Someone recently asked Amma, “Instead of worshipping the idol, shouldn’t we be worshipping the sculptor who created it?” Children, when we see our nation’s flag, do our thoughts go to the tailor who stitched it? No one seems to remember him. What we remember is our country. In the same way, when we see an idol, our thoughts shouldn’t go to the sculptor, but to the principle that the idol represents: the true Creator—the Creator who created this entire universe.
To understand idol worship, one has to understand the principles behind it. In truth, God does not have a particular name, form or abode. God is beyond time and space. His nature is one of absolute bliss. He is a truth without form or any other attribute. However, for most people, worshipping the omnipresent divinity of God without the assistance of a concrete symbol is not possible. Currently, our minds are bound and attached to this material world and its various forms. Idol worship helps turn such minds inwards, whereupon they can gradually come to recognise the divinity that serves as mind’s substratum.
If we want to see our reflection clearly in a mirror, we first have to wipe away all the dust and grime from the mirror’s surface. Similarly, in order to see our true nature in the mirror of the mind, we first have to remove all the impurities currently collected within it. Through idol worship, our mind gradually becomes purified and attains deeper levels of concentration. That is why the ancient sages of Sanatana Dharma stressed the importance of idol worship and temples.
Some say that idol worship indicates an unrefined mind. Only when idol worship is rooted in the misconception that God resides only in one particular place with one particular form can this be said to be true. God is omnipresent. God is the ultimate cause of everything in existence. When we perform idol worship rooted in this understanding, it can never be said to be unrefined; it is verily a means to Self-realisation. If we are worshipping the idol with selfish prayers—prayers only aimed at the fulfilment of our own selfish desires—then it can be said to be unrefined. But the most unrefined form of idol worship is worshipping the idol while at the same time degrading other people.
When people say “Only worship God; don’t worship the devil”, what is meant is that attaining God should be our only goal. The “devil” means desires for money and status that transcend dharma and other selfish attitudes. It doesn’t mean worshipping God via various forms. Idol worship is there wherever symbols and idols are used to awaken the remembrance of God.
Although God is beyond name and form, we still can worship God in any form we like. In the same house, the father may prefer to worship Lord Siva, the mother Lord Krishna, and the son Devi. This is why it is called ishta-daivam—our “favourite deity”. We should understand the principles behind God’s worship in various forms. A necklace, a bangle, an earring—all are made of gold. Their substratum is gold. Similarly, the substratum of existence is God. We have to see the unifying substratum of this seemingly diverse world. No matter what be the form of our ishta-daivam—Siva, Vishnu, Muruga—we must come to recognise this unity. We must understand that all these forms are but variations of the one. Understanding that people were from different cultures, the ancient sages accepted the invocation of different forms for worshipping God.
How many great souls like Sri Ramakrishna Deva, Mirabhai, Andal and Kannappa Nayanar attained liberation through idol worship. May my children also awaken to this level of truth.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader