Idol worship, rituals and God - Part 1

Current thinking  and belief amongst present day young generation, especially from our families,  is that Idol worship, going to temples, conducting poojas and other rituals are all not necessary.  I would like to address this  as  a dilemma in them  and would like to put my thoughts in this blog.

Modi’s UN address as well as Madison square speech brought out two facets of Indian culture – Yoga science and Navarathri fasting.   One is a Science of Meditation and the other is a ritual.

Our ancestors, fore fathers, grand fathers and mothers knew more than what the present younger generation boasts of knowing in their finger-tips – using ‘internet’. What could then explain the  latitudinal alignment of Chidambaram Natrajar  temple ( which symbolizes shiva in the form of Outer space), Sri Ekambareshwar temple in Kancheepuram ( symbolizing shiva in the form of Earth) and Sri Kalahasthi (symbolizing shiva in the form of Air).   Or, the three main windows in the main gopuram of Shri Ananthapadmanaba Swamy temple is aligned in such  a way that on both the equinox days, sunlight passes through them. There are many such examples and proof, if we care to look into our heritage and history.

Have you heard of efforts to finding the God’s particle  Higgs Boson research being done in Switzerland?  Did you read Stephen Hawking saying that God’s particle  could destroy the world?  Our ancestors knew atomic and sub atomic particles in those days: There are many such examples of astronomical measurements of  exact distance between earth and son, that we need to hang our heads in shame.

Avvaiyar in Vinayagar Agaval   mentions  both sub-atomic particles and Universe beyond universe in the following line: அணுவிற்(கு) அணுவாய் அப்பாலுக்(கு) அப்பாலாய்க்  (65)

அணு: Atomic particle : அணுவிற்(கு) அணுவாய்: sub-Atomic particle within Atom 

அப்பால்: Universe அப்பாலுக்(கு) அப்பாலாய்க்:  Universe beyond universe.

சத்தத்தின் உள்ளே சதாசிவம் காட்டிச்

சித்தத்தின் உள்ளே சிவலிங்கம் காட்டி

அணுவிற்(கு) அணுவாய் அப்பாலுக்(கு) அப்பாலாய்க்  (65)

கணுமுற்றி நின்ற கரும்புள்ளே காட்டி

Avvaiyar thanks Ganesha in helping her see Shiva inside the Sounds – external, inside the mind – i.e., internal, also in seeing him inside  sub atomic particles, as well as in the Universe beyond Universe (flying in the outer space) and  in the sugar cane(descending to the earth )  .  Here comes the proof that our ancestors knew everything – Nuclear science, Astonomy and Agriculture above all Yogic science and meditation to realize that all roads lead to realization of self within oneself. All our ancestors, who possessed such a talent, also have handed over to us the traditions of idol worship, visiting the temple as well as practicing yoga.

The believer sees God in everything, and so he has no difficulty in seeing God in the idols in temples. The idol helps him focus his thoughts on God, and with this concentration, he is able to worship in peace. That is because he sees the stone as a representation of God.

மரத்தை மறைத்தது மாமதயானை

மரத்தில் மறைந்தது மாமதயானை –

Thirumoolar – ( 8^th Century AD)

Explanation:

A carpenter made an elephant using wood. It was carved beautifully, and those with artistic taste commented on what a beautifully made elephant it was. However, there were others who observed merely that wood had been used to carve the elephant. Observing this, Saint Thirumoolar said that for some, the elephant was obscured by the wood, and for others the wood was obscured by the elephant. This is like the believer seeing God in the stone and the non-believer seeing only the stone.

I would like to translate into English what Saint Kanchi Kamakoti Paramascharyar  (1894-1994)said as regards idol worship.

One of the unique features of our Hindu religion is the depiction and worshipping of Formless Paramatma in the form of idols ( vigrahas) many Gods and Godesses .  Because of this many outsiders consider that Hindus are followers of poly thesis.  This belief is totally wrong……..No knowledgeable Hindu will think that Vigraham or Idol alone is God.  He would use the Vigraha to focus his mind to worship the Omnipresence. In every Religion we see them worshipping or meditating using Symbols. Therefore it is totally unfair to say or criticise that Hindu religion is nothing but Idol worship.

Indian culture  is intertwined with Hindu  culture- beliefs, traditions and rituals. Even followers of other religion in India do observe or have adapted Hindu traditions and rituals to suit their religious faith and requirements.

Symbolism has always been the core in all our traditions and rituals.  The written medium of communications always tend to be lost – Palm leafs, sculpting on rocks, books, Magnetic tapes , films even computer digital files.  –

(Continued in part 2)