Murti (Idol) Worship

Murti (Idol) Worship [PDF Format]

"The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop in his spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is an external symbol of God for worship. It is a reminder of God. The material image calls up the mental idea. Steadiness of mind is obtained by image worship. The worshiper will have to associate the ideas of infinity, omnipotence, omniscience, purity, perfection, freedom, holiness, truth and omnipresence with the form of worship he chooses.

It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing concentration. To behold God everywhere and to practice the presence of God is not possible for the ordinary man. Idol worship is the easiest form of worship for the modern man.

A symbol is absolutely indispensable for fixing the mind. The mind wants a prop to lean upon. It cannot hold a conception of the Absolute in the initial stages. Without the help of some external aid the mind cannot be centralised. In the beginning, therefore, concentration or meditation is not possible without a symbol.

Idol worship common among Hindus

Everyone an Idol worshiper

Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Muslims keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshipers of idols. They keep some image or the other in their mind.

The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only of degree. All worshipers however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.

Everyone is thus an idol worshiper. Pictures drawings, etc, are only forms of idols. A Boas mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop and a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol Om to fix his wandering mind. It is not only the pictures or images in stone and in wood that are idols but dialectics and great leaders also become idols So, why condemn idolatry?

Medium for Establishing Communion
With 'God'?

Medium for Establishing Communion With God

Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors but are shining channels through which the heart of the devotee is attracted to God and flows towards Him. Though apparently the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. It is the appalling ignorance of the modern sensual man that clouds his vision and prevents him from seeing Divinity in the lovely and enchanting idols of His forms.

The wonderful scientific advances of this century ought to convince one of the glory of idol worship. How are the songsters and orators confined to a small box like thing called a radio or a T.V.? The latter are merely lifeless, mechanical structures which would break into a thousand pieces of thrown violently; and yet, if you know how to handle it, you can hear through it the music and see through it the pictures occurring several thousands of miles away. Even as you catch the sound-waves of people all over the globe through the radio and T.V., it is possible to commune with the all-pervading Lord through the medium of an idol. The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in very atom of creation. There is net a speck of space where He is net. Why do you then say that He is net in the idols?

There are many who would glibly say: "Oh, God is an all-pervading formless Being. How can He be confined to this idol!"Are these people ever conscious of His omnipresence? Do they always see Him and Him alone in everything? No. It is their ego that prevents them from bowing to the idols of God and with that motive they put this lame excuse forward.

Empty vessels make much sound. A practical man who does meditation and worship, who is full of knowledge and real devotion, always keeps silent. He influences and teaches others through silence. He alone knows whether an idol is necessary in the beginning of concentration or not.

However intellectual one may be, one cannot concentrate without the help of some symbol. An intellectual or a learned person may say on account of his pride and vanity: "I do not like an idol I do not wish to concentrate on a form."He cannot concentrate on the formless One. He thinks that people will laugh at him when they come to know that he is meditating on an idol. He never does any meditation on the formless One. He simply talks and argues and poses. He wastes his life in unnecessary discussions only. An ounce of practice is better than tons of theories.

Intellect is a hindrance in the vast majority of intellectual persons. They say that the existence of Brahman is guess-work, the superconscious state is a bluff and Self-realisation is an imagination of the Vedantins. Deluded souls! They are steeped in ignorance. They are carried away by their secular knowledge which is mere husk when compared to the knowledge of the Self. There is no hope of salvation for such people. First their wrong impressions should be hushed by good impressions through Satsang. Then only will they realise their mistakes. May the Lord bestow on them dear understanding and thirsting for real knowledge!

A Symbol of God?

A Symbol of God

The idol is a substitute or symbol. The image in a temple, though it be made of stone, wood or metal, is precious for a devotee as it bears the mark of his Lord, as it represents something which he holds holy and eternal. A flag is only a small piece of painted cloth, but to a soldier it stands for something that he holds very dear. He is prepared to give up his life in defending his flag. Similarly, the image is very dear to a devotee. It speaks to him in its own language of devotion. Just as the flag arouses martial valour in the soldier, so also the image arouses devotion in the devotee. The Lord is superimposed on the image and the image generates divine thoughts in the worshiper.

A piece of ordinary white paper or coloured paper has no value. You throw it away. But, if there is the stamp of the Government on the paper (currency note), you keep it safe in your money pocket or trunk. Even so, an ordinary piece of atom has no value for you. You throw it away. But, if you behold the stone idol of Lord Krishna at Pandharpur or any other idol in shrines, you bow your head with folded palms, because there is the stamp of the Beloved Lord on the stone. The devotee superimposes on the stem idol his own Lord and all His attributes.

When you worship an image, you do not say: "This image has come from Jaipur. It was bought by Prabhu Singh. Its weight is 50 lbs. It is made of white marble. It has cost me Rs.500."No! You superimpose all the attributes of the Lord on the image and pray: "O Inner Ruler! You are all-pervading. You are omnipotent, omniscient and all-merciful. You are the source of everything. You are eternal, unchanging. You are the life of my life, the Soul of my soul! Give me light and knowledge! Let mt dwell in Thee for ever!"

When your devotion and meditation become intense and deep, you do not see the stone image. You behold the Lord only who is pure Consciousness. Image worship is very necessary for beginners.

An Integral Part of the Cosmos?"

An Integral Part of the Cosmos

For a beginner, the idol is an absolute necessity. By worshipping the idol, the Lord is pleased. The idol is made up of the five elements. The five elements constitute the body of the Lord. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord.

If you shake hands with a man, he is highly pleased. Yon have touched only a small part of his body and yet he is happy. He smiles and welcomes you. Even so, the Lord is highly pleased when a small portion of His cosmic body is worshipped. An idol is a part of the body of the Lord. The whole world is His body. The devotion goes to the Lord.

The worshiper superimposes on the image the Lord and all His attributes. He does the sixteen forms of reverence to the Lord. First, the Presence of the Deity is invoked. Then a seat is offered, the feet are washed, watts is offered, and then hospitality is offered, The idol is bathed, dressed and invested with the sacred thread. Sandal paste is applied to its forehead, flowers are offered, and incense is burnt. Then a lamp is lit and waved before the Deity. Food is now offered, together with the burning of camphor. A gift of gold is offered. Finally (the sixteenth step), the Deity is bidden farewell.

In these external forms of worship, the inner love finds expression. The wandering mind is fixed non in this form of worship. The aspirant gradually feels the nearness of the Lord. He attains purity of heart and slowly annihilates his egoism.

To the worshiper who has faith in the symbol, any kind of image is the body of the Lord, be it made of stone, clay, or brass, or be it a picture, drawing, etc. Such worship an never be idolatry. All matter is a manifestation of God. God is present in everything. Everything is an object of worship, for all is a manifestation of God who is therein worshipped. The very act of worship implies that the object of worship is superior and conscious. This way of looking at things must be attained by the devotee. The untutored mind must be trained to view things in the above manner."

travel.indiamart.com

The Hypocrisy Of Worshiping Dead Idols Without And Spiritual Reality within.

Kash's family had a big bronze idol of Shri Ganesha sitting in a conch on the altar. It was a unique murti that many had admired. There were many times Kash's father specifically bowed to Him to convey thanks in gratitude for all He had done for the family and the priceless enlightenment beyond their wildest dreams.

After a few years of meditation it began to dawn upon his father that idol-worship was against the Spirit. The more he looked at the idol the more he realized it's anti-spiritual nature. By experience he had found out that only in the thoughtless state was it possible to learn from the Cosmic Consciousness. And this Cosmic Consciousness was now informing him that no idol must ever be worshipped.

But these dangerous thoughts also brought fear as he knew through experience that every thought is instantly known by the Divine Beings in his Sahasrara. And of all the Divine Deities he was specifically insulting Shri Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles and the Great Adi Shakti's own Son! How could he be so utterly ungrateful and blasphemous? Maybe his own mind, despite long stretches of thoughtlessness, still murmured to him off and on. Maybe he was deluding himself since idol-worship is an extremely revered Hindu tradition. Was he suggesting that so many hundreds of millions had been wrong for centuries?

The combination of guilt, fear and apprehension was too much to bear. He had to get an answer to something that was disturbingly anti-spiritual, yet frightfully against the very heart and soul of Hinduism. But deep in his heart, for reasons still unknown, he knew that he would never be able to worship an idol again. The Maha Yoga of the Great Adi Shakti had destroyed many falsehoods brought by religious conditioning, and this had to be another one of them.

On Friday, February 12, 1999 at 4.05 p.m. Kash was asked if he had ever seen any murtis (idols) in the Kingdom of God. He replied that no idol exist in the Spirit World. Wherever he had gone the Divine Incarnations were there is person.

Then Arwinder was questioned as he had visited far more places of worship in the Celestial City teeming with countless spirit beings — Caucasian, Oriental, Africans, Indians, and so forth. He answered that only in one did he see a grey stone figure of Shri Ganesha, and that it was outside. In other words, this work of art was part of the outer temple sculpture and not for prayer purposes. (This Revelation should convince humans that religious idols may be admired as art, but never to be worshipped as divine.)

However, no idols, icons or statues were ever seen inside any house of worship. Then what was inside and whom did the spirit beings worship? Arwinder replied that each and every worship place, without fail, had a few photographs of the Great Adi Shakti Shri Bhavanagamya Shri Nirmala Devi. Many a times he had seen spirit beings putting flowers, meditating and praying before these photographic images. On occasions he had also joined them. (If angels come down to Earth to attend the scared ceremonies and meditate on the photographic image of the Great Adi Shakti (Holy Spirit or Ruh of Allah), as the cover photograph proves, why not liberated beings living in the Spirit World do likewise, as witnessed by a child?)

When asked if there were idols, icons or statues of Shri Vrddha Devi in the Spirit World he replied that none exist. Even after being asked a number of times about this critical information the answers were the same: there are photographic images of the Great Adi Shakti but no idols in the Kingdom of God. This is reflected on Earth where those witnessing the Resurrection are meditating on the Ruh of Allah while others — sad and dismayed by the Good News due to religious falsehood, deluding dogma and intense conditioning — are rejecting the Reality of Al-Qiyamah.

No Hindu murtis, Christian icons or Buddhist statues exist in the Kingdom of God — This Revealed Truth is Absolute.
No murti, icon or statue worship is performed in the Spirit World — This Revealed Truth is Absolute.

Bhavanagamya (113rd): Realised by mental effort (called dhyana). Here it may be Dhyana of (1) vigraha or pratika which is outside, (2) or by concentration inside the heart on a mental image and worshipping Her by various offerings, (3) or by losing the devotee's individuality in Sri-Lalita-paramesvari in the Sahasrara. This is the best and is called sattvika-bhavana. Vrddha (671st): Oldest, since everything is created by Her.

"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste." [Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 1.
They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.)
[Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 2.
"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshipers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent."
[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538]

Translation 3.
"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti—the material cause of the world—in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."
[Yajur Veda 40:9.]

"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."[Yajurveda 32:3]

"Ekam evadvitiyam"
"He is One only without a second."[Chandogya Upanishad 6:2]

"Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah."
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord."[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]

"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him."[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

"shudhama poapvidham"
"He is bodiless and pure."[Yajurveda 40:8]

"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

So far we have been unable to find Vedic scripture that support idol worship

"From: Jagbir Singh
To: A. Palaniswami
Subject: Worship of Murtis
Date: Thursday, February 11, 1999 9:32 AM

Dear Palaniswami,

Namaste!

We would be grateful if you could provide us with specific quotes from Hindu scriptures related to the worship of murtis. This is a controversial issue among non-Hindus, and so far we have been unable to find Vedic scripture that support it. Perhaps you and your associates will be able to provide us with precise texts to back this practise. Thank you and have a blissful Shivaratri Puja.

OM! Shanti!

jagbir"

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There are a great many quotes in the various scriptures about idol worship

"From: Acharya Ceyonswami
To: jagbir

Subject: worship of murthis
Date: Saturday, February 20, 1999 6:54 PM

Reply to: worship of murthis

"Namaste Jagbir,

Prostrations to Vighna Vinayaga,

There are a great many quotes in the various scriptures of the different sects of Hinduism referring to the worship of murthis — the Saiva Agamas, Vaishnava Agamas, and the Shakti agamas, as well as the ancient Tirumantiram of Tirumular and much more. The Karanagama, Silparatna and Kasyapa silpa deal in great length the details of the various murthis. The Pratima Kosha, or Encyclopaedia of Indian Iconography gives various research on the art form of icons and how the murthis are to be designed.

However, we don't think it would be worthwhile spending the time to type up quotes to convince Christians of anything — it won't matter to them what our scriptures say, as they don't consider them scripture! We need to stand strong for our Hindu faith and practices without having to feel defensive to anyone for what we do. Sanatana Dharma is the fountainhead of all religions and each practices a certain part of the One Eternal Dharma. One God, One World.

Om Sivaya,

Ceyonswami"

Acharya Ceyonswami

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We revere idols as the temporary body of gods

"From: GURUDEVA
gurudeva-dws@ultraviolet.org
Cc: repost-dancing-siva@spiritweb.org

Subject: Dancing with Siva Shloka 108
Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 1:12 AM

What is the Nature of Image Worship?

SHLOKA 108

We worship God Siva and the Gods who by their infinite powers spiritually hover over and indwell the image, or murti, which we revere as their temporary body. We commune with them through the ritual act of puja. Aum.

BHASHYA

The stone or metal Deity images are not mere symbols of the Gods; they are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to communicate with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the telephone; rather we use a telephone as a means of communication with another person who is perhaps thousands of miles away. Without the telephone, we could not converse across such distances; and without the sanctified murti in the temple or shrine we cannot easily commune with the Deity. His vibration and presence can be felt in the image, and He can use the image as a temporary physical-plane body or channel. As we progress in our worship, we begin to adore the image as the Deity's physical body, for we know that He is actually present and conscious in it during puja, aware of our thoughts and feelings and even sensing the pujari's gentle touch on the metal or stone.

The Vedas exclaim," Come down to us, Rudra, who art in the high mountains. Come and let the light of thy face, free from fear and evil, shine upon us. Come to us with thy love."Aum Namah Sivaya."

GURUDEVA (end)

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But where are the great many quotes in the various scriptures about idol worship?

There is not even a single line in the Vedas or Puranas that support idol-worship.

Thus if great learned men use the best Vedic quote," Come down to us, Rudra, who art in the high mountains. Come and let the light of thy face, free from fear and evil, shine upon us. Come to us with thy love," and translate it into worship of stone idols we can only reel in repulsion and disgust. If this is one of the"great many quotes in the various scriptures of the different sects of Hinduism referring to the worship of murthis", then we can only shudder in silence and utter aversion.

Hindus should remember that they are led to believe that only their brahmins are empowered to act as middlemen between themselves and the gods through elaborate rituals and lengthy sacred sequences of mantras. For millennia ignorant masses have been conditioned that these temple priests are able to communicate with the mighty deities represented by stone statues infused with their shaktis (power) in elaborate rituals only feasible by brahmins.

So what are brahmins without their visible idols? And what are worshipers without common sense to distinguish between manmade rituals and scriptural Truth? And how did the followers of the eternal Sanatana Dharma succumb to such darkness?

The pristine and flawless Vedic scriptures did not contradict at all. It was the priestly caste that perverted them for their own power, and maintained it with a plethora of granite gods. And a billion Hindus remain blind to one of the greatest falsehood perpetuated in the name of God Almighty. May they learn through Self-Realization to worship the Eternal Essence of Brahman (God Almighty) within their own beings than the lifeless idols without, a stain on the Sanatana Dharma which even the Great Adi Shakti denounces!

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

That is why you must get Realization.

"At the Nirvikalpa state, the Collective Consciousness becomes subtler and subtler. At that stage you can understand the very deep significance of things when the Reality starts becoming clearer....

You give him a statue of a deity and ask him all about this statue — whether it is all right or not. He might say that it is not alright. You can feel the subtle vibrations, whether it is in Dharma or otherwise.

Now can we say say that Ashtavinayaka's are living gods? How do you know Jyotirlingas are living? How will you know unless you know the integrations of all the great souls together? And how are you going to judge them? That is why you must get Realization."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
New Delhi, India — February 15, 1977

There is not an iota of difference?

"The Murti is exactly the same as the Lord in the divine abode Akshardham. There is not an iota of difference."

"The idol installation ceremony was performed on Labh Pancham, 30 October 1992 CE. Until now, the idols were statues created by a sculptor. Now, they would become Murtis, purified and infused with divinity at the hands of the Enlightened Guru. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, along with senior sadhus and eminent devotees performed the ceremony with Vedic rituals. Brahmin pundits chanted the mantras, sacrificial fires were lit, rhythmic verses were sung, and the arti was performed. Finally, Pramukh Swami Maharaj blessed the gathering and two days later opened the doors of the Monument to all on 2 November 1992 CE, with these words," The Murti is exactly the same as the Lord in the divine abode Akshardham. There is not an iota of difference."

www.akshardham.com

Idol Installation 82 KB
Idol Adornment 228 KB

The religion of the Veda knows no idols

"The religion of the Veda knows no idols," says Max Muller;"The worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."

The stone idols have drowned the world

Kabeer, some buy idols and worship them; In their stubborn- mindedness, they make pilgrimages to sacred shrines.
They look at one another, and wear religious robes, but they are deluded and lost.
Kabeer, someone sets up a stone idol and all the world worships it as the Lord.
Those who hold to this belief will be drowned in the river of darkness.
Kabeer, the paper is the prison, and the ink of rituals are the bars on the windows.
The stone idols have drowned the world, and the pandits, the religious scholars, have plundered it on the way.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Shaloks Of Kabeer Jee:, p. 1371.)

All objects of worship besides Allah are mere delusions

"All objects of worship besides Allah are mere delusions. To anyone who sees this clearly, through Allah's Self-revelations, the only possible course is to give up everything else, which his own inner experience as well as outer Revelation tell him is false or of a temporary nature, and to bring his own will and actions into complete unison with Allah's Will: for that is the meaning of Islam, bowing to the Will of Allah. When we bow to the Real and Everlasting, we are automatically saved from falling victims to the False and Evanescent."

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'n

The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them

In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, O Nanak, the Jinn, the demons, have taken birth.
The son is a demon, the daughter is a demon, and the wife is the chief of the demons.
The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord; they are going the wrong way.
As Naarad instructed them, they worship idols. They are blind and mute, the blindest of the blind.
The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them.
But when those stones themselves sink, how will they carry you across?

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Shalok, p. 556.)

"The idol gives not the hungry and saves not the dying."

"IDOL WORSHIP

PART 1. INTRODUCTION

Sikhism believes in One immortal formless God. The God of all people regardless of religion or race. God is self-illumined, without fear, sans enmity. Truth is Gods name.

PART 2. THE STONE GODS

The Guru Granth Sahib rejects any worship of physical items such as stone idols, animals or plants. The worship of images, tombs or sacred stones is also rejected.

"They, who say the stone is God; in vain is their service. He, who falls at the feet of the stone; vain goes his labour. My Lord ever speaks. The Lord gives gifts to all the living beings. The Lord is within, but the blind one knows not. Deluded by doubt, he is caught in a noose. The stone speaks not, nor gives anything. In vain are the ceremonies of the idolater, and fruitless his service." (Guru Granth Sahib, Arjan Dev, P.1160)

"The idol gives not the hungry and saves not the dying." (Guru Granth Sahib, Nanak, P.1240)

PART 3. THE HINDU IDOLS

Although Guru Nanak's parents were Hindus, he rejected the theory of the Hindu stone gods. Since most of the Sikhs are originally from India it has been difficult to rid themselves of this concept.

"The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord and are going the wrong way. As Narad instructed so worship they idols. They are blind, dumb and the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools take stones and worship them. Those stones when they themselves sink, how shall they ferry thee across?" (Guru Granth Sahib, Nanak,P.556)

PART 4. PLUCKING LEAVES FOR STONE GODS

The idol worshiper plucks leaves from flowers and then they throw them over the stone idols. The verses below show that plucking the leaves kills life for a useless cause.

"Thou tearest off the leaves, O lady gardener but in every leaf there is life. The stone (idol) for which thou pluckest the leaves, that stone is life-less. In this, thou art mistaken, O lady gardener. The True Guru is the living Lord." (Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir, P.479)

"The blind ignorant ones stray in doubt and so deluded, deluded they pluck flowers for worship. They worship the lifeless stones and adore tombs. Their service all goes in vain." (Guru Granth Sahib, Ram Das, P.1264

PART 5. CONCLUSION

The worship of idols in any form does not free the mind to doing services of just cause. The rewards are none to them, the reward achieved in their lives are of consequence and not the result of idol worship. People always need some sort of hope when their minds are not yet enlightened. The philosophy of The Guru Granth Sahib takes one to a higher plane of thinking to rid the mind rituals."

www.compusmart.ab.ca/suki/idol.htm

Monotheism proves then, the pointlessness of idols and of images that come between man and God.

"If we consider the most ancient evidence left by homo sapiens, we can see that man has always been aware of the existence of a Supreme Being, who is Lord of all things and of all living creatures.

Using every conceivable means, human beings of every era have always tried to show their feelings of deep respect (and reverence) towards God and to perform what is due to their Creator.

This is why Islam has always stressed the possibility of direct communication with God. Even those who have fallen into idolatry have never denied the existence of the Creator, but have simply put their idols and images in His place. And this is still happening today. This being the case, how can we recognise a true prophet and what is his or her mission?

The mission of the prophets is to reveal the will of God, that is, to provide a logical and tangible explanation of religion as it is experienced in our daily lives.

Genuine monotheism - the belief in a Supreme Being - means (or implies) the unshakeable oneness of the whole creation between man and God. Monotheism proves then, the pointlessness of idols and of images that come between man and God. The mission of the prophets is thus to set human beings on the right track, and in order to do this, the prophets have used two parrallel and complementary paths:

- the way of learning, based on theology and philosophy
- and the way of Self-Knowledge or Self-Realisation

This is why we find in our Holy Book, the Koran, both scholastic discourse and phrases which hint at the"Way in"to knowledge of the Highest Self. The concrete means of putting this message into practise is what is offered to us in this age by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

To back up this Truth, if you will allow me. I will quote these words of the Prophet Mahomet, who tells us: "God is closer to man than his own veins."And the Prophet says: "With the knowledge of the Spirit, man will begin to know himself, so as to finally achieve knowledge of God." "With the purification of his inner being, man becomes conscious that he is the Spirit."

It is thus the experience of spontaneous Self Realisation - which is revealed by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - and Sahaja Yoga - which is the practise which she teaches - both spontaneous Self Realisation and Sahaja Yoga are in perfect harmony with the teachings of Islam. It is because of this revelation by Shri Mataji that I have wanted to speak to you tonight."

Ayatollah Dr. Mehdi Rouhani
(Address delivered by Ayatollah Dr. Mehdi Rouhani at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 3rd July 1997)

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

The ultimate act against the Spirit is to worship that which has no Spirit

"This union of Atma and Shakti as the protector of one's existence is important to understand ... At a practical level what this means is that if one goes against the Spirit, identifying with anything apart from it, the heart 'catches'...

When we come to Sahaja Yoga the Tantra is damaged and impure and the heart 'catches.' There is nothing to be upset in that. One should settle down silently and work to undo the 'catches,' gradually and slowly. The whole Library of Divine Knowledge is at one's hand and if the heart's desire to evolve the being and achieve the Absolute is pure, the solution to every problem will occur automatically, effortlessly and spontaneously — Sahaj.

The ultimate act against the Spirit is to worship that which has no Spirit — gross matter or raksasas. Shri Muhammad inveighed against both.... The Atma and its expression is the sole Reality in the Universe. Identification with anything else causes the heart to 'catch.'"

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

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