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Aptavani-2
Religion of idols : Religion of the formless
Questioner : Do we need idols to know the Soul?
Dadashri : Idols are very necessary. The Lord has explicitly said that true God, true religion and a true guru are all necessary, but as long as one does not attain the right understanding (samkit), as long as one has not attained a true guru, a true God and a true religion, a relative God is needed. Once you attain the realization of the Self, then you will need the real God. If someone were to say, "There is no need for God," that is not acceptable. God in the form of an idol is for the relative perspective and for the real perspective, there is the formless God.
Questioner : Can an idol make one realize the Self?
Dadashri: Until you attain the realization of the Self, you need to worship the idol because that idol will take you towards the Self. Do not shun the idols, because they represent the vitarag Lords. They are the representation of vitarag Lords and behind the vitarag Lords there are celestial beings who are protectors of the path of vitarag Lords.
'We' once met a maharaj of one religious sect. 'We' asked him, "Maharaj would you mind if 'We' ask you a question? You would not be offended if 'We did, would you? Can 'We' ask you something you may not like? You have renounced everything so have you attained the energy and the power to listen to talks which you do not like?"
"Talk to me, there is no harm in talking" he said. 'We told him, "Why do you still cover your mouth with
a muhpati (a cloth that covers the nose and the mouth. In order to practice ahimsa, some Jain priests cover their nose and mouth with a cloth to prevent inadvertent inhalation of small insects). Once the inner kashays (anger, pride, illusion and greed) are destroyed, all actions are natural and spontaneous. In addition, after the kashays are gone, one does not need to perform idol worship. You claim that idols are inanimate (ada), but you cannot say that. For that matter you and everyone else are inanimate too, is that not so? You have not realized the Soul (chetan), you do not know the Soul, so what else is there? Tell me have you known the Soul? As long as you have not attained the realization of the formless (amurta, the Self), are you also not a murti (idol) - with form yourself? This Navkar Mantra too is a murti. What you are reciting is also a murti and you are a murti too.
Worship of an idol is an indirect (paroksha) form of worship. As long as you are in the relative realm, worship the idol. Until you attain the realization of the Self, you cannot call an idol inanimate (jada). No one has the right to call an idol inanimate. Muslims claim that idols are inanimate, but they too worship the tombstone of the messenger of the Lord and all other tombs, are these also not idols? Tombstones are also idols. Everything you see through the eyes is an idol. Muslims do not keep 'idols' but they keep little portico image of Mecca, is that not an idol? In this world, you can see only that which has a form (murta), the formless (amurta) cannot be seen.
'We asked the maharaj. "Where do you see the animate (chetan) that you are referring to the idol as being inanimate? Maharaj if my questioning offends you, 'We will stop."
The maharaj replied, "No, I am not offended. But this is the principle that has been established for us.
'We told him, "You can keep your principle, but why do you preach it to others? If this is your principle, you should keep
