Aniconism and Sanatana Dharma

[Viraja]

Yes, that's the refutation to people who say Hindus worship idols. It's not the idol itself being worshipped, it's the deity represented by the material. When we talk on the telephone, we're not talking to the telephone, but to the person on the other end of the line. The telephone is a conduit, just as the idol is a conduit to the deity.

Jai-ji, there are many who dislike the idea of idol worship - they think of it as nonsensical that we are worshipping a picture or an artwork made of stone - think then, what would they say to doing daily rituals to a Shaligrama stone or Shivalinga, which means, bathing in water, pouring milk, offering 16 different types of upacharas? Whereas these are said to be highly beneficial - worshipping a shaligrama thus is supposed to be far superior to any other worship - these rituals of bathing/decorating are said to bring internal purification to the devotee. I read somewhere they act on the Hridaya chakra and remove obstacles to it, enable proper channeling of the chakras and thus an enhanced spiritual growth!

[Gaurapriya]

The shiva linga is the most aniconistic icon ever conceived.

Except that the more extremist iconoclasts like Arya Samajis would see it still as an idol.

[Gaurapriya]

Pranams,

In all fairness to the Advaitins, most of the orthodox ones I have met do not agree with Vivekananda, and would be quite insulted at the suggestion that Vivekananda represents them in any way. Vivekananda's thinking appears to be influenced by Christian and Islamic aniconism, since he was speaking during a time period where their missionaries and anti-Hindu hostility were quite active.

I know what you mean though about the excessive uses of divine imagery. I like pictures in my house that are there to remind me of His beauty. I don't like them on bumper stickers, t-shirts that are taken into bathrooms, invitations that are eventually going to be discarded, etc.

Good to know! I do know of a couple of Advaitins, but they came to Advaita Vedanta rather than having immersed completely in it.

Yes, I agree. When I saw those umbrellas with Jagannatha Swami's image on them, I thought to myself, "Gee, Jagannathaji is going to have to deal with Canadian rainy weather here... "

Beauty can also be appreciated through shastra and one's guru's writings, no doubt. I have noticed that in places where images are eschewed or 'done away with,' there becomes more of an emphasis towards written shastra, which can also be seen as a personification of the Divine as well.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Some of the most fondest memories goes way back to the late 1960s and 1970s visiting the homes and apartments of ISKCON and Saiva Siddhantan devotees and Hindus, who with love had their art work or Hindu posters, typically framed, displayed on the walls. Stunningly beautiful. Often these would be posters of the inspired oil paintings of Raja Ravi Varma (of which I posted a thread sometime back in the Indian Arts section). For the preponderance of all cases, the presentation and sharing of such stunning works was powerful, beautiful, and if it was one poster or ten it was respectful and gave a very real sense of divine presence that in many cases was actual divine communion.

I have been in India many times, and to the homes of the rich and also the very poor. I have been to the home of a very poor family who lived by selling simple floor mats and small rugs. And there with pride they had their Hindu Wall calendar, it was a beautiful picture of Ram worshipping the Lingam. Now this calendar served a purpose - it marked the holy days, and God looked out. There was nothing wrong by it, there was true love and life in that calendar.

The Lingam aniconstic? Then I guess Rama was such a practitioner by worshipping it.

Some can take things, and really want to limit the beautiful art of God. That's what the Muslims do. They say, no images in form such as human or God. They would smash the Statue of David into pieces with a hammer if they had their way, or dynamite the ancient statues of Buddha in Afghanistan which they did. But in all of their aniconistic glory, they will never take my posters of Hindu Devas or Devi, nor my Hindu calendar without killing me first. I am a Hindu. I love all the colors of Hinduism. I love the riot of color of Hinduism, as I love the riot of flowers and smells, and clangs and bells, and tastes, and voices, and yes give me those posters so I can sing with devotees bhajans surrounded by them. Lots.

Om Namah Sivaya

[Twilightdance]

The Lingam aniconstic? Then I guess Rama was such a practitioner by worshipping it.

Lingam is abstract but designed for worship only ~ that's why such icons are so brilliant a discovery. Unfortunately now we find people using the lingam as decorative pieces and worshiping to human like icons mostly in temples, which is mainly a vaishnava take. Worship of stones and trees is what Hinduism was outside vaishnavism.

We must all thank shaiva siddhanta for popularizing lingam as the highest icon for worship although roots goes much more back in history than shaiva siddhanta. Worship of columns and pillars and phallic symbols was a common aspect in many ancient civilizations.

[Equinox]

Vannakkam

We must all thank shaiva siddhanta for popularizing lingam as the highest icon for worship although roots goes much more back in history than shaiva siddhanta. Worship of columns and pillars and phallic symbols was a common aspect in many ancient civilizations.

Let's not forget that both the Soolam (trident) and the Vel (spear) were used in temples back in the day to represent Lord Shiva and Lord Murugan respectively before statues came into the scene. The trident was also used to represent Goddess Shakti.


Aum Namah Shivaya

[smaranam]

Does anyone else practice aniconism fully or partially in their lives as Hindus?

Haribolo GauraPriya,

Your tradition downplayed elaboration of images for the right reasons – the final goal of Gaudiya VaishNavs being Lila smaraNam and prema, the tug of war between elaborate vidhi of Deity Worship at the final stage of spontaneous smaranam would be in question. I always wondered about this, but consistently heard the message that one should simply take up and continue the external Deity Worship - be it sadhana stage or siddha stage. In the siddha stage you would do the external limbs of bhakti with even more enthusiasm. Somehow I always took that with a grain of salt.

Think: The shad goswamis (6 Goswamis) – were primarily into nama smaranam and lila smaranam, not so much into external Deity Worship. Raghunath Das Goswami lived on buttermilk himself, but dressed and fed Radha KRshNa rabdi and milk feasts in the mind-heart – and once that gave him a stomach ache.

---

Nevertheless, I have sweet memories of both
1) KRshNa in the heart and by my side
2) KRshNa on the altar
Although I must mention that it all started with KRshNa in the heart ONLY. So, taking up Deity worship was always associated with some thought and caution. Should it be done? Do I have to? Am i doing this because others are doing it?
Had I not fallen prey to external influences (of vidhi that gets passed around in Devotee circles) and stayed faithful to my Lord-Guru instead, in ekAnta vaas (strict solitude), you would have called me an aniconist.
But alas, the unutopian had to happen – a diversion albeit a sweet / harmless one.

--
It is always a combination. He could always talk from the heart, or from the devotee’s side, but also speaks from the mUrti and picture.
Sometimes the devotee offers elaborate mithaai in the mind to the Deity on the altar. This is the mixed mode I am talking about. Both ways He responds and reciprocates. It is the same One, the One in the heart and the One on the altar. His Lotus Footsteps would walk out of the heart (Their shared Heart) and climbed the altar. Always assures that He is accepting service.

The point being, it does not matter. “As the devotee worships ME, so do I worship them…” Bh. Gita.


However, it was always a fancy dream to have KRshNa and ONLY KRshNa on the altar and no one else.
(The KRshNa on the altar was Bal Gopal who happened to be a family Deity - inherited, plus a picture frame of Kanhaiyaa) Then again, the sudden craving of going to a shop and buying a washable MUrlidhar, appeared and disappeared so many times. So many times. The reason that was never done was - besides the required additional commitment, a mUrti would never match the One in the heart. The constant Loving Companion, Compassionate patient Witness and Divine Guide.

So what would you call this crazy one ? A vidhi follower traditional VaishNav? an aniconist? A hybrid?
Externals are good, very good, and never to be mistaken as "meant for immature bhakti stages only". However, each devotee is in a different situation or at a different point.

As it happens, due to constant instructions from the Lord in the heart backed by the same from a Guru, this devotee has handed the Gopal back to His rightful owner, and simply continues to live with Him in a shared heart day-night.

_/\_
om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

[Gaurapriya]

Haribolo GauraPriya,

Your tradition downplayed elaboration of images for the right reasons – the final goal of Gaudiya VaishNavs being Lila smaraNam and prema, the tug of war between elaborate vidhi of Deity Worship at the final stage of spontaneous smaranam would be in question. I always wondered about this, but consistently heard the message that one should simply take up and continue the external Deity Worship - be it sadhana stage or siddha stage. In the siddha stage you would do the external limbs of bhakti with even more enthusiasm. Somehow I always took that with a grain of salt.

Not to doubt the idea of vidhi in prema-bhakti whether before or after, it makes sense that our Six Goswamis have always emphasised Krishna-kirtana and smaranam rather than archana-vigraha. It would make sense then that since these were the most important in Vaishnava sadhana, Deity worship was just one of the many other things that one can do to develop one's bhakti; i.e. develop one's personal relationship with Krishna.

Think: The shad goswamis (6 Goswamis) – were primarily into nama smaranam and lila smaranam, not so much into external Deity Worship. Raghunath Das Goswami lived on buttermilk himself, but dressed and fed Radha KRshNa rabdi and milk feasts in the mind-heart – and once that gave him a stomach ache.

Raghunath Das Goswami ki jai!

Thank you so much smaranamji for sharing your story. I have Sri Sri Gaur-Nitai on my small altar, and I pray to Them every day. Unfortunately I feel like I need to get rid of them because my significant other is a meat eater, and I can not think of having flesh in the home with my Deities.

I know that Sri Nimaiji is in my heart, and I still have an altar to the Holy Name (it is a picture of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in Bengali script with diya and bell) since I am giving my Gaur-Nitai Deities to someone else who can take care of Them better than me, especially in my situation.

If my shiksha Guru de-emphasised images, I should truly try to live his teachings in my daily life. I can always take darshana at the local temple, and there is also the mandir of the heart.