these objects are subjected to impact , flames of fire sprouts out and then it is put to use. Therefore, when fire turns from ‘formless’ to ‘form’ it’s use is felt. This ‘form’ is what ‘idol’ worship is all about.

Guru Dronacharya did not teach the art of bow & arrow fighting to Eklavya because he was a ‘Bhil’(untouchable) by caste. But Eklavya made a Murti (statue) he learnt the ‘Dhanurvidhya’ (archery) to such as extent that even the great archer Arjuna was wonderstruck at his competence in this art! If it is so, how far is it correct to say that praying before the idol of the Lord is not blissful?

Without ‘idol’ worship, worshipping seems to be aimless it seems as if one is aiming an arrow aimlessly without an object to hit. An archer finds it futile to fire his arrow unless there is an object to be aimed at. Prithviraj was blind, though he was able to hit any object through the medium of hearing! Here he used his hearing faculty to achieve his objective. Similarly, a devotee also has to depend on a medium to achieve one’s goal, it is another thing that once one realizes the supreme Bliss, one does not mean that one did not need the medium at any stage or at the very beginning.

This point can well by illustrated by the following example: I am a devotee and I want to undertake & pilgrimage trip from Delhi to the holy ‘Shri Sammer Shikhar’ .to reach the above pilgrim center, I have to use the rail or road way. Once I reach the center, I target off the train and I don’t need it’s services any more. Nobody can logically question me as to why I needed the services of the train at all in the first instance of I were to dispense with the same later. Of that be so, I would have not left Delhi, let alone reaching the pilgrim center! Similarly for merging the Soul with the supreme spirit the devotee has to have a symbol before him/her to concentrate on the supreme power. That is where the importance of idol worship lies. Once the soul has realized itself, it doesn’t need any external aids of devotion. But then, to reach such a stage, one needs a medium!

The revered Panyas Pravar Jain Mini (Saint) Shri Bhadrankar Vijayji aptly Remarked;

“In the absence of an aid, the devotion of a devotee is like construction of a building without a ‘plan’. A plan (Blueprint) is very much necessary before one undertakes construction of a building, by consulting the plan at every stage, the workers are able to complete the construction of the building. They have to keep the plan all the time in front of them till the construction is over. Similarly, a devotee also has to have a certain medium which will enable him/her to concentrate and ultimately attain the supreme Bliss of oneness with the supreme Spirit. Once this stage is attained, he/she does not anymore have the need for the medium , just as a contractor does not have the need for the plan once the building is constructed and completely fully.”

Some opponents of idol worship say that the idols are after all stones and what is the difference between idols and ordinary stones? This is a sheer foolish argument. For example, is there not a difference between a plain unwritten paper and a paper on which a picture is drawn or say a currency note? Anybody can trample upon a plain paper under his/her feet but will one do so on a paper on which the picture of someone he/she reveres, is drawn or on a currency note? A money cheque is of no value, without the account holder’s signature, once it is signed it’s value is immeasurable. Similarly is the difference between a plain stone and an idol. Once there idol is consecrated it becomes an object of worship & reverence Justas a cheque becomes valuable after signature!(Conditionally of there is a bank balance) if simply by writing on a piece of paper it’s value increases drastically then why should increase after an idol is made out of it.

The idol worship baiters see the idols as mere stones. I wrote once to a leader of a sect who does not believe in idol worship, that he should not believe in idol worship, that he should not see the idol as stones but should respect the divine personalities that these idols represent. If we accept the idol as an idol of the Lord? The idol worshipper also while praying in front of the idols experience the presence of the Almighty through the medium, Religion is based on faith. By praying to the idol of the Lord with this faith in mind that we are praying to the Lord himself will necessarily b fruitful.

Imagine you see a stone lying in the work place of a sculptor. You just don’t fell anything about it. But you order the sculptor to sculpt an idol out of this stone of your ancestors or your deity in whom you have faith; and after some time when you visit the sculptor’s work place, you find the idol you wanted instead of the bare stone, what happens to you ?a feeling of affection and reverence wells in your heart towards the idol. You don’t see it any more as a stone but you take the idol as your very own ancestors of deity. That is the significance of idol worship!

It is a matter of deep consideration and research to find out as to in what circumstances idol worship came to be denounced? What is the basis for opposing idol worship? Even those who oppose idol worship can think in this matter deeply and dispassionately. Is it what they oppose actually idol worship or the tradition and method of idol worship? Do they oppose the ostentation that has come to be associated with idol worship or the blind faith that idol worship inculcates in a devotee? Or particularly in India when the Mughals destroyed the temples and the idols in them, a sect of devotees decided that there was no need for construction of new idols or temples for purpose of worship. This very sect in course of time might have started to oppose idol worship! May be, people, out of fear of the Mughals stopped going to temples or worshipping the idols or in order to flatter the Mughals, started telling that idol worship was wrong! The reason to oppose idol worship can also be that some people in order to give themselves an identity in society, started preaching a new sect of rules that was totally in contrast to the traditional ones!

Whatever be the fact it cannot be denied that opposition to idol worship took roots in India only on the advent of trhe Mughals. Any change taking place in the psyche of a society has a deep rooted basis in the circumstances obtaining at that point of time, and it is the Mughals who are responsible for the opposition to idol worship.

Whenever arguments are bandied in this matter, those opposed to idol worship question as to when, where & why idol worship started and what is the proof thereof? They never want to find out when the actual opposition to idol worship started? You find in this essay the reason as to why idol worship in necessary-but to find out when exactly, this form of idol worship started is as difficult as, say, try to find out who is the first ancestor who started your lineage! Whereas, on the other hand proof exists as to from when opposition to idol worship started. Research also is possible as to why idol worship came to be opposed? Those opposing idol worship instead of trying to decry this form of worship should actually look into themselves to find out whether, what they are doing is right and whether their opposition to idol worship is justified or they have been taken for a ride by the rank agnostics such as the Mughals! They should free themselves from set ideas and fanatic ideologies and come to grip with the reality!

My humble request to all the learned is “Free yourselves from dogmas and find out when, why and where this opposition to idol worship started in India and other parts of the world and surely, a convergence of views in this matter can in due course, be established in the general interest of the praying public of this great Universe!”

 

 

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Article Authored : By Shri Lalit Kumar Nahata, 21, Anand Lok, New Delhi
(Translated By : Mr. P. Raghunathan & M/s. Asha Nahata)

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