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all sects. But we must note the idea of being just is itself the product of human brain or in other words anthropomorphic, Because we as human beings idealise justice, and we attribute that abstract quality to God. Similar is the case of other ideal qualities. Whatever is ideally good according to our notions is supposed to be in God. In other words God is the meeting place of human ideals. Now imagine a tiger thinking of having a God. His God will be fashioned after his likings and dislikings. His God will be rolling in abundance of flesh with a wild realm of forest of his own. The God of the mouseworld would have to be stronger than the cat. This is sufficient to show that in a sense no religion or sect can escape the charge of being anthropomorphic. At the same time however we must bear in mind that the importance of imageworship is not thereby at all minimised. If the worship of an idol does indeed bring about the true development of the human soul-and this many Indian saints and sages have realised and verified-we should think twice before condemning the method as utterly useless. Even if there be no long antiquity at its back-as a fact it is there as already shown-tho one fact that it materially aids the man in his spiritual advancement, should alone be enough to command our respect for idol worship. In this age of Utilitarianism, if idols havo proved their utility they ought to find a place among the means of human progress generally recognised.
The objection that sectarianism due to idol worship breeds quarrels among the votarios of different sects is also based upon insufficient grounds. There indeed havo been quarrels and persecutions-Medieval Europe had witnessed the blood-curdling acts perpetrated in the secret by the Inquisitional tribunals. But it is not proper to hold the sects alono rosponsible for them. Something is due to time and circumstances. Most of it is due to ignorance of the true principles of religion. So our attempt should be not to do away with the religion altogether, but to modify it, to improve it so that
| SR No. | 022208 |
| Book Title | Adhyatma Tattvalok |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Motichand Jhaverchand Mehta |
| Publisher | Abhaychandra Bhagwandas Gandhi |
| Publication Year | 1920 |
| Total Pages | 992 |
| Language | Sanskrit, Gujarati |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari & Book_Gujarati |
| File Size | 19 MB |