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JAINA CONVENTION 2011
able to see our inherent attributes within the idol. The idol then becomes lively. The devotee visualizes Godliness within it. He would not move from the place without getting a glimpse of it so as to remove the distance from the Lord. The sun and moon are far away, but they seem close by virtue of their luster. Similarly when the devotee gets a glimpse of Lord's luster, he can stay close to it even in absence of the idol. The luster is there within, but we are not aware of it. The idol becomes instrumental in providing a glimpse of our inner luster.
Normally we keep ourselves in the center and everything else on the periphery, as if the world is functioning for us. In every realm of our life, whether it is social, economic or political, 'I' remains dominating. That should undergo change at the time of worship. True worship consists of keeping the Lord in the center and 'I' on the periphery. It is the life of dedication where everything occurs in the name and for the sake of Lord. One may get involved in normal activities thereafter, but that is done while keeping the Lord in mind.
A new state arises by keeping the Lord in the center. The seed of worldly life is broken and enlightenment sprouts out. It steadily grows and envelopes us; our physical life virtually ceases to exist. Idol worship thus should not merely stay a ritual; it has to be a process of continual growth. Initially the worshipper may stay in the center, but that would change when true worship takes place. The worshipper then forsakes himself; the idol becomes lively and he gets absorbed in the worship. That is the true Prän-Pratishthä.
Pratishthä should thus occur within, not merely in the temple. The objective of our life is to gain right perception (Samyaktva), but no one has gained it without the sense of dedication. Devotion helps in gaining enlightenment and that would lead to omniscience and liberation. Worship of the Lord can thus elevate us from the worldly state to the supreme state; it leads from impermanent to permanent, from darkness to light.
"Live and Help Live"
The ritual worship in the form of applying sandalwood paste to the idol, holding incense stick in its front, drawing Swastik etc. is meant to prompt us towards true worship. When one recites a Mantra or prayer, it need not remain merely at verbal level. There should be a qualitative change. The utterance would then merge with those of all devotees of all time. Sound has a miraculous impact. It can change one's Leshyä (Aura). When Leshyä is pure, it becomes impossible to indulge in any wrong activity or wrong thinking..
When a devotee prays, it comes from the heart. His entire being flows with it. That develops liquidity at heart. Even a trace of harshness cannot exist there. Tears flowing from a devotee's eyes indicate that the ice of ego has started melting. He would then have only positive vibrations. He would realize that the negative approach does not lead anywhere but downward. Worship is a process of transformation and idol becomes instrumental (Nimitta) in it. Idol is thus a place of resort, unavoidable support (Älamban) for the devotee.
Now let us examine a few aspects of traditional worship. The first relates to the bathing ceremony, which is called Abhishek. Like any other object idol also needs to be cleaned. That can be done with water. There is, however, a belief that heavenly beings perform Lord's Abhishek with water from Kshirsamudra (Milky sea). In order to emulate that, milk is added to water so as to look like the liquid of milky sea; and Abhishek is performed with that mixture. This goes against the very concept of cleaning; because after performing Abhishek with the mixture the idol has to be cleaned with water. Moreover, milk is an animal product. Its use is not admissible in Ang Poojan; and Abhishek is a part of Ang Poojan.
Despite being an animal product, milk was acceptable when its procurement did not entail much violence. Cows and buffaloes used to be kept in farms or home yards; too much milk was not extracted from their udders; their young ones were allows to suck; they were not driven out when they went dry and the calves were not consigned to slaughter
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