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Idol Worship | A Wisdom Archive on Idol Worship | | Idol Worship A selection of articles related to Idol Worship | |
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idol worship, Idle Worship - Track Listing
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ARTICLES RELATED TO Idol Worship | | | |  Idol Worship: The Philosophy And Significance Of
Idol-WorshipThere
is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas
give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples.
Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They
have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of
the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world,
save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image
or the other in the mind.
The
mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but
only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate
a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.
Excerpt
from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda
Read more here: » Hindu
Worship: The Philosophy And Significance Of
Idol-Worship |
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| | |  Idol Worship: What Is God's Real Form?What Is God's Real Form?
Does God have a form or is He
formless? Adi Sankara preferred a formless God while Ramanujacharya believed
that He was both with and without form.
Ramana Maharshi realised the Inner Divine Self by
enquiring, ''Who am I?'' Vivekananda was not for dualism, of seeing God in an
image. But when Ramakrishna Paramhansa touched his chest to indicate the
divinity within, Vivekananda began to 'see' God in every thing - living or
non-living.
Read more here: » Formless God: What Is God's Real Form? |
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| | |  Idol Worship: The Hindu Godess Mother KaliMOTHER
KALI
The
Destroyer of Demoniac Attributes
It is
unfortunate that Devi is ignorantly understood by many as a mere blood-thirsty
Hindu Goddess. No! Devi is not a vicious demoness nor is She the property of
the Hindus alone. Devi does not belong to any religion. Devi is that conscious
power of God. The words Devi, Shakti, etc., and the ideas of different forms
connected with these names are concessions granted by the sages due to the
limitations of the human intellect; they are by no means the ultimate
definitions of Shakti.
From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami
Sivananda.
Read more here: » Kali: The Hindu Godess Mother Kali |
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| | | | Idol Worship:
Benefits of Fasting Fasting
controls passion. It checks the emotions. It controls the senses also. It is a
great penance. It purifies the mind and the heart. It destroys a multitude of
sins. Fasting controls the tongue in particular which is the deadliest enemy of
man. Fasting overhauls the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and urinary
systems. It destroys all the impurities of the body and all sorts of poisons.
It eliminates uric acid deposits. Just as impure gold is rendered pure by
melting it in the crucible again and again, so also this impure mind is
rendered purer by repeated fasting.
From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami
Sivananda.
Read more here: » Fasting:
Benefits of Fasting |
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| | | | Idol Worship:
The Hindu Godess Mother Saraswathi MOTHER
SARASWATHI
The presiding Deity over Creation and Dissolution
Mother
Saraswathi, is divine knowledge personified, the embodiment of knowledge of the
Absolute. The sound of Her celestial veena awakens the notes of the sublime
utterances of the Upanishads which reveal the Truth, and the sacred
monosyllable, Om. She bestows the knowledge of the supreme, mystic sound and
then gives full knowledge of the Self as represented by Her pure, dazzling snow-white
apparel. Therefore, to propitiate Saraswathi, the giver of knowledge, is the
third stage.
From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami
Sivananda.
Read more here: » Saraswathi:
The Hindu Godess Mother Saraswathi |
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| | | | Idol Worship: Hindu Worship -Hanuman Jayanti SRI
HANUMAN is worshipped all over India - either alone or together with Sri Rama.
Every temple of Sri Rama has the murti or idol of Sri Hanuman. Hanuman is the
Avatara of Lord Shiva. He was born of the Wind-God and Anjani Devi. His other
names are Pavanasuta, Marutsuta, Pavankumar, Bajrangabali and Mahavira.
From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.
Read more here: » Hanuman
Jayanti: Hindu Worship -Hanuman Jayanti |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Do Hindus worship idols?Hinduism: Do Hindus worship idols?
No, Hindus are not idol worshippers in the sense implied. They
are intelligent people, and intelligent people do not worship stones or
statues. Hindus invoke the presence of great souls living in higher
consciousness into stone images so that we can feel the presence of God. Though
we may have a stone image of a God, we are invoking the physical presence of
the God into the stone image to bless us. Invocations of this nature can be
performed by invoking God's presence in a fire, or in a tree, or in the
enlightened person of a Sat Guru.
Read more here: » Hinduism: Do Hindus worship idols? |
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| | |  Idol Worship: A Different Kind of Pilgrimage - about Makara Sankaranti
January every year, devotees throng the Sabarimala temple situated in the Sahayadri ranges in Kerala, to participate in the renowned Mandala Puja conducted during Makara Sankaranti. The deity worshipped here, Lord Ayyappa, is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu and is also known as Sastha and Harihara Sutha. The basic concept of incarnation is that God descends in order to let man ascend.
(See also: Makara Sankaranti , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Makara Sankaranti: A Different Kind of Pilgrimage - about Makara Sankaranti |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Dhanteras for Health, Wealth and Prosperity
On Dhanteras , Hindus worship Lord Dhanwantari, the deity of health and healing. Dhan is wealth or Lakshmi - so the goddess of wealth and prosperity is also prayed to. Every household buys something new. But we tend to forget the real meaning of wealth which is sound health. Lord Dhanwantari also symbolises the spirit of knowledge and nature, including all about herbs and medicinal plants.
(See also: Dhanteras , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Dhanteras: Dhanteras for Health, Wealth and Prosperity |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Lord of the Universe - Puri Jagannath - about Puri festival
In the Jagannath Puri festival the king works as a sweeper, cleaning the pathway ahead of the chariot, denoting that no labour is insignificant if done for a higher cause. People from all communities get together to draw the chariots with great enthusiasm, upholding the spirit of celebration and exalting the concept of dignity of labour.
(See also: Puri festival , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Puri festival: Lord of the Universe - Puri Jagannath - about Puri festival |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Krishna The Cowherd - The Perfect Avatar
Lord Krishna's influence on our lives far exceeds that of any other God-incarnate. Krishna is depicted not only as an embodiment of wisdom and selfless action, but also as a humane liberal and practical philosopher with foresight. Krishna's mysticism and activism have greatly inspired poets, painters, writers, dramatists and dancers. The advice he rendered to a disheartened Arjuna at Kurukshetra - immortalised in the Bhagavad Gita - greatly influenced philosophers and continues to inspire millions of people worldwide.
(See also: Krishna , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Krishna: Krishna The Cowherd - The Perfect Avatar |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Devotional Worship And Service to All
If we meet no Gods, its because we harbour none, said Emerson. For us, God is not a remote, abstract figure; He is a living, loving Presence. The nirguna or formless God of Shankara’s Advaita is difficult to relate to - but give Him a sweet form and through saguna upasana or worship He can become your very own because of the wonderful ease it creates in human divine encounter. The predominant religious motif of practising Hinduism is this archanam andpadasevanam - the worship and adoration of a God made visible to our eyes in beautiful images, in homes and in temples. It is the ornamental centrepiece of the Vaishnav bhakti tradition set in motion by acharyas like Ramanuja, Madhava and Vallabha.
(See also: Hindu Worship , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
Read more here: » Hindu Worship: Devotional Worship And Service to All |
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| | |  Idol Worship: Colourful Triumph of Good over Evil - about Holi
Holi is an abundant celebration of joy, goodness and the season of spring. The day of Holi on Phalgun Purnima (full moon day) is observed as the birthday of Manu, the start of Sambat (first day in the Hindu calendar). Spiritually, it signifies light prevailing over darkness, fear and ignorance. Holi is associated with mal utsav (smearing of colours) and the Holika bonfire in which dry sticks and cow dung are put to fire and corn seeds burnt to the point of losing their power to germinate. The fire represents the burning away of what is old and worn out. The festivities of Holi have a central message - let bygones be bygones, bury old hatchets and start anew in the spirit of spring.
(See also: Holi , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Holi: Colourful Triumph of Good over Evil - about Holi |
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| | |  Idol Worship: A Column of Light On Shivaratri
The lakhs of Shiva temples all over India include the famous temples at Amarnath in Kashmir, Somnath in Gujarat, Vishwanath in Varanasi and Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain. The names of these Shiva temples define Shiva's various divine functions, exalting Him as the Supreme Soul. The linga is worshipped as the very image of Shiva. The linga indicates that Shiva has neither male nor female human form like do the other deities; the Lord is an incorporeal point of Light. This is why, the 12 well-known Shiva temples in India are also known as Jyotirlinga Mat h signifying his form of Light.
(See also: Shivaratri , Indian Festivals,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Read more here: » Shivaratri: A Column of Light On Shivaratri |
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