Some people say that Hindu are idol worshipers. What is your response to that?
IDLE! Idle worshipers? "Idol" - IDOL alright the Hindus are definitely not idle
worshipers right they do a lot in their worship. If you ask any Hindu who
worships the deities we call it deity which is a far more respectable term.
If you ask a Hindu who is devotedly worshiping a deity or Idol as you may say
now what is your concept of God? Is the stone the only God that you understand?!
practically 99.9 percent of the deity worshipers will say no God is
all-powerful he is all-pervading he is everywhere in this world he's seated in
my heart but this is his manifestation which is helping me love him and engage
my mind in him all right so you would call it idol worship if their concept of
God was limited to stone but if that stone is a symbol of the Almighty then
it is a deity worship. Symbols have been used in all religious
traditions now in Islam deity worship was strongly condemned but then they
created their own symbol they have the Kaaba and any Muslim throughout the
world when they read the namaz they face the Kaab
what is the need of doing that? The Quran Sharif says
quoting "Quran Sharif" 'Allah miya Khuda
sab jagaha hazir nazir hai'. He is everywhere why are you facing the Kaaba it's a
symbol that is helping you invoke your devotion your sentiments towards the
supreme almighty other religious traditions have their own in
Christianity they have the cross they have the deity of mother Mary in
Buddhism the deity of Buddha is so common right so in each case it is a symbol
that is a evoking the best sentiments in people why not have it
why reject it Swami Vivekanand when he came to USA
he was the first Swamiji to come from India and he was questioned these Hindus
seem to have such inert intellects they worship stone as God but they
accepted Swami Vivekanand was extremely knowledgeable he was once introduced
asking Swamiji if he can give knowledge is like asking the Sun if it can give
light yet they are questioning him about deity worship. Swamiji said my guru
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa before him my knowledge was like a drop before the
ocean that is how enlightened Ramakrishna Paramhansa was and yet he
used to worship a deity an idol of maa Kali
so if by worshiping a deity one can reach the level of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa what is
wrong with it right all like I said devotees around the world have used
images there was once a movement in India and
the leader of that movement strongly condemned deity worship this was kind of
a reaction to Christianity spreading in India so it was like a reform movement
that was the Arya Samaj and the founder was Swami Dayananda so
there's a story of one saint he went to the Raja of Alwar the Raja of Alwar was
an Arya Samaji and he strongly condemned deity worship but he had the picture of
Swami Dayananda on the wall of his palace so the acharya when they got into
a discussion about the relevance or the irrelevance of images and symbols and
this raja condemned it strongly that acharya took down the picture of Swami
Dayananda threw it on the ground and stamped it with his feet the Raja almost
blew over in fury he said what are you doing the acharya said why are you
getting so agitated it's just a piece of paper piece of paper it's image of my
Guru the acharya said so you have created the sentiments of your Guru in
that image you too are doing deity worship according to the
Shrimad-bhagavatam there are eight kinds of deities.
Quoting "Shrimad-bhagavatam"
Deity made of stone - Shaili, made of wood- Daru, made of the different metals made
of jewels, made of paint and Maanomai made in the mind the highest kind of deity
worship is you bring the image of God in your mind and with the help of that
inner deity you love him but that is very sophisticated and the masses cannot
be expected to meditate on the image of God that is why our scriptures and our
acharyas gave the simple way of helping people connect with God &
progress by giving us the system of daily worship all right it's not there's
nothing wrong with it at the same time the scriptures say it's not compulsory
you don't have to do it you can go ahead and make the deity with your mind as
well all right!