Baba
How idol worship harms
Namaskar,
India is a land of festivals. Most of these festivals are a celebration of false mythological gods, and goddesses. Two such festivities are the celebration of Ganesha Festival and Durga Pújá. During the festival of Ganesha, an elephant-headed mythological god, there are installations of huge idols of Ganesha in public spaces and idol worship is performed. Similarly, over a ten-day period of celebration of Durga Pújá in various part of India, especially in Bengal, there are installations of idols of the deity Durga and worship of this idol happens. These types of celebrations happen collectively in public spaces and within homes of religious people. In all of these festivals, there is one common underlying theme: worship of false gods and goddesses in the form of idols.
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Societal dogmas creeping into márgiis’ lives
Sadguru Baba has condemned this religious dogma in His teachings and warned how harmful idol worship is to the expansion of the human mind. Since these dogmatic celebrations have been embraced by the mainstream Indian society for many generations, it is considered to be an integral part of life in India. It is viewed as normal to partake in these dogmatic celebrations. It is unfortunate that some Indian márgiis have assimilated these dogmas into their lives as well due to the bad influence of the society they live in. Dogma hinders free thinking and is the biggest enemy of rationality. Both religious charlatans and capitalists work in close collusion to keep the rationality of the human mind suppressed through dogmas, and exploit the innocent for their selfish benefits. That is why everyone needs to beware that idol worship thwarts the spiritual progress of an individual and that of collectivity, which has been desensitized to irrational dogmas through centuries of exploitation.
In Him,
Prakásha
~ In-depth study ~
Ananda Marga doesn't support idol worship
The practice of idol worship began when ancient humans, due to their undeveloped intellect, felt a need to glorify powerful members of their tribe or mythical gods and goddesses in the form of idols, either out of reverence or fear. They had assumed by worshipping these idols they would also acquire the great qualities attributed to these fictional entities or tribal leaders. These early humans were mostly nature worshippers. However, as they learned the art of making beautiful idols, they took to the practice of depicting their favorite gods, goddesses and leaders in the form of idols. Eventually, they started worshipping idols. This was the beginning of idol worship. Idol worship is an artifact of an undeveloped human intellect and is of little value to spiritual progress. One acquires greatness by ideating on the great, i.e. by ideating on the Supreme Entity, Parama Purusha. Mere worship of idols keeps the mind confined to the form, shape, and size of those finite idols and will never enable one's mind to cross the realms of limitedness and merge into the limitless infinite entity. Baba's teaching is to shun idol worship and seek the infinite.
Idol worship crudifies a sádhaka's mind
Ananda Marga ideology guides, "Incidentally, the question may arise why Ananda Marga does not support idolatry. You are endeavouring to realize that endless flow of joy, to evolve your own consciousness to that blissful state. How can you apprehend that endless blissful flow through a particular limited object? In the worship of idols the tendency of the human mind is extroversial, and in this way human beings gradually degrade their minds from the awareness of that Infinite Supreme Entity.” (1)
Idol is not Brahma; He is beyond comparison
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "But nothing can be compared with Parama Brahma, the beginningless and the endless Entity, because He is beyond the scope of the mind. He is vast, immeasurably vast. To demonstrate His smallness, you should compare Him with another entity of His size, but this is impossible for although He is so minute He is also beginningless and endless – no other tiny object can ever be without a beginning and an end. Hence idol-worship or of image-making in the name of Brahma is totally unwarranted." (2)
Durga Pújá based on religious dogma
Sadguru Baba, in His teachings, has guided humanity about the history of the fictional goddess Durga. In His teachings, Baba has categorically stated that Durga is a mythological goddess. She was created as a figment of an author's imagination in a puráńa (educative fiction). In the author's imagination, Durga has four arms and many other attributes, which the author endowed this fictional character with according to his imagination. Durga is not a real entity. Worshipping Durga has no value in spiritually uplifting the worshipper.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Shárada, Durga and Sarasvati are mythological goddesses, not Vedic deities." (3)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "There are some people who believe that Durgá is the wife of Shiva, but this is not logically proved by any scriptural evidence. Shiva had only two arms, not four or six. Párvatii also had two arms. But Durgá is a Puranic goddess, and the author of puráńa [educative fiction] can create in his imagination as many arms of Durgá as he likes. Nobody can object to this." (4)
Durga Pújá: recent addition to long list of dogmas
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The concept of Durgá arose in the Puranic days, only about 1300 years ago, and the concept of Lakśmii is a little older than that. The concept of Mahálakśmii is about 3500 years old, and other concepts are about 1750 years old. So Lakśmii could never be the daughter of Shiva or Durgá (Durgá has no relation to Shiva, because the idea of Durgá came 5500 years later than Shiva)." (5)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "No system for the worship of Durgá is prescribed by the Vedic scripture; so to put a Vedic seal of approval on the worship of Durgá, the famous Deviisúkta of the Vedas is cited." (6)
Ganesh Pújá based on religious dogma
Just like Durga, Ganesh whose idols are installed and worshipped with fanfare is also a fictional character. Ganesh / Ganesha is a mythological god with an elephant's head and a human's body. Is it possible for such an entity to really exist at any point in time in the course of evolution? If such an entity existed or comes into existence, this will be a biological anomaly. Such an entity can only exist in someone's imagination. It makes no sense rationally to accept the existence of such an entity. Therefore, when people worship such an entity, it is only out of blind faith in its existence and this has no value.
Ananda Marga philosophy guides, "The members of a tribe used to live in a group, and each group had its leader. All the members of the society used to obey his orders. He was always given the highest honour and the first preference, and was honoured first in all social functions. In Sanskrit the word for group is gańa, so gańesha or gańapati means the group leader, the head of the clan." (7)
Ananda Marga teachings guide, "The idea of Gańesha is a prehistoric one: it proves the supremacy of the group leader, or the head of the clan, of prehistoric days." (8)
Ananda Marga teachings guide, "Why is he so fat? All people want their leader to be a stout, strong personality. With this end in view, when they started making images of Gańesha, they created a powerfully-built figure. This is the secret behind Gańesha’s heavy build. The members of a particular clan would naturally desire their group leader to be a strong and stout person: “Our leader – is he an ordinary person? No, he is not just like any Tom, Dick or Harry. The face of our leader is like that of the biggest animal in the world!” So an elephant’s head was placed on the body of Gańesha." (9)
The creator of fictional gods & goddesses apologizes
In ancient times, there was a practice of creating puráńas, or educative mythology. These were works intended to impart education to the society. Nevertheless, they were works of fiction and the authors of the puráńas had the creative freedom to imagine and create characters in their fictional work however they wished. In this process, many fictional gods and goddesses were created. Stories of these gods and goddesses were meant to have educational value only. They are not God or the Supreme Entity, Brahma. Their utility value is only within the realm of educative fiction. Vedavyása who was the author of many such educative fictions took the liberty of fashioning Parama Puruśa’s according to his imagination, by attributing form to the formless, thereby confining the infinite within a finite structure. His intention was to educate the common people. But in this process, he realized he had committed a grave mistake and composed a verse or shloka to render his apology to Parama Puruśa.
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Ananda Marga ideology says, “The meaning of this shloka is, ‘Oh Parama Puruśa, you cannot be bound within the limitation of forms, yet I have described your various divine forms – this I should not have done. Secondly, I have eulogized you, I have described your virtues; but in fact your virtues are indescribable – I shall never be able to describe them all. That I have tried to do so – this was my audacity. And I know you are omnipresent, that your glory is everywhere, and yet I have glorified specific places of pilgrimage: this is also my great offence. I have knowingly committed these three serious errors due to my mental weakness; oh Parama Puruśa, I beseech your forgiveness.’
So we see that the Puráńas are fictional, but they are of immense educational value. Yet what Vyasadeva said while asking for forgiveness is also true: how can the Supreme Entity, who has created so many forms, be confined to a particular finite structure?” (10)
Religious charlatans continue exploitation
As explained by Sadguru Baba these pújás or worships are based on imaginary tales in the puráńas. This is not the worship of the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Parama Purusa. Yet, the common man has been misguided by priests and cunning religious professionals for many generations to believe in these dogmas. A mind suppressed by dogma is a fertile ground for further exploitation by religious leaders. Religious charlatans gain power socially, politically and financially by deluding people into believing these dogmas. More people believing in dogmatic forms of worship results in more people visiting temples or seeking the services of priests which in turn enriches these religious professionals. For a common man, no good comes out of idol worship. Blind faith devoid of rationality is dogma and this is indeed a state of psychic stupor. This happens when the rational faculties of one's mind remains inert. There is no spiritual welfare in this state of inertness, only exploitation by religious charlatans.
Márgiis should not support dogma by taking part in such pújás
Through Baba's teachings, we understand that Durga Pújá or Ganesha Pújá or any other forms of idol worship celebrated with great fanfare in India is nothing but religious dogma. As márgiis enlightened by Baba's divine grace and teachings, we ought to be the vanguards of social change. The society is misguided on the point of idol-worship and márgiis need to show the right path to innocent masses who are all fooled by a mass hysteria induced into the society by religion. Márgiis should not partake in these type of dogmatic worships. A márgii should not dignify a crude gathering by his or her presence. No márgii should, under the pretext of following social custom or tradition, participate in celebrations centered around fake gods and goddesses. Instead, one's time should be well spent in dharmic pursuits of sádhaná, svádhyáya or sevá. By being steadfast in following the teachings of Ánanda Márga, márgiis will set an example for the society to follow and one day lead humanity towards its all-round progress.
Ananda Marga Caryácarya guides, "You may participate in all kinds of innocent ceremonies. As, in principle, you do not support the philosophy of those who, in the name of worship of God, indulge in idolatry, do not participate in their ceremonies." (11)
Parama Puruśa is the only God
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Deva. Parama Puruśa is called Deva. All other entities are not exactly Deva, but are the expressions or creations of Deva. Numerous waves are always emanating from Parama Puruśa, each wave flowing with a particular speed and wavelength. In common parlance each of these waves is called Deva, but actually they are not Deva because their source or origin is Parama Puruśa. Every vibration of the universe is called Deva; and the, source of a devas is, called Mahádeva... Entity whose vibration vibrates the whole universe, whose effulgence illumines every other entity, from whom all other entities emanate, and in whom all other entities culminate, is the true Deva. All other deities are engaged in the service of the Supreme Deva. Hence He is the God of all gods, the Deva of all devas, that is, Mahádeva." (12)
References
(1) Subháśita Saḿgraha, Part 3, Vibration, Form and Colour
(2) Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell, Part 6, The Only Way to Salvation
(3) A Few Problems Solved, Part 3, Verse, Mythology, History and Itihása
(4) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, The Pervasive Influence of Shiva (Discourse 4)
(5) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, All Bask In the Glory of Shiva – 2 (Discourse 7)
(6) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, The Pervasive Influence of Shiva (Discourse 4)
(7) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, All Bask In the Glory of Shiva – 3 (Discourse 8)
(8) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, All Bask In the Glory of Shiva – 3 (Discourse 8)
(9) Namah Shiváya Shántáya, All Bask In the Glory of Shiva – 3 (Discourse 8)
(10) A Few Problems Solved, Part 3, Verse, Mythology, History and Itihása
(11) Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 2 - Society
(12) Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 9, To Know Him Is to Be Free from All Fetters
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
You are smiling in the mirror of my mind
Note: Only those who do proper sadhana can understand this song.
"Gáne gáne tumi esecho, práńe práńe mishecho..." (Prabhat Samgiita #2800)
Purport:
My Parama Purus’a, You have come through the medium of song and dance and saturated Yourself in my pra’n’a with Your infinite compassion. My being has become full of bliss, by Your grace. You have come and held me in my dhyana, smiling in the mirror of my mind, touching my heart in sadhana, and blessing me by emerging in my Guru cakra and remaining in my mental plate. When I sing Your blissful melodies, You appear as my most intimate and make Your presence felt intensely.
Baba, You are incomparable in Your attributions. Your unique and most charming form stands out always; there is no similarity. You are in all and remain with everyone always; even then, being the Taraka Brahma, You maintain Your eternal stance beyond all. Your liila is unfathomable.
Baba, You are the ocean of karuna', the sea of compassion. All people, whether they be good or bad, and all the mobile and immobile beings in this universe know this. When good people are in trouble, You rescue them; and, when bad people are in danger, You save them also. You are equally kind to everyone. You help one and all, in the full gamut of circumstances. This truth is well documented in their heart. You do not desire anything from anyone, yet from bhaktas You have taken their mind, heart, and everything. This is Your supreme liila.
Baba, You are ever-gracious...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
No choice but to surrender
Ananda Marga ideology says, “A jiṋánii often becomes fatigued with the continuous cultivation of knowledge. Sometimes, after prolonged thinking, the brain simply refuses to function anymore and it becomes increasingly difficult to implement one’s internal thoughts and ideas. What happens at that time? Knowledge concedes defeat and the ego has no choice but to surrender. Finally, one is compelled to plead, “Oh Parama Puruśa, please help me, please save my prestige.”" (1)
Note: In the life of a sadhaka on the spiritual journey, the first and foremost ingredient is surrender. Yet surrender itself is defined and described in a multitude of ways. In the above quote, surrender is explained in a very simple manner.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Do Virtuous Deeds Day and Night – 2
== Section 4: Links ==
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