Letter # 67: "Idol Worship"

“Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped,” said Calvin Coolidge, (1872-1933), the 30th president of the United States.
Fear of the stomach being empty puts man’s mind into the feverish mode of hunting, gathering and accumulation.
The extreme emphasis on, and admiration of, this aspect of life transforms it into an idol - worship of wealth and security. It’s an ancient golden calf that continues to be venerated.
Some persons are quick to denigrate the religious worship of others as “idol worship”, as false and pagan, as worship of graven images; yet they fail completely in seeing their own idols.
Modern idols, "golden calves”, and “tin gods” take the form of the ultra-rich, superstars, supermodels, and super-heroes. The honour given to these “forms” is a reverence of the material, a worship of the temporary.
The word idol, comes from the Greek eidolon, which means “appearance”, and the Latin idolum, which means "image, mental or physical form".
The deity in a temple, or a religious icon such as the Ka’aba, or the Black Stone, is a reminder of the eternal.
The Koran encourages, “…We shall turn you in prayer towards quibla[Ka’aba] with which you shall be pleased.” 2:144.
It is very difficult for the human mind to imagine the “formless”. That is why we need spiritual symbols. Lord Krishna states, “For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.” BG 12.5.
We are so enamoured with the material that when Spiritual Masters come to enlighten us, we often don't recognize them, or we dismiss them foolishly. Nay, we even destroy them cruelly. Lord Krishna declares, “Fools deride Me when I descend in human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.” BG 9.11.
Idol or no, all things arise from Ultimate Being. Guru Nanak sings, “Sagal samigri ekas ghat mah; Anik rang nana dristah”, which means “All visible things of varied colours and forms emerge from God alone.” SS Ast 22, 23 p 228.

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.