To see the Lord 3.

 



„So we do not know actually in truth what is God; therefore with our material conception we think that God is nirākāra. God is not nirākāra. He has ākāra, but we have no power to see Him. And because we have no power to see Him, therefore God takes the form like this. He's God, He's not different from God, but He's visible to our blunt eyes. Therefore we say sometimes, "It is idol." It is not idol. We are not worshiping idol, stone. Just like some rascal says that "If by worshiping stone, God is available, then I can worship the mountain." Pathar pūjā ke hari mile meita puje pahar. So this rascal does not know that this is not worship of pathar; it is worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. But to show us mercy, because we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead with these blunt eyes, He has assumed the form of a stone. This is called arcā-mūrti. It is His mercy.

Therefore śāstra says, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. One should not . . . one should avoid these things. When arcā-mūrti, the Deity worship in the temple, if one thinks it is made of stone, it is made of wood, that is very offensive. One should not think like that. God is omnipotent, all-powerful. He can accept your service even in this form. But because He has assumed this form, don't neglect it that, "It is stone." Then it will be offensive. It is to show you mercy, arcā-mūrti. Otherwise all the great saintly persons, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all big, big ācāryas who were actually controlling the Vedic civilization still, they established thousands of temples and mūrtis, especially in South India. Still Raṅganātha temple, Tirupati temples, visited by hundreds and thousands of people. So does it mean they have all become fools? They go to see some stone? No.”

(731009 - Lecture BG 13.15 - Bombay)

731009 - Lecture BG 13.15 - Bombay


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