Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

Idol worship

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

IDOL WORSHIP:

quote by Swami Chinmayananda

 

when your dear son is away from home, and you cannot see him whenever you

want, do you or do you not get solace by looking at his photograph? You do

know that the photo is not your son, but only a piece of paper with various

tones of gray, but it reminds you of your beloved boy and his great love for

you. So, also the idols in temples are to remind the devotees of the ideal,

the Supreme. Since the human mind cannot conceive of a formless Supreme, God

is conceived of in the form as represented by an idol. Through a symbol or

idol, we come to adore and be aware of the ideal. Whether the symbol on the

flag is Sickle and Hammer, the Wheel, or Stars and Stripes it does not

matter. They represent the ideals of each country stands for, and thus can

invoke certain feelings and consciousness in those who salute them. The

piece of cloth is not my country. The idol is not the ideal. The wedding

ring is not my wife. All these help to remind me of the noble ideals, which

they symbolize. To the earnest devotee, the idol appears as a living

embodiment of his Lord, and he goes into ecstasy of its sight. But alas! We

usually forget the ideals and hug on to the idols. This has happened in

religion, in its temples, rituals, and ceremonies. Most of us have not been

educated in the ideals behind all these apparently meaningless

paraphernalia. So, they have become meaningless formalism and mechanical

routine. it is, however, necessary to remember that the idol is not God, but

represents God.

 

--

devishakti_india

( divyabhakti )

( http://spiritualhinduism.blogspot.com )

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...