Thus Spake the Divine - Idol Worship and Absolute Wisdom

Thus Spake the Divine

Idol Worship and Absolute Wisdom

In this chapter, Poojyasri Maha Periyava articulates on the absolute compassion of Parameshvar, who takes different forms that enable all people to absorb Him in a comprehensive manner.

Here are some bunches of bananas in front of me. If I say they look yellow, you will automatically see them as yellow in colour. There will be no further reaction in your mind over and above that. Alternatively, if I say that the bananas are red in colour, some objection would arise in your minds. If I had not specified the colour as yellow or red and said, “Imagine that these bananas are red in colour”, then there would be an opposite reaction in your minds. You would then try to visualise these

bananas in red colour within your mind.

What I want to say is if you can focus your mind and assimilate your thoughts, you can visualise too. Worship (Upasana) is one such phenomenon similar to the above metaphor. The strategy of worship is to make people absorb different attributes of God in His different forms. If the banana’s actual colour is yellow, what is the actual quality or characteristic of God? These actual attributes or characteristics are beyond any attributes, which is “no attributes” (Nirguna). If we say that God is possessed with “no attributes”, then people would find it difficult to comprehend the concept of God. They would ignore this as some non-comprehensible substance.

When we can object that bananas cannot be red in colour, we will similarly not accept when somebody shows a statue and says it is the Ishvara. We would raise objection saying that it is just a stone and how can it administer the entire world? However if we say “Please visualise this as Ishvar”, it would appear possible. This is just as we could visualise bananas as red in colour. But in case of banana, we are already aware of how red colour looks. In case of Ishvara, we are not aware of His characteristics.

Therefore, we can look at the statue as a ‘huge substance’ for a while. But that will not last in our mind for long. The mind absorbs only those substances that are familiar to it. If the statue is in a female form expressing absolute love and compassion, and we say “Imagine that Paramatma has transcended in the form of a Mother personified”, then the mind will absorb that aspect fully. It is with “no-attribute” (Nirguna) Paramatma that all virtuous attributes have merged. From the formless Paramatma have emerged all forms. If sacred idols are exhibited to us associating attributes with form, postures and weapons, then, our minds are drawn towards those aspects. We thus worship the philosophy of God in a manner comprehensible by us.

The omnipotent, omnipresent Paramatma bestows His benevolence on us in the form we worship Him in. He gradually elevates our state of mind. Eventually, He leads us to a state in which the mind becomes non-existent and beyond. Once the mind reaches beyond its periphery, we are able to experience the blissful “no-attribute”, “no-form” Paramatma as He is.

When we are entangled in numerous worldly issues, it is difficult to absorb Paramatma as one beyond attributes and forms. Once we start worshiping Him in some form and associated attributes, our mind set matures and then we can absorb Him as He is. When we look at the banana as yellow in colour, our mind has no apprehensions. Similarly, when we look at Paramatma as Paramatma, the mind accepts Him and does not dwell beyond that.

However, there are certain rules and regulations when worshipping different forms of Paramatma, such as the set of Mantras to be chanted or the methodology of Pooja for the particular form. When the mind requires no imagination or visualisation and we comprehend Paramatma as He is, then, there are no rules for worshipping Him. At such a stage, worship carried out by the body and mind ripens into absolute wisdom.

We should never assume that we will attain this stage in the initial phase itself. Worship is the fundamental means for many commoners to travel towards wisdom. These holy idols of Paramatma are not man-made ones. This idol is the Paramatma, who has bestowed Sages and Saints with the forms, given them the Mantras and other rules of worship. When we persistently follow modalities of worship in totality, it will definitely lead to the path of wisdom.

Let us not focus on the end result of worship. Let the result come on its own will. When we worship God, we should do so with absolute affection and Bhakti towards God. This will grant us the best form of fulfilment and absolute bliss. After that, if God so wills, He may grant us the wisdom of Advaita. Let us not bother about when that will happen. All that we can do is extend Bhakti towards Him to continue receiving His benevolence.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.