What could be some of the reasons certain saints forbid worshipping God as a deity or "idol"?

Question

I can think of a few but what do you think

Please keep in mind I'm not at all against "deity worship"
but I think there are reasons why some saints
preach it and some don't

Okay, so far no one is really answering the question. so im going to give you my answer.
One of the reasons I think saints did not instruct their followers to worship the "idol" is because, it is a very intricate process. In fact, during the time when Jesus was present, people started worshiping the golden cow for riches.
I also think that diety worship can become corrupted and turned into a business of showing off the lord. But, the money goes where?
I'm sorry to say that most of the hindu temples out of India (alot in India as well) that I've seen only make a personal profit by keeping dieties in their temple... they don't evan properly worship them.

Now days also, many Hindus worship the diety with a incorrect conception. The panch upasana in India refers to Durga Devi, Surya, Ganesh, Shiva and Visnu.
Mayavadis preach, Just worship any god because this worship is only a means to attain a certian goal and not an eternal activity.

So, the goal and the means to attain the goal are different. Therefore, the diety worship of thet mayavadis is not acceptable.
These are some of the reasons I can think of right now. Please give your input.

Ofcourse the Vaisnava diety worship is completely different from what is often seen in Hindu temples.

But, for here lets discuss the reasons why some teachers/saints have discouraged diety worship.

I think ssrvj could use a shanti pill

Why sould I even bother discussing with you? instead of submiting a reasonable argument you just ramble off puting down vaisnavas and myself

Who has taught you to behave like this??????

from Knowledge comes humility -so You've proven your self to be a fool, LOL

will your knowledge help you at the time of death?

Not according to Sripad Sankacarya


bhajagovindam bhajagovindam govindam bhaja muudhamate sampraapte sannihite kaale nahi nahi rakshati dukrijnkarane

Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda. Oh fool! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death.

Answer 1

I think it might be a good idea to understand a bit about the positive aspects of true deity worship, because so many have a bad understanding of it.

First of all, proper deity worship is not idol worship!!!

we must accept that God is all powerful, we cannot limit God. Who are we to say that He cannot be in the so called "idol", or anywhere for that matter?

If even a person worships with true sincerity in their hearts a dry straw with the thought that God will accept my service, God will come there and accept the service.

When we worship the bonafide deity form of the Lord, we should not see a difference from Him. Just as there is no difference between the Lord's names, forms, pastimes and qualities.

This bonafide deity form of the Lord is NOT IMAGINARY, it is not truly man made. We have vedik descriptions of God in His many forms and pure devotees call the Lord down also, and many deities of the Lord are SELF Manifested.

We do not call God in this form "pratimah", which is the sanskrit word for idol or statue. We call Him Sri Vigraha. This means the special incarnation of the Lord, that comes in this form so that those who are favorable to bhajan, but not yet perfected, even can start their relationship with the Lord, and slowly become purified by worship of His transcendental form.

We do not give up worship of the Lord after we have become purified either. It is not just a means to attain an end, as many think... this mentality is offensive to the Lord!

With beginners on the path of spirituality He purifies them and develops the relationship with their material senses, until they're spiritual senses are awakened.

With the fully pure devotee, many beautiful pastimes between Sri Vigraha and them occur, and we have many beautiful documented histories of the beautiful LILA that Bhagavan does from His many forms of Sri Vigraha.

REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT IDOL WORSHIP!

but a point of consideration is if we do not treat the deity as God, not treating with love and respect, as we can see happens in many temples (sad) then the Lord leaves that place, and they are then idol worshipping.

So this is one reason certain saints do not recommend deity worship, their inspiration for the way they preached should not be looked down upon.

It is completely understandable why a Christian would not (and should not) make an idol to worship. They have no description of God in their scriptures, and anything they would do would be pure imagination.

I think Jesus wanted to keep very simple, what the masses could not corrupt, and so there is not allowance for idol worship in his teachings. (always remember that there are many more truths that Jesus did not disclose, as stated in the bible.)

I think this ^, and the reasons that you have given would be why certain saints do not encourage deity worship. it is for time, place and circumstance. The needs and leanings of the general people change from time and place and circumstance.

It is also wrong to call those who do not recomend idol worship demons or bad etc..
Even in our vedik teachings' we can see an evolution-

Buddha rejected the ideas of the vedas (for particular reasons- i won't go into here), then Sripad Sankaracarya brought back the masses of the people back to the vedas through His philosophy of covered budhism, then it became more and more refined and defined and reconciled, all the ideas of the vedas through, Madhvacarya, etc., down to Caitanya Mahaprabhu who gave the fully ripened and completely reconciled essence of the vedik scriptures.
But He could not have done so without the platform that the previous Acaryas made.

Therefore, we see, for the needs of the people, their adhikara, and the evolutionary standpoint at different times, Deity worship is recommended or not.

Answer 2

the question is nicely answered by narkesu, happy, sweeteasy etc.

ok here is angry ssrvj. how r you? What makes you think narkesu doesn't know the difference between vasudeva and vaasudeva etc? Did you ask, or are you assuming?

and so far I have not seen a single copy and paste answer.

Why do you like to bash Swami Prabhupada? Are you so much more intelligent, and better? You're just a big fool.

Sastra supports both bheda (difference) and abheda (non difference), but you like to pick only one side. what do you say to the other parts of veda that describe bheda? (if you want I will supply you the quotations)
in fact you can only find 4 partial quotes that fully support your mayavad philosophy.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came and resolved, reconciled all the APPARENT inconsistency in the vedas that those with less intelligence cannot understand.

He showed also that Srimad Bhagavatam is the fully ripened fruit of all vedik knowladge, and that for those in Kali yug they will not be able to get the true essence of vedam without going through proper source.

We can see your sorry self as example of how even though you are self proclaimed sanskrit schollar, the vedam eludes the true meaning.

You are constantly contradicting yourself, first you say how does narkesu know what kinds of deity worship is being performed, (and you spout off some kinds of worships), then you turn and say only vaisnavas made up deity worship. that's actually funny LOL

Why do you even speak your muddled and offensive words? why not just simply answer the question instead of venting off and trying to disturb? It's obvious your just envious of Svami maharaj Prabhupada.

take a hike.

Answer 3

Perhaps some reasons might be is that for this age of kali the recommended process is chanting of the holy name of the Lord whereas in Dwarpa the previous age it was Deity worship--One reason could be is that the standard of Deity worship should really be very high-not that the Deity is neglected and not bathed and fed and served with regular aroti and other types of worship--for house holders the standard of worship is difficult--
Next point-- for some of the religions like Christianity and Muslim and Jews--the form of the Lord has not been revealed in their scriptures at all-so it would be wrong for them to have a form of the Lord and they have no information of what He look like at all--they usually depict Him as an old man -We know from the Vedas that He never ages past 16, that He is the color of a new rain cloud, that He is a cowherd boy--He plays a flute, He is very enchanting--He has curly black hair, He has beautiful eyes that resemble the lotus etc etc. How will they know the form of the Lord if they haven't been allowed that information ? So this is my thought about it--One more point -the Gaudia tradition leans toward increasing chanting over anything Else--while it certainly doesn't discourage archan -it does emphasize non-stop chanting epically as age advances.

Answer 4

Actually Jesus didn't preach that Constantine put that in the Bible. He said not to worship other Gods or Idle worship referring to false idols. like a golden calf. But actual deities where not forbidden. People don't realize that their scriptures have been changed by man to fit their own idea. There are verses in the Vedas that say that if one only worships the Deity in the temple but doesn't see God in every living being and everywhere is on a lower platform. But that doesn't mean to neglect understanding that God is also in the Deity. The great saints don't need a Deity to see God everywhere and always think of Him But wewho are not seeing God directly at every moment do. Even then many of them even have deities just to offer their sentiments and loving offerings to God, also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, etc.

Answer 5

If these saints forbid worship the deity in the temple, they are not saints, they are rascals, fools.
The worship in the temple is authorized by God Himself.

The worshipable Deity in the temple of Vishnu is identical with Lord Vishnu by the inconceivable potency of the Lord.
Worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguna or nirguna—of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguna worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.

Answer 6

Narkesu says :- "Ofcourse the Vaisnava diety worship is completely different from what is often seen in Hindu temples."
You do not know the difference between Vasudeva and Vaasudeava--Dasratha and Daasaratha.Like a "Parrot" you talk about Mayavadhi!!!the empty rhetoric taught to you by the Prabhupadha & Company.How Vaishnava diety worship is different? Which Vaishnava temple you have seen? do you know whether they adopt Paancha Raatram or Vainaasikam --Aagamam in Murthy sthaapana?Your knowledge Of Vaideeki religion seems to be ABSOLUTE zero--The diety worship itself was strongly propagated by VAISHNAVAS Only.For a Brahma Gjaani "Brahmam" is Niraakaaram ,niraamayam,nirgunam,nirbhedam,nirvikalpam.A Brahma Gjnaani does not need an Idol or a Diety.Only the Vaishnavas who want a Diety or Idol started strongly interpreting the Brama Sutram-especially the sutram in which Brahmam ia described as"Aanandam"--they extrapolated the sutram to the extent of the Niraakaara Brhaam,becoming Saakaaram (a word coined by Vaishnavite s for their convinience to spread Dwaitham)-you ask a question -attack-Mayavadi without understanding the meaning-your friend of Prabhupaadha & company Ltd-will cut and Paste a long lecture of your mentor and you announce that as The Best Answer.A good Drama of Propaganda in "Yahoo Answers" free of cost.

Answer 7

I have heard that the Bible discourages idol worship.

The idol that it refers to, I believe, is the false idol which is an image of a false or make believe god.
(not the bona-fide representation of God which has specific form that gives an idea to the material naked eye, of what Gods real form looks like. The making of this deity form is regulated and there are specific features mentioned in sastra, that the deity form must have.)

Another thing I heard from the Bible is that God did not want us to worship other gods, and that He is the original and only worshipable God.

Answer 8

Possibly from Revelation 9:20:

9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

With the technology that exits today, there is absolutely no reason why there should not be enough free food, clothing, shelter, and health care for every human being upon the earth. Instead of serving the lusts and desires of human nature, which are “idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood,” we should be serving a God who can “see, hear, and walk.” If we knew God, we would know what He has commanded us to do: Do unto others, what you would have them do unto you. If we lived by this Law, there would be neither inequality or poverty on the earth today.

In ancient times, the prophets used “wood and stone” to describe the idols people worshipped instead of the Lord. “Stone” represents material possessions which are not “burned up” with the knowledge (“fire”) of truth; whereas “wood” represents our worldly aspirations of honor, glory, fame, and prestige that are easily consumed by this “fire”:

And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (Deuteronomy 4:28)

And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. (II Kings 19:18)

When the truth is revealed, a man will cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which were made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats which live in the clefts of rocks, and on the tops of ragged stones.

Quotes taken from a book at the site below:

Answer 9

Blinded by satan and their own thinking is pretty much the reason why.

In these last days, Satan is using false religion as his pretty much number one tool to deceive mostly the entire inhabited earth. False religion will be the death of many throughout the world because they remain blinded to the truth and most love living the lie in false religion because nothing is required of them to "straighten out" their filthy immoral lifestyles so they remain in blindness because their false religion requires very less of them to bring their lives in TRUE harmony with truthful godly standards.

Like those saints that condone homosexuality, or praying to idols, and all their symbolic ceremonious rhetoric doesn't have anything to do with following truthful, life-saving godly standards. False religion will sadly cost most (about 90%) their lives at Armageddon [amongst other immorality also].

Those that worship deities will face certain destruction should they not change their current course of life. Not from me, but from God and his word, the Bible.

Great question. Needed to be brought out.

Answer 10

"Pratima" (Idol) is a Sanskrit Word.
Meaning is "Maam Prati"; i.e." In front of me"

"Bimba" is "Image"

"Moorthi" is "Medium (Moorta-Utensil) to fill the emotions.

When we understand the reality behind the Idol worship;
we will realise that "I am" is very important to create "My own God" inside that Idol. Without "me" it is a mere Idol or Doll.

Even the English word gives this message " I " + "Doll".

That is why some of the great philosophers forbid the Idol worship; only because some times it can develop the blind belief like, the Idol itself a real God !!