Idol Worship In Hinduism

[SimplyHindu]

Idol worship in Hinduism refers to a devotee worshipping a God or Goddess in the form of a statue, a physical symbol or a painting.

The concept of idol worship remains widely accepted among Hindus.

While there are many debates regarding this, there is a very interesting story mentioned in the ancient Scripture "Yoga Vasistha" that shows the vastness of Hinduism.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN LORD SHIVA AND VASISTHA

Sage Vasistha, once visited Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. Sage Vasistha started meditating in the forest in Kailasa. After a few days a great light emanated in front of Sage Vasistha.

With his insight, Sage Vasistha, inquired into the nature of the light and realized it was Lord Shiva.

Sage Vasistha bowed to Lord Shiva, and asked “Lord what is the way of worshipping which destroys all sin and promotes auspiciousness?”

Lord Shiva replied: “O Sage, Do you know who God is? God is not Vishnu, Brahma or Shiva; he is not the wind nor the sun nor the moon; he not the ascetic nor the king: God is nor I nor you; he is not Lakhsmi nor the mind. God is not found in idol worship.

“Know this, God is without form and undivided. That magnificence which is not made and which has neither beginning nor end is known as God. God, Devas or Lord Shiva is nothing else but pure consciousness. That alone is fit to be worshipped; and that alone is all.

“If one is unable to worship this pure consciousness form of Shiva, then by all means, let him or her worship a form or an idol. O Sage, idol worship facilitates mental contemplation of God. Sometimes, even wise sages like you worship an idol playfully. Know this O Sage, whoever worships an idol worships a finite form and he will achieve finite results to fulfuill his desires. But the one who worships the infinite consciousness, gets infinite results and achieves the bliss of truth.

So people, depending on their past karma and spiritual evolution can worship the finite form in idols and get their finite desires fulfilled. Or they can worship the infinite form and attain liberation.”

[Vinayaka]

In my view, Hindus don't worship idols. It is not the statue or picture itself. We use statues and pictures in a couple of ways.

The first way is to symbolise something greater. Just as a wedding band or a mangalasutra symbolizes the bond and sanctity of marriage, the statue (murthy) symbolizes what it stands for, the God, either manifest, or unmanifest.

The second way is more mystical, and that's the use of the murthy to conduct energy, just as copper conducts electricity. Copper wire, in and of itself, is just copper. But when it's 'hooked up' its more than copper. So too with the murthies, when energized from the traditions passed down from the Vedas ... mantras, sacred substances, touch, and more.

So the idea that we worship 'idols' isn't exactly accurate when we look at it deeper.

[kris]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

In my view, Hindus don't worship idols.

I agree completely. I have not seen any Hindu worshiping idols. Worship is something that happens in one's heart. Does anyone have idols in their heart?

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste.

To say Hindus worship idols is like saying Christians worship the Holy Cross.

God is beyond all form and all perceptions of it, but the murthy (idol) serves only to remind us of that.

I just bought another large statue of Shiva last week because I 'liked it' and for no other reason. It is going in my puja place (prayer place) to remind me that I am not alone...that something 'bigger than me' exists out there.

The idol doesn't have any energy...we put the energy into it and God transforms it into love. We sanctify it through our tears and fervent devotions.

However, there will still be those who believe we 'worship idols' like my father believes and nothing anybody can say will ever change their minds about it. They were raised in the Christian tradition, where Hindus are 'idol worshipers' and no amount of education will ever change that because it is a long-held established, albeit false belief.

To us it is a 'false belief' but to them it is not.

Even so, if I want to go down that route and agree with them, I could always say "at least worshiping a lump of crafted clay is much better than worshiping one's own ego".

....but I guess this is why we have totally different religions, because no two can agree on anything and never will - so I go 'to each their own' and if people want to believe I worship idols and graven images, then I worship idols and graven images because I am never going to change their minds about it, so I may as well 'play the part' and milk it for all it is worth.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[SimplyHindu]

[quote=Vinayaka]In my view, Hindus don't worship idols. It is not the statue or picture itself. We use statues and pictures in a couple of ways.
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A lot of Hindus worship idols. That is a fact. Nothing wrong with that as the underlying thought is that that they are worshipping the divine power vested in those idols. Infact what is appealing in the story is that Lord Shiva proclaims the same thing in an ancient story.

“If one is unable to worship this pure consciousness form of Shiva, then by all means, let him or her worship a form or an idol. O Sage, idol worship facilitates mental contemplation of God. Sometimes, even wise sages like you worship an idol playfully. "

It shows the the encompassing and inclusive philosophy of Hinduism.

[Shivani Devi]

If I want to go into it fully, in the Shaiva (Shiva) Agama tradition (to which I belong), we're not really 'sposed to worship any idols because they are seen to be 'distracting'. If you go into an Agama temple, there is nothing inside it. I cannot meditate on, pray to or love 'nothing' - how does one even do that?

So, the Shaivites go from worshiping 'nothing' to let's all worship a rock then!

Now, if one thinks worshiping a pleasing artistic form is bad, I wonder what they think about those people who pour milk and honey over an egg-shaped stone? They must have real problems with that one. lol

I could never worship Shiva Lingam and I do not know why - I just couldn't get 'up close and personal' with it.

Worshiping Shiva Lingam snubs at the whole idol worshiping thing and I know what it represents...

It is a form 'chosen at random' from all the forms out there and it means "if you are going to worship any form, you may as well worship this one".

In fact, we can pray to a flower, a seashell, a feather - and get exactly the same results.

It's all about acknowledgment and intent.

Murthys are a 'stepping stone' or a bridge that links the lower mind with the higher one.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Shivani Devi]

...and so, it was just revealed to me that because I was raised in the Agama Hindu Dharma tradition and spent countless hours inside empty temple rooms, I focused on the external form of the temple design rather than the bland internal one.

Now, guarding the entrance and exit to every temple, there's a beautifully terrifying form of Shiva draped in the checker-board cloth of full Tantric integration - dark and light - all duality woven on the fabric of the universe...

Then, for lack of anything inside the temple, I just sat outside all the time going "ah Bhairava, you'll do...perfect!"

Aum Namah Shivaya

[peteyzen]

This whole universe is the divine. Everything is just vibrating at different levels of consciousness. There is nothing around you which is NOT a part of god, there is nothing that is not god. Hence for our development sometimes we focus on a part of God in the form of an idol. This idol is simply a focal point for our devotion to the divine. Because everything is god, and if our devotion is genuine, then the divine responds by working with us through the idol, this is why devotees often feel energy coming off these idols. In effect the divine bless es us with grace through them. With photos of avatars the same is true, a part of the avatar is actually there and grace is bestowed through the picture in return for genuine devotion or worship.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

This whole universe is the divine. Everything is just vibrating at different levels of consciousness. There is nothing around you which is NOT a part of god, there is nothing that is not god. Hence for our development sometimes we focus on a part of God in the form of an idol. This idol is simply a focal point for our devotion to the divine. Because everything is god, and if our devotion is genuine, then the divine responds by working with us through the idol, this is why devotees often feel energy coming off these idols. In effect the divine bless es us with grace through them. With photos of avatars the same is true, a part of the avatar is actually there and grace is bestowed through the picture in return for genuine devotion or worship.

Until one wonders how something can be 'god' and a 'part of god' simultaneously - or is it only 'me' that has this problem?

[Vinayaka]

[quote=SimplyHindu]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

In my view, Hindus don't worship idols. It is not the statue or picture itself. We use statues and pictures in a couple of ways.
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A lot of Hindus worship idols.

We don't disagree then, which is what I suspected. What I was putting forth was a response to the non-Hindu accusation that Hindus worship idols, meaning rocks or stones or metal statues in and of themselves, with no other meaning. All Hindus know better than that. I think a better wording might be 'Hindus use idols in their worship'