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beliefs or viewpoint through your mind, speech and action) and so there will be no difference of opinion with anyone.
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Questioner: Why do we have bells in the temples? Dadashri: The idol has no need for the bell. The bells are used to help focus the worshiper's chit; they also help drown out other noises. The incense and the aromatic dhoop are also utilized to help people focus.
Jinamudra - The posture of the Omniscient
The vitarag Lords state, "We do not accept anything you give us and whatever you offer is returned to you with thanks. If you offer twenty-five cents, you will get many more in return. If you offer a flower, you will get many more flowers in return and if you insult us, you will receive many more insults in return." Just once surrender your all through your mind, speech and body to the vitarag Lord and see for yourself the abundant results. The idol of the vitarag Lord is very unique. Have you seen such a posture (mudra) in an idol of any others? No other idol posture is comparable. Whatever the level of one's spiritual development, such will be one's idol.
What is the message of the posture of the idol of the vitarag Lord? It is saying, "If you want liberation then at least in this life, sit like me with ceased internal machinery and folded arms and legs. Even with this posture in life, all your functions of life will continue well."
What is there to see in an idol? Is it the stone? Is it the eyes? The idols are meant to instill internal devotional feelings (bhaav) in the worshipper: "This is the idol of Lord Mahavir! How wonderful was Lord Mahavir! What vitaragata (absolute dispassion) he had.' Nowadays such internal feelings do not arise within the worshippers and so they have resorted to decorating the idols. If the idol is decorated beautifully then at least the chit (inner component of knowledge and vision) will
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remain focused. In case the chit does not remain focused, they ring bells to drown out the radios and the noise that spills into the temple from the outside. They employ different methods in order to focus all the senses. For whatever little time the worshipers remain focused, even if it is for a fraction of a second, they will reap that much benefit.
A crowd will gather around two people who are fighting to see what is going on. Why do people do this? It is because their chit does not remain focused anywhere, so it will go anywhere it finds something new to focus on. If the chit does not remain focused on the Lord's idol, where else will it remain focused? There is endless turmoil within everyone and so they find no peace anywhere. The plight of people today is like that of a frightened horse that is startled when someone sets off a firecracker near its legs. These people need compassion. One needs to have compassion for people, only compassion.
Gnani instills life in an idol
Questioner: After the ritual of pranpratishtha (instilling life in an idol), does the power of the idol increase?
Dadashri : Yes it does. If one does pranpratishtha on a hooko (smoking pipe with smoke filtered through water), it too will become powerful. However, an idol carries projected feelings of thousands of worshippers. It will give results when life is instilled in it. Nowadays however, a true pranpratishtha does not occur. 'We' (Dadashri and the fully enlightened Lord within) are able to perform true pranpratishtha but only when the circumstance arises. 'We' do pratishtha for the salvation of humanity. The pratishtha performed by others depends upon their spiritual level and powers. But what kind of bhaav (internal state) is their pratishtha performed with? It is performed with kalushit bhaav (in the presence of the inner anger, pride, illusion and greed). They do pratishtha when their internal kashays are still present and these negativities have a stronghold
