worshipping an image

[barney 0]

There is great beauty in the idea of

worshipping an image.

Explanations by Sri Vinoba Bhave:

 

The saguna (with form) devotee serves the Lord through the

indriyas, the organs of perception and action, whereas the nirguna (formless) devotee thinks constantly of the good of all the world.

The first (saguna devotee) appears absorbed in outward service but he meditates constantly within. The other (nirguna devotee) seems to do no direct service, but within him a great service is going on. Though differing outwardly, the two are of the same nature within, and both are dear to the Lord. But, of the two, Saguna bhakti (devotion or worship) is much the easier.

 

For the saguna (with form) worshipper, the indriyas (organs of perception and action) are an aid. They are like flowers to be offered up to the Lord. With his eyes, he beholds His form; with his ears, he listens to His story; with his mouth, he utters His holy name; on his feet he performs pilgrimages; and with his hands, renders service. In this way he dedicates all his indriyas to the Lord. They are not there for enjoyment. The flowers are there to be offered to the Lord, not to be worn around one's neck. Thus he uses all his senses in the service of the Lord. This is the way of the saguna worshipper.

 

But to the nirguna worshipper, the senses seem to be an obstruction. He keeps them under control. The saguna

worshipper surrenders his indriyas at the feet of the Lord.

Both these are methods of controlling the indriyas (senses), two ways of restraining them. Whichever method we adopt, we must keep the indriyas (senses) under control. The aim of both the methods is the same - to prevent them from wallowing in the pleasure of the senses. One method is easy, the other difficult.

 

The nirguna worshipper is devoted to the welfare of all beings. This is no ordinary matter. "To work for the good of all the world" is a thing easy to say, but difficult to practise. One devoted to the good of the world can think of nothing else. That is why nirguna worship is difficult.

 

Saguna worship, however, can be rendered in many ways, according to one's powers and opportunities. To serve the little village we were born in, to look after one's parents, this is saguna worship. All we have to make sure is that we do not work against the welfare of the world. No matter how insignificant your service is, as long as it causes no harm to others, it will ascend to the scale of bhakti (devotional worship); otherwise it would become a form of attachment. Whether it is our parents or our friends, our suffering kinsfolk or great saints that we serve, we should regard them as the Lord. Imagine that in every one of them you see an image of the Lord and rest satisfied. This saguna worship is easy, but nirguna worship is hard. The meaning and substance of the two are the same.

 

We must admit that it is difficult to distinguish between what is saguna and what is nirguna. What looks like saguna from one point of view may be nirguna from another. We worship saguna (with form) by placing a stone in front of us and performing puja (devotional worship). In this stone we conceive the presence of God. In our mother and in our saints, we see the visible presence of chaitanya (the conscious principle), the living spirit.

In them jnana (knowledge), love and warmth of heart shine clear. But we do not regard them as the Supreme, and as such we do not worship them. Such people, filled with the living spirit, are seen by us all. We should, therefore, serve them. We should see in them the concrete manifestation of the Supreme.

 

And yet, instead of doing this, people prefer to see the Lord in a stone. To see the Lord in a stone is in a sense the ultimate limit (test) of nirguna. In the saints, in one's parents, in one's neighbours, love and knowledge and willingness to help are manifested. It is easy to conceive the presence of God in them; but it is difficult to conceive it in a stone.

 

But on the contrary, if we do not conceive the presence of God in the stone, where else can we conceive it? It is only the stone that is fit to be the image of the Lord. It is motionless, full of peace. Light or darkness, heat or cold, the stone remains the same. The motionless, passionless stone is best fitted to be a symbol of the Lord. Father, mother, neighbour, the people, all these are subject to passion and change. Therefore, in one sense, it is more difficult to serve these than to serve the stone.

 

There is great beauty in the idea of worshipping an image. Who can break this image? The image in the beginning was merely a piece of stone. I filled it with my bhavana, my feeling. I put life into it. How can anyone destroy my feelings? Stones can be smashed and broken into pieces, but not feeling. When I withdraw my feelings from the image, then what remains will be mere stone, a thing which anyone can break to pieces.

 

What after all, is the weight of a hundred Dollar bill (paper currency note)? (Much less than a bulky sunday newspaper). If we burn the hundred Dollar currency note, we might perhaps, be able to warm a drop of water. What gives this small piece of paper the value (which is far greater value than the the value of bulky newspaper)? The stamp it bears gives its value. It is after all, an inanimate piece of paper. We placed our value in that piece of paper.

 

My mother scribbled three or four lines on a piece of paper and sent it off to me. Another gentleman sent me a long discursive fifty page letter. Now, which is more weighty? But the feeling in my mother's few lines is beyond measure; it is sacred. The other stuff cannot stand comparison with it.

 

Suppose two men go for a bath in the Ganga river. One of them says: "What is this Ganga river that people talk so much about? Take two parts of hydrogen and one of oxygen; combine the two gases- it becomes Ganga. What else is there in the Ganga?"

 

The other says: "The Ganga flows from the lovely lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. Thousands of Rishis, seers, both ascetic and kingly, have done penance by her banks. Countless holy acts have been performed by her side. Such is the sacred Ganga, my mother." Filled with this bhavana (feeling), he bathes in the river. The other man, regarding as combination of hydrogen and oxygen also bathes. Both derive the benefit of physical cleansing. But the devotee gets the benefit of inner purification as well. Even a buffalo, if it bathes in the Ganga river, will achieve physical cleanliness. The dirt of the body will go.

 

But how to wash the mind of its taint? One got the petty

benefit of physical cleanliness; the other, in addition, gained the invaluable fruit of inward purity.

 

Nirguna is all jnana, knowledge, but saguna is full of love, of bhavana, of feeling. There is the moisture of the heart in it and perfect safety for the bhakta (devotee). When the principle of devotion or bhakti, enters into any action, it is only then that it appears easy. It is not difficult to push a boat in the water; but how hard to drag the same boat on land, on rocks? If there is water under the boat, we can cross over to the other shore as without effort. In the same way, if our life's boat floats on the waters of bhakti (devotion), we can sail easily in it. But if life is dry and the way dusty, stony, full of pitfalls then it would indeed be hard to drag the boat along. The principle of bhakti (devotion), like water, makes easy the voyage of our life.

 

The truth of the matter is that saguna and nirguna

complement each other. Both these means take us to the same end.

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