Idolatry ... what,why,how... significance, validity and its perception

Idolatry is Idol worship.... a practice that is not accepted by many in this world... but it does exist.
Its existence and the many followers of Idolatry itself proves that it is definitely NOT baseless. The practice has come to existence with Some significance which is Misunderstood. Hinduism undoubtedly follows Idolatry... BUT it does not preach that god exists only in Idols...

Idolatry does not find any support from Vedas ( Hindu Scriptures). In chapter 32 of Yajurveda it has been said that "God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ or material shape" http://english.vishwahindusamaj.com/idol-worship.htm

Now, there is yet another question that arises... GOD?..this is where we have another class of believers and Non-believers... However let us not dig into this right now..but surely will share my thoughts on it.

"It is much difficult to focus on God as the unmanifested than God with form, due to human beings having the need to perceive via the senses."Bhagvad gita chapter 12 verse 5 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp
As Human beings we understand what we perceive from our senses and anything beyond the perception of these senses is unimaginable. We can focus on an issue only when we understand and accept it. Being the earthly living creatures we are bound only to the understanding and Knowledge of the materials made from the elements of our Planet. So, man can accept and concentrate or focus only on what is manifested.
Meditation is concentrating or focusing by relaxing the mind... As a beginner if one is asked to concentrate without an object... it is not easy... we all need an object or an image in the mind if we are to concentrate..without an image or object the mind and its thoughts can get scattered on many issues and images.
This image can be now called a symbol..to represent what we want to focus on.... This is how and why Idols have evolved. An Idol is a symbol that helps one to concentrate on God. if the Idol is pleasant to look at.. it is perceived so and the mind is relaxed.

Religion is a Science...based on the fundamentals of physical, chemical and biological and more importantly the behavioral aspects of life and Nature. Religion is a discipline that was introduced to bring order to the society. Religion is a school that was put forth for a channelised organisation of and understanding for mankind. Being a Hindu, I have my share of understanding and perception of Hinduism.

Next, I will share my Perception and understanding about energy, energizing and an energized Idol. What is energy and being energized... Can a stone be energized?

Energy..we all have learned in school about energy... Now, where do we find energy? or lets put it this way.. where do we not have energy?

Energy is all prevailing in this world, in this universe..in our human body..in each cellular compartment that makes up our body. Energy is what makes life continuous...it is unseen but existing... in the various forms...be it static, potential OR dynamic. It is the force that makes the Universe. 

As the law of Thermodynamics states....'Energy Can Neither Be Created Nor Destroyed'

To my Understanding... Energy is what makes things happen... a wave of particles moving in a sinusoidal pattern can be continuous and smooth or can be disturbed and destructive. We have learned from our physics books that two energies can be synergistic OR even antagonistic to provide a more energized wave or a disrupted wave. So I understand that energy is what governs the life and for me God is a Supreme energy , a synergistic energy that is a multitude of energies existing (every living and Non living is energy). We have often heard ..there is divinity in every one living... Is this divinity the energy we possess? 

Even a stone bears energy.. I remember my school days when we used to give the example of a 'STONE' for a body having Potential energy/Static energy. Why not!..where ever there is matter and its particles, we have energy!

Sound is an energy and is created by particles in vibration moving in a wave pattern. 

Sound energy can be be used to energize stones..How?

What are mantras OR chants?Are they energy waves?What is Prana Pratishta?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prana_pratishta

An Idol is worshiped only after Prana Pratishta... why? 

Prana is a Sanskrit term that means Life, Breath,the activity and Dynamism... to sum up Prana is the energy... that makes a body alive OR simply the Vital energy OR Vitalism. Prana is comparable to the Chinese notion of 'Qi'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prana
Prana Pratishta is invoking of Prana in an object or a body. What is a Human Body without Prana/ Life..... a body of flesh and bones which are made of the earthly elements..in other words a Human body without Prana OR Energy is a mere Object.

Mantras are Vedic Chants... that carry powerful vibrations... they comprise very powerful Sound energy.
Science and experiments have shown that pleasant music enhances the growth of plants.. and music is good to ease the mind. Indeed sound Vibrations can create wonders.
In Prana Pratishta, the procedure involves the Chanting of powerful Mantras to invoke or transmit or induce energy into an object. Each mantra is a composure of energetic Vibrations (sound) that are designed for the specific need. So, the person who chants these mantras must be in a position to spell out these verses in the energetic way, So his spiritual or meditative energy field must be of high range.

Meditation is a means of synchronizing the energy field in our body to align it in the most balanced OR energetic pattern. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation When an energy field is in the most aligned or balanced pattern...it is powerful and supreme.

So when an Idol is put through the Prana Pratishta process..it is now considered the Idol representing god..... a symbolic representation that can be meditated upon.
Now here again, my mind asks a question.....If we need a mere symbolic representation then why do we need to do Prana Pratishta?? if the symbolic Idol is only to help in Focusing in Meditation... we can use any object..then why the inducing of energy into it. ?

In Hinduism, Temple is the place of worship and Prana Pratishta of the Idol is done in a temple where the Idol is permanently placed for worship. Even before a temple is built, the land is selected based on the earthly elements and their composition in the soil....why... soil too has energy. Before the construction of the temple the land too is energized by Vedic mantras. Once the prana Pratishta and Sthapana (placement) of the Idol is done...then the building becomes a Temple. The temple bears a Dome shaped cone built on the roof and attached on top of this dome stands an elongated rod made up of a conducting metal. The dome too is made up of a metal and opens inside the temple centering on the Idol. The rod is meant for the absorption and conduction of the Cosmic energy http://www.spiritual-reality.com/cosmicenergy.html. Now the place of worship has be imbibed with high energy and upon entering such a highly spiritual or energized place a person's energy field is only enhanced improving his overall health be it physical or mental or emotional etc. When one meditates in such a highly energized environment the purpose of meditation is achieved more easily.

So in Idolatry an Idol is a Symbolic representation of the unseen Supreme energy (God) that helps in meditation. It acts as the point of focus upon which one can meditate. It is just one school of thought among the many about spirituality that is being Practiced from ages.

In my Understanding, Life, man, nature and its beings and the Supreme force Governing the entire life is Energy, that has been and will always be eternal.

So, the Practice of Idolatry is just a Primary school of teaching that helps man to lead to higher levels of spirituality that believes everything is energy and this energy/God exists in every living and non-living thing and the space between.

Hinduism has always existed and will work the same way irrespective of any Idols.

I thank all my readers who have patiently read my post on Idolatry or Idol worship. The intention behind writing on Idolatry is only to try and explain and Clarify about the Practice of Idolatry.

Life is a walk on the tight rope... we are all well trained only till we slip
Life is a space shared by a Champion and the loser... we need to realise that the end is the same
Life is a question that remains to become a memory

When I expect a perfect life, I first look for perfection in my own self. If life is perfect when we get what we anticipate, then Its a Chaos... as what I want may not be wanted by others...too many clashes.

I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live upto your expectations and you are not in this world to live upto mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, its beautiful
............................................by J S Pearls

A bliss that only gets more blissful

when I look into your eyes, I see a distinct reflection, a single but clear image....yes a face that is mine, brilliantly gleaming in your twinkling eyes. Only a blink of your eye lash would shatter the picture. I love what I view...but never because I see myself! Not a second passes by that your eyes lose me, As long as the picture stays..your sweet smile brings on those small dimples..so refreshing. Do I mean so much to you ! A language only an eye can speak for an eye to understand. Probably this is the bliss of  mother-hood... a bliss that only gets more blissful :)

Relaxing/Meditative Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRXJ7IMcZhY&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SP48627FA5F1896833

Anandoham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aMLiGO2eqA
Sacchara chara para purna....shivoham shivoham
Nityananda swarupa shivoham shivoham
Anandoham, Anandoham, Anandoham, Anandoham

Words spoken cannot be taken back
Deeds done cannot be undone.
Moments lived cannot be unlived and definitely can never be relived
Man is a man and very ordinary
To feel extraordinary is a disguise
To believe what is not is being blind
To not believe what is in front is a blindfold
In a day, when you don't come across any problems --- you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path.
If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life---Einstein.

Man V/s Nature

Indeed man who takes pride in his creation of nuclear weapons that can destroy the world is so Fragile in front of Nature's fury, that he has now fallen prey to his own deadly creation.

Japan one of the powerful nations in the world has been rocked and devastated by the recent (march 11) earthquake and tsunami and the even worse after effects...nuclear meltdown and explosions. The country and people are is a very sad state. All prayers for the recovery of the nation and its people. The nation may be in the capacity to recover from the destruction too.

But once again man has experienced that his intellect and power are no match to the forces of nature of which he is just a tiny part

Lessons of Life

Tame your mind to be mindful, not to hurt others. 

Tame your mind to be unmindful, not to hurt self.

Never lose hope, but never carry the burden of lost Hope, it makes life heavier!
Be Hopeful, but settle where hope shows the limit as too much hope can turn into a dangerous obsession!

Have a foresight, Have a forethought but be brave to face what comes by!
Try to reach the horizon, but first set your horizon!

A decision today is the walk tomorrow,
A mistake today is the guidance tomorrow,
A wisdom learned today, is a treasure tomorrow,
Respect earned today is an armour tomorrow.

There is a very faint line between realism and pessimism!
Be optimistic when you approach life but be realistic when you accept life!
Optimism is a good approach as long as it does not pile up the desires!

Love gives happiness,
Satisfaction gives peace…Peace

One has to lose for someone else to win! Loss and gain are the two sides of the same coin.
Victory is a reward to be remembered! Loss is a lesson never to be forgotten!

Never ignore your walk, as the footprints left behind pave the path for your generations to come!
The most precious gift you can give someone is "YOUR TIME" for it can neither be returned nor regained!

Life is too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs ------------ by Charlotte Bronte

Nature's mystery or Nature's pride

Every life living on this earth passes through the almost similar phase of growth before actually opening their eyes to see the world. This experience of growth in the protected shell, be it a mother's womb or the hard eggshell is experienced by all, but the experience seems to be buried deep in our thoughts and memories unrevealed. it is just left as an experience that is to be explored.


Around 5-6 weeks they say, it begins its tiny magical movements, the most primitive of all, the aquatic sport. A small, tiny tadpole swimming all the way, which seems so magical, at least for my eyes. Indeed, thanks to the present-day technology.
Did the journey already begin! ... of a life? An experience we all have gone through in our mother’s womb yet puzzling that we have no memory. Probably these are the questions that knock the mind yet remain un-answered. Yet, it is ever beautiful for I can see a new life in me, stretching and quivering. Weeks have passed, the tadpole is now grown. I can feel the presence, I can feel its needs yet only imagine how it feels. With days passing by, I know the few millimetres have grown into few inches. I often ask, “how do you feel little one.... hmmm.... are you crouched in the space that is decreasing as you grow? I know you can hear every word that I speak, I know you can feel every move that I make. Yet, do you really hear me the way I imagine? Do you feel my presence the way I feel yours? Carrying a life within, a mother has many feelings and emotions. Do my passions tickle you when I laugh, do they hurt you when I sob? Science has done so many advances... and they say... u can even dream :).. do you really dream... if so what do you dream little one? Can you imagine the world that you are destined to live in. Do you wonder, or even know that this world is going to be your home for the lifetime?”
Thanks again to the present-day technology, I can timely see you growing up and wiggle inside me. Down inside, it is dark, with many noises and flashing of lights now and then from the outside world. “Are you, my dear, eager to see the world.... that you do not know?”

Nature's mystery or nature's pride, life takes shape in its own miraculous ways. Being a part of nature man has thought of himself to be superior but unknown to the intelligence of humanity, time and nature have always proven their superiority, marvelling the man who remains stranded wondering how things happen. His discoveries have revealed much but much more remains a puzzle that triggers him, excites him and challenges him. The mystery of his own birth is a secret, how, what and why, but it happens. The unborn life learns its ways in the mother's womb and later when it opens eyes to the world, it surprises the world by mastering the survival for its existence.

 

Mind and intelligence are woven into the fabric of our Universe in a way that altogether surpasses our understanding...... by Freeman Dyson

"Separation without separateness, reality without rift" ------ by Charles Williams, British Poet

To  understand the above quote one may attempt to explain in the following way. The wave is the cover on the ocean; ornament is the cover on the gold; and the pot is the cover on the clay. Similarly, false ego is the cover or screen on the Pure Consciousness. For the wave to think it is separate from the ocean is its ignorance. Also, for the ornament and pot to think they are separate from their source — that is the gold and the clay, respectively — is their mistake. In reality, the wave and the ocean are just the same water, not separate. There is no difference, although they appear to be different. The difference is created only by the name and form only. It is only when the wave identifies itself with the name and form assumes itself to be separate. In the same way, when the false "I" identifies with the body-mind, it sees the objective world of names and forms, and mistakenly takes itself to be separate from the Ultimate Truth. But in reality, there is "no-two" that is there is no rift, there is no split, its one and the same. All Consciousness is one, massive Homogenous Unity. In other words, when the Consciousness identifies with the name, form, time, space, color and attributes, it itself causes the sense of separateness which is unreal.

The above quote, "Separation without separateness, reality without rift" is food for thought that can be analyzed and interpreted as per our understanding of self and its relation with nature. it is a simple opinion or expression of a poet........ an identity of self  with nature, as part of nature or one with nature /Universe.The understanding and thought are still our own.

Reference 
 http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart166.htm

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY TO ALL
Today is september 5th. In India we celebrate it as a special day for teachers. It is celebrated as the birthday of a great teacher, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a great scholar and an iminent personality. He was
the first vice-president and second president of Independent India.

In the broad sense, life is nothing but a teaching and we are all self learners and teachers. Eduction is not mere books. It is the step by step learning we encounter everyday, every moment. Learning starts right in the womb...and continues till the last breath. Our parents are our first recognizable teachers. Then we have those whom we call as teachers in school and educational centers. We walk in their footpath and later when we are capable, we pave the path for the ones who follow us. Paving the path is a great responsibility. Education in life is abundant, unrestricted and available. it is just a matter of keen interest, concentration, self discipline and acceptance. Acceptance must be rational but without immature arguments. Nothing in life is without a reason. A good teacher will understand the reasoning and teach the learner within. Our deeds, our experiences transform as our wisdom. Once it manifests as wisdom, it is permanent. In this sense we are our own teachers and we are the learners. we are the masters and also the obedient disciples. Both the guru (teacher) and shishya (student) Co-exist.One should not elate self in the ego of knowledge but humbly identify the learner in self and elate its rightful master residing in the same self.   All we need to do is to awaken the rightful master.

Sloka- (A verse)
Guruh Brahma,
Gurur Vishnu,
Gurur devo Maheswara,
Gurur Saakshat Para brahma
Tasmaii sri Guruve Namaha
Inference-

Meaning: Guru is verily the representative of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (one who maintains life) and Shiva (destroyer). He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru.
The Guru is life, its nature. Nature encompasses all the living and nonliving

Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara are gods in Hinduism. They are the symbols for creation, sustenance and destruction of life. The process  is a cycle that has to be carried out without any disruption.
This too is symbolic. Life is full of wisdom that is created and available for us and needs to be sustained ... but when misused and combined with negative emotions like ego.. it becomes ignorance. Knowledge must transform into wisdom for its sustenance. If knowledge is cocooned by ego and pride it is Ignorance that needs to be destroyed  to set free the beautiful butterfly of wisdom.
One who selflessly sets free this butterfly and shares its colours with the nature is not only a great Teacher but  a Complete Human being.

Details of Dr. Radhakrishnan
Lifetime- September 5, 1888 till April 17, 1975
Vice presidency- 1952  till1962
Presidency- 1962  till 1967
Knighthood- 1931
Bharat ratna- 1954