Guest guest Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Very well said, Selvaratnam! In this physical form we often need something to focus our worship upon and even those sects of belief that are very much against idolatry still use idols. Fundamental Christians like the Jehovah's Witnesses can be said to worship the bible - all their study of it eventually culiminates in it, the word of God, also becoming the form of God. Sincerely Casey OM Namah Sivaya  Everyone An Idol-Worshipper  There is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples. Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image or the other in the mind.  The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.  Everyone is an idol-worshipper. Pictures, drawings, etc., are only forms of Pratima or the idol. A gross mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana and a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol OM for fixing the wandering mind. It is not only the pictures or images in stone and in wood, that are idols but dialectics and leaders also become idols. So, why condemn idolatry?                                               -----Sri Swami Sivananda  Source : http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.htm#_VPID_60  Sri Swami Vivekananda stated that since worshipping of the Divine in the form of a stone (i.e Mother Kali)  can create a mighty being like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, we should build as many temples as possible so that the world will be blessed with more spiritual giants.     Sivaya Namah --- On Sat, 20/9/08, P. Subramani <subramani6912 wrote: P. Subramani <subramani6912 Idol worshipping! Undisclosed-Recipient Saturday, 20 September, 2008, 7:15 AM I just wanted to know one thing that does VEDAs say no to idol worshiping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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