Idol Worship

 

We require some name and form to anchor our mind to.

When we do Pooja to an idol, the starting mantras mean something like, Oh my God, who is within me, come on out here into this idol, so I can play with you!

And then we do the Pooja, mimicking God:

He has provided us with food, so we offer some rice (as if it's ours to offer, What belongs to God, we simply give to God), and we offer flowers, etc...

Then just as He is doing our aarti with the sun and the moon, we light a small lamp and do His aarti…

Pooja means that which is born out of fullness of the heart it's done with deep gratitude and a sense of mischief…

and when we have finished, the mantras say,

ok, now that i have finished playing with you, come back within me.

 

It is very difficult for our minds to even begin to comprehend the immensity and vastness that is the (formless) God.

So, we create a name and a form, and can get some relationship, some anchor and then we worship that...
When a religious scripture is printed in the printing press, it is just printed paper...

It's just a book, until we ourselves through our feelings make it sacred and holy.

In the days of yore, there were no mobiles or internet, and it was very difficult for a lover to communicate with his beloved.

So, whatever had to be said was simply said to a photo... Now, that photo was not the beloved, was it? It was just a representation of the beloved.

Similarly, we do Pooja to the Idol... as a representation of God!