Idol worship

Expressions researched:
"idol worship"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 12.5, Translation and Purport:

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.

The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jñāna-yogīs, and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogīs. Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed. The process of jñāna-yoga, although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguṇa or nirguṇa—of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguṇa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.11.24, Purport:

The authorized ācāryas, who know the science perfectly, install such temples of the Lord under regulative principles just to offer facilities to the common man, but persons who are less intelligent, without being conversant with the science, mistake this great attempt to be idol worship and poke their nose into that to which they have no access. Therefore, the ladies or men who observe festivals in the temples of the Lord just to have a look at the transcendental form are a thousand times more glorious than those who are nonbelievers in the transcendental form of the Lord.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.1.19, Purport:

Here in this verse, it is definitely assured that the Supreme Lord is not impersonal. He is a person, but His body is different from those of conditioned persons like us. Otherwise, meditation beginning from the praṇava (oṁkāra) up to the limbs of the personal body of Viṣṇu would not have been recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī for the attainment of complete spiritual perfection. The Viṣṇu forms of worship in great temples of India are not, therefore, arrangements of idol worship, as they are wrongly interpreted to be by a class of men with a poor fund of knowledge; rather, they are different spiritual centers of meditation on the transcendental limbs of the body of Viṣṇu. The worshipable Deity in the temple of Viṣṇu is identical with Lord Viṣṇu by the inconceivable potency of the Lord.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.12.17, Purport:

Dhruva Mahārāja went to Badarikāśrama, and in a solitary place, alone, he practiced yoga. He concentrated his mind on the arcā-vigraha, the worshipable Deity of the Lord, which exactly represents the Supreme Lord, and thus thinking constantly of that Deity, he became absorbed in trance. Worship of the arcā-vigraha is not idol worship. The arcā-vigraha is an incarnation of the Lord in a form appreciable by a devotee. Therefore devotees engage in the temple in the service of the Lord as arcā-vigraha, a form made of sthūla (material) objects such as stone, metal, wood, jewels or paint. All of these are called sthūla, or physical representations.

SB 4.30.28, Purport:

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." The devotee offers eatables in the form of vegetables, fruits, leaves and water to the arcā-vigraha. The Lord, being bhakta-vatsala, compassionate upon His devotees, accepts these offerings. Atheists may think that the devotees are engaged in idol worship, but the fact is different. Janārdana, the Supreme Lord, accepts bhāva, the attitude of service. The neophyte devotee engaged in the worship of the Lord may not understand the value of such worship, but the Supreme Lord, being bhakta-vatsala, accepts His devotee and in due course of time takes him home.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 14.9, Purport:

When the form of the Lord is carved from wood, stone or any other element, it is to be understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is there. Even logically we can understand that all material elements are expansions of the energy of the Lord. Since the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is nondifferent from His personal body, the Lord is always present in His energy, and He manifests Himself on account of the ardent desire of a devotee. Since the Lord is supremely powerful, it is logical that He can manifest Himself in His energy. Deity worship or worship of the śālagrāma-śilā is not idol worship. The Deity of the Lord in the house of a pure devotee can act exactly as He can in His original transcendental personality.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 9.360, Purport:

Not understanding the process of disciplic succession, so-called logicians put forward the theory of pañcopāsanā, in which a person worships one of five deities—namely Viṣṇu, Śiva, Durgā, the sun-god or Ganeśa. In this conception the impersonalists imagine one of these five deities as supreme and reject the others. Such philosophical speculation, which is certainly idol worship, is not accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by Vaiṣṇavas. This imaginary deity worship has recently been transformed into Māyāvāda impersonalism. For want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people are victimized by the Māyāvāda philosophy, and consequently they sometimes become staunch atheists. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu established the process of self-realization by His own personal behavior.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

If you cannot see Kṛṣṇa physically... Although Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere, but we have no eyes to see Him. Therefore this Deity worship... Deity is not hedonism or idol worship. No. Deity is as good as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's absolute. His form and He is not different. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Abhinna, identical. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, not that like gramophone.(?) No. We are associating with Kṛṣṇa. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. By chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa is present on your tongue. Unless we realize in that way, then it is the period of nāma-aparādha or nāmābhāsa. Not nāmābhāsa—nāma-aparādha. This is nāma-aparādha, to consider that the name is different from the person.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

You can purchase cloth according to your means, and with your great devotion, you can dress. Similarly, the gigantic gigantic virāṭ-rūpa, universal form, the whole, it s described in the Bhagavad-gītā that He is eating, the whole humanity is going on in His mouth. Then where you will get such food? (laughter) The whole human..., the whole universal living entities can be devoured by Kṛṣṇa. But, because you are not able to offer such gigantic food to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, give Me," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, "give Me a little flower, give Me a little fruit, give Me a little water, I shall accept it." This is called arcana-viddhi. Kṛṣṇa has agreed to accept your service as you can afford to do. It is not idol worship. It is actually worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Indian man (5): Swamiji, there is a school of thought amongst Hindus that condemns idol worship and the concept of avatāra. Would you kindly elaborate on these concepts?

Prabhupāda: Idol worship, that is not idol. Just like if you worship your leader in some picture or some statue, that is not idol worship. That is actually fact. You show your respect to your leader. Similarly, when we worship the Deity of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Kṛṣṇa. The difference is, as we have already discussed, Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. In the ordinary case the picture of your father and the father is different because it is material body. But Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, His form, Deity form, and He, there is no difference. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy that He comes before you in the Deity form made of so-called wood or stone because we cannot see at the present moment except wood and stone. We cannot see. Just like I was explaining we cannot see even our father, the spirit soul. And how we can see the supreme spirit? So when we worship Deity, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the Deity is not different from the person. This is the idea. We have to understand.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

So for the go-kharas, these two-handed and two hands, two legs, go-kharas, for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being pushed on. So that the go-kharas may kindly come and hear Bhagavad-gītā and see how the Deity is being worshiped, how Kṛṣṇa is recognized as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By seeing only, by sitting only, by hearing only, they'll come. This is the chance. It is not idol worship, nonsensical. It is worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. But one has to learn the art and the science about it. Therefore we are opening all over the world different centers so that these go-kharas can take advantage of this movement.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol..." They say sometimes "idol worship." "And we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pūjārī, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed-big, big churches. In London I have seen, very big, big churches, but they're closed. When there is meeting on Sunday, the caretaker, two, three men, and some old lady, they come. Nobody comes. And we are purchasing. We have purchased several churches. Because it is now useless.

Lecture on SB 1.7.45-46 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1976:

Just like we have installed the Deity according to śāstra. There is nothing imaginary. It is not idol worship. Idol worship is different. Just like in the Western countries they put an idol on the street, on the park, as the resting place of the crows and passing stool on the head. That is idol worship. The so-called statues are installed and without any protection... No. Our worship is not idol worship. This is Deity worship. We construct temple and spend lakhs of rupees to install the Deity. It is not idol worship. Idol worship is different. Therefore it is warned, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ. If somebody thinks that the vigraha is idol worship... There are so many rascals, they think like that. They are... "Why you are worshiping in the temple?" Amongst the Indians also, the Arya-samajis, they protest against temple worship. But who cares for them? Here in Vṛndāvana, there is Arya-samaji temple. Nobody goes there. But this is a new temple recently started, and thousands of people are coming. Why? All of them are fools and rascals? This is exactly according to the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

So people are so rascal, they do not come even to see. They are so fallen down. They do not come. "Oh, what is this, Deity worship? Idol worship. Idol worship." They will worship Gandhi's statue and this statue, that statue, but when they are asked that "Come here and see the Deity worship nicely," "No, this is idol worship." We... I have seen in Calcutta that Sir Asutosh Mukherjee's statue there is in the Chowrangi square. So in the morning, these ordinary sweepers, they'll cleanse the statue with their brush, because the whole year, the crows have passed stool on the face. So it has become a very solid stool, fixed up. So... I have seen it, brushing like this. This is their arcanam. This is allowed. And if you worship the Deity, bathe the Deity, this is idol worship. And that municipal brush, sweeping brush, and on the face of Sir Asutosh Mukharjee, brushing, that is very good. Just see how much rascal they are!

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

He can accept your service through His energy. That is His omnipotency. That is called omnipotent. You cannot do anything of your personal affairs with your energy, but... You can sometimes do. Suppose if you have got money. Even being present on the spot, by spending money you can get the things done. The money will act for you. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being omnipotent, He can take your service through His agency, through His potency. And potency means śakti. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. Kṛṣṇa and His potency is not different. So Kṛṣṇa by His causeless mercy, He has appeared before you in a manner by which you can touch Him, you can handle Him, you can dress Him, you can give Him. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. It is not idol worship. Therefore it is forbidden. Don't think it is idol.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

If God is everywhere, now why not in the temple? What the temple has done? If God is everywhere, then in the temple there is God. You may call Deity worship as idol worship, but this situation created by Deity worship, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, practical... This was a church. This was a church. How many years ago? Since when we have occupied? Four years ago. And because nobody was coming, so this church was sold, and we purchased. Now why people are coming? The church or temple, if there is no God, so why people are coming? The same church. Because you could not convince them about the science of God. Therefore it was vacant. You cannot bluff all people for all the time. That is not possible. You must give them substantial. Then they will agree, "Yes, there is God."

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

This is intelligence. This is modern civilization. They have no even common sense intelligence. If you are worshiping Napoleon, why don't you keep like that? We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. We are keeping in a nice place. That they will say, "It is idol worship." These rascals will say, "These foolish people are worshiping an idol." And they are worshiping Napoleon very nicely. (laughter) Just see their intelligence. So therefore, because they do not know, because they are not ātmavit, therefore their opinion has no value. No value. We don't care for their opinion. Here it is ātmavit-sammataḥ. One should be taken... Approval should be from persons who is self-realized.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Sarvātmā means He is all-pervasive. He is living in everyone's heart. He knows everyone in particular details, and, at the same time, He is personally present also, personally present. How He is personally present? Just like in this temple, He's personally present. This arcā-mūrti, it is not idol worship. You practically try to understand. If it was idol worship, idol worship, then these boys and girls, they are American boys and girls, intelligent, educated, they should not have spared so much time for worshiping one idol. No. It is God's mercy that He incarnates Himself as we can handle Him. If we want to worship His gigantic universal form, we cannot approach Him. It is not possible. But He's so kind. He comes just suitable for our, for our being handled by us. That is God's mercy.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

At the present moment we cannot see Kṛṣṇa as He is spiritually embodied, sad-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, because we have no eyes to see sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So here is also sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, arcā-mūrti. It is not idol worship. The atheist class may say so, but it is not so. Those who have got eyes, they can see. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord. Here is My Lord." So one has to become santaḥ. Then one can see. But it is culture, by culture. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). When you develop that culture, when you develop that love for Kṛṣṇa, then you will see immediately and you will faint, "Oh, here is my Lord."

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

We simply try to do that under labor, under trouble, kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām, whereas devotee, he immediately sees Kṛṣṇa in the temple: "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Rādhārāṇī.' Arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa has appeared to be visible. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa or God by these material eyes, but as we can be seeing, as we can appreciate, as we can touch, Kṛṣṇa has accepted the form to be touched by us, to be seen by us, to be served by us. This is called arcā-vigraha. It is not idol worship. The Māyāvādī says it is imagination. No, not it is imagination. Arcā-vigraha. Vigraha. Kṛṣṇa is vigraha, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), His form.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

So, God, whether impersonal or personal, that we cannot conclude by our speculation. It is not possible. Durvibhāvyam. Durvibhāvyam means beyond your conception, beyond your speculation. But He says that idaṁ śarīram. He has got His body;He is not impersonal. He comes sometimes as incarnation. We can see Kṛṣṇa with two hands, two legs, one head. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). This is described in the Vedic literature. He has two hands and He is playing on flute. He has got the peacock feather on His head. It is not imagination. The Kṛṣṇa arcā-mūrti, it is not imagination, as rascals think, that they have imaginated an idol. This is not idol worship. This is actually... I have several times explained that here is Kṛṣṇa, personally present. We should always think like that, not that it is idol worship. But durvibhāvyam means although He is present, the less intelligent class of men, they will think that "They are worshiping one statue." But that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Just like here we are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. You have all come here early in the morning, and... So does it mean that you are all fools? You have come to see a brass idol is being worshiped here? So anyone who considers the Deity as arcye śilā-dhīḥ, made of stone, made of brass, made of wood, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. Śilā. Śilā means stone. So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has, by His mercy, descended to accept your service. If you want to dress the Supreme Lord, if you take His virāḍ-rūpa, universal form, where is your cloth and how you can dress? Eh? You haven't got so much cloth. In spite of having so many mills, you cannot dress the virāṭ form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy.

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

This chanting is perfect. But I am chanting and I am thinking of and planning something else, that is aparādha. But that does not mean we shall stop. But we should try, abhyāsa-yoga, we should try to make it our habit by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we should immediately remember the form, quality, pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Tat-pādāmburuha-dhyānāt. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, dhyānāt, that is meditation. Tat-pādāmburuha-dhyānāt tal-liṅgekṣārhaṇādibhiḥ. To come to the temple, Deity worship is meant for that purpose, just to see the form of Kṛṣṇa so that we may remember. Always, 24 hours we can see. It is not idol worship. The rascal atheists, they can say like that, but our process is this. Guru-sevā, offering all respect to guru, and always thinking of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, seeing His forms in the temple, worshiping Him as they are described, as they are prescribed in the śāstras, this is the process.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

We don't say that this world is mithyā. Why shall I say? It is creation of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is truth, His creation is also truth. We employ everything to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, anyone who is engaged in the service of the Lord is always situated in the transcendental platform. They will never come down. Because it is so sweet, it is so nice, they will never agree. Any student of this institution, if you ask him, if you try to cheat him that you give up this idol worship, come down, go and worship the poor, the leper, and this and that, so many things, they will not. They will not. They will not come down. They will engage themselves always in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

Although the atheist class of men may think that they are engaged in idol worship, it is not idol. Those who are atheist, they may see idol, stone. But those who are devotees, they see sākṣād brajendranandana hari. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, as soon as He saw Jagannātha, immediately fainted, "Oh, my Lord, here You are." So it is a question of vision. Somebody is going to Jagannātha temple, he is seeing a wooden carved statue, that's all. And he is surprised, "Why for this wooden carved statue so many people are coming?" Because they are not devotee, they cannot understand. But one devotee, thousands and millions of devotees are going every year. Are they going to worship an idol? So this is the difference between the devotee and the nondevotee.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976:

To find out the source of everything the Absolute Truth, and when the Absolute Truth comes down to inform us, Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), we don't believe it. First of all we cannot understand it, and if the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes personally to speak about Himself, we do not believe it. This is our position. First of all we shall challenge, "Can you show me God?" And if God comes Himself we don't believe, then what is our position? You want to see God. All right, God has come here. See, here is God. "No, this is idol worship." In the Bengali there is a word, ei gule nipamsa pechlo belo gelo (?). So this is our position. This position will not help us. We must admit our position that in the God's creation everything is inconceivable by us. We cannot calculate within our limitation. That is not possible.

Festival Lectures

Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha Deity Installation -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

Now today this function of installing Deity, this is authorized. Just like several times I have given the example that when you put your mails in a box in the street, because it is written there U.S. Mail, you know that it is authorized box. And if you put your letters within this box, it will surely reach the destination. The post office will work. So there is no difference between the huge post office building and that small box because it is authorized. Similarly, the difference between idol worship and Deity worship is like that. Unless authorized process is accepted, it is idol worship. That is the general rule. If somebody thinks that "There is a box, red and blue, on the street. Why shall I go to that box? Let me have similar box at my door and it will be cleared by the postman because it is blue and red," that will not be so. Because the box which you put at your door, that is not authorized.

Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha Deity Installation -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then red hot, then it is fire. Similarly, by this process, chanting process, by regulative process, you are becoming warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer. And when you fully become red hot warm, then your body is as good as Kṛṣṇa's. So we have to keep ourself always in the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; then everything is all right. (laughs) Otherwise, it will become dull and it will be simply idol worship. That's all. That is the difference between idol worship and Deity worship. If there is no life, then it is idol worship, hedonism. And when there is life, feeling, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Here is Kṛṣṇa. Oh, I have to serve Kṛṣṇa, I have to dress Him, I have to serve Rādhārāṇī, She is here. Oh, I must do it very nicely. And as far as possible decorate Her to the best capacity." In this way, if you always feel Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are fire. The same example, keeping with the fire.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

Just like arca. Arca means the form of the Lord situated, I mean to say, established in some temple and worshiped. That is also incarnation of God. That is not idol worship. People do not know that this is an authorized process of realizing God, or they have never tasted or practiced it. They cannot understand. They say it is idol worship. No. It is not idol worship. It is not idol worship. I'll give you one example. Just like in the front of your door there is a box—"U.S. Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, U.S. Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save postage." Now, he is going on, putting letters in that without postage. And after sometimes he sees all the letters are lying there; it has not been dispatched—because it is imitation. And the box which is supplied by the post office, that is authorized. In the matter, in material, you will find this box and that imitation box is the same thing. So this is a science. You see.

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Just like we offer so respectful obeisances to the Deity. Similarly, as the Deity is arcā-vigraha, incarnation... This Deity which you are worshiping as the arcā-vigraha, arcā means worshipable incarnation. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa with our present eyes, material eyes; therefore it is Kṛṣṇa's mercy that He has appeared before us in a form which we can see. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is different from this Deity. That is mistake. Those who cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa's potency, they think that this is idol, and therefore they say "Idol worship." It is not idol worship. The same example, as I have given many times, that the postbox, or mailbox on the street, it is post office. If somebody thinks, "It is a box..." It is a box, but it is a post office at the same time.

Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:

We keep one man's statue, but we do not know where the man has gone, where the soul has gone. But we keep the statue as if he is staying there. This is called illusion. We do not know where my leader has gone, but I am worshiping the leader's statue on the street, and it has become the place for passing stool on his head by the crows, and we are worshiping. But when you go to worship in the temple, it is idol worship. We are worshiping the statues, but when you go to worship in the temple, "That is idol worship." So Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, advises that this Bhāgavata-dharma education must be given from the childhood. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Because durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. But if you take to this Bhāgavata-dharma, then there is no loss, there is no loss.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: You can see by every one of us in this temple, like that. There will be, as the gopīs said, that "Since You are here, the opulences, all opulences are there." Since You are in the temple, since Kṛṣṇa is present there, all opulences will be. Just see that in the temple since Kṛṣṇa is present there, all opulences is there. If you think that this is idol worship, that is another thing. Kṛṣṇa is present here. You should believe like the gopīs, then everything (indistinct).

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The first word is Viṣṇu, of Viṣṇu, not of any other. So these are the demonstration of bhakti. Śravaṇam kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ (SB 7.5.23). This is arcanā. Just like we perform in the morning, in the evening, at noon, arcā-vigraha. Viṣṇu, arcayam, Viṣṇu. It is not idol worship. Arcayaṁ viṣṇu-śilā-dhiḥ. If one thinks the arcā-mūrti, the worshipable Deity in the temple, as stone or as wood, arcayaṁ viṣṇu-śilā-dhiḥ guruṣu nara-matiḥ... To accept guru, in the paramparā system... All the gurus in the paramparā system... Evaṁ paramparā prāptam (BG 4.2). Nara-matiḥ, consider him as ordinary human being... In this way there is a list. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. A Vaiṣṇava, a devotee: "He is brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. He is American Vaiṣṇava. He is śūdra Vaiṣṇava." No. When one is Vaiṣṇava, there should be no distinction by the caste. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. In this way there is a list that should be avoided.

Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Produce millions of TV machine. Simple they are used for wasting time. One or two or five made for some important business. Now they are producing millions of sets. They must sell. And people are induced to purchase. And as soon as they purchase, they simply see television. Idol worship. And learning vicious things. Some unnecessary picture is produced there. They like to see it. Two train are coming and they are smashed. (laughs) I have seen some television. People are learning how to smash, how to steal, how to harass people. Things are being shown like that. Not that "You are soul. You are spirit soul. If you degrade yourself, you then get this." You make that television, that how transmigration of the soul is taking place. They have manufactured the machine, so utilize for your propaganda. We have got to do so many things. We can utilize everything. So if they are not used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose they'll be used for committing disaster in the world. Just like the atomic bomb. They are meant for creating disaster, that's all.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Brahmānanda: The Christians do this. They have Jesus Christ outside,...

Prabhupāda: In the open.

Brahmānanda: ...exposed. And they accuse us of idol worship.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very dangerous place. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam (SB 10.14.58). This is a place—in every step there is danger. We are walking in a very nice park. At any moment there may be revolution, whole thing is changed. Whole thing is, becomes fire. Just like, in India now it has become. So we should remember that here in this material world, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam, every step there is danger. Give up this place. That is the real intelligence. And the education misleading them, māyā-sukhāya, making gorgeous plans for temporary happiness. That's all.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Indian man (1): There is no temple in Kurukṣetra where they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa like we are worshiping. There is no temple.

Harikeśa: The Gauḍīya Math?

Indian man (1): Even they can't worship as we are worshiping.

Prabhupāda: How they can worship? The worship is done by devotee. Unless you create devotee, where is the question of worshiping? Without devotee it is idol worship. There is no life. And without life, how can you pull on artificially? Aprāṇasya hi dehasya mandanam loka-rañjanam.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's been a feeling that all year their hard work has all become worthwhile simply by coming here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes. Make it more.... Therefore I wanted first of all this house, not the temple, because where they'll stay? They'll come to the temple. Where they will stay? If you get staying place, then you can act your brain and improve. And if you are harassed—no place—then brain will not work. Therefore I wanted first of all the residential place. And they criticize me, "Oh, you did not construct temple first." And a temple of the devotees is first, our temple. Then God. God will come if there are devotees. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyantī mad-bhaktāḥ. Unless there is devotee, where is God? God is not a stone. Any stone is God? Unless there is devotees, there's no God. Therefore, without devotee: the idol, this is idol worship. That is not worship. Therefore they cannot understand what is the form, what is the distinction between form of the Lord and idol. They do not know how to worship in devotion. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). They are thinking, "It is stone, and God is remaining here, stone. He will never speak," because they are not devotee. If you become devotee.... Just like Sākṣī Gopāla. For devotee He went to give witness, "Yes, I'll walk." That is God. And if you are not devotee, how you can expect the stone statue is walking?

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, no, Moronai, anyone. I am not.... But there are so many statues, so many statues in the open field, and they are exposed to the birds for passing stool. Do you think it is more respectful than one keeping the same statue in a nice sacred temple and worshiping?

Guest (2): Yes, it's nice. They should.

Prabhupāda: So you criticize the person who is keeping the statue within a temple, "the heathen worship, idol worship," and you keep your father's statue exposed for passing stool on his head.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Woman guest (2): Could you... Do you think you could explain to me about the Deities and how it's different from idol worship? Because no one has been able to explain that to my understanding.

Prabhupāda: Idol means your imagination. And Deity is not imaginary. Deity is installed by the authorized person and it is worshiped according to authorized methods. So it is not idol. Idol worship, you imagine something and, some doll or idol, and do in your own way, that is idol worship.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: She's saying but it's manufactured, it's made, graven.

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter. But it is made according to the Vedic principles. Just like in the Vedas, Kṛṣṇa's form is described, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam (Bs. 5.30). Kṛṣṇa is playing on His flute, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. His eyes are like the petals of the lotus flower. So if you follow the description, then it is coming from the Vedic literature or Vedic knowledge. It is not that an artistic way of imagining some idol, the eyes are like this and He must play flute. It is not like that.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: Not difficult, but it requires elevation. So we should not imitate.

Guest (1): No, I mean desires... Just like your idol worship. Idol worship is not actually fruitless or anything. It's only to imagine God in it and just to have the concentration.

Prabhupāda: No, but idol worship is... These atheists, they say "idol worship," but we do not say. The... Here is Sākṣi-Gopāla. You know the story, Sākṣi-Gopāla? Two brāhmaṇas? So he never saw that He is idol. He saw Kṛṣṇa. So he said, "Kṛṣṇa, before You this man has promised. Now he's declining. So please come and give witness." And that is Sākṣi-Gopāla. So for a devotee, no. There is no idol.

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: The so-called idol, He went to be witness. He came from Vṛndāvana to Cuttack. So "idol worship" is they say. But devotee... Just like people are coming by thousands to see Jagannātha. Do they come to see idol? Wooden Jagannātha? They come to see real Jagannātha, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise why they will spend so much money and take so much trouble and come here? The atheists may say, "How foolish they are. They are coming here to see a wooden figure and spending so much money." That is the statement of the atheist. But a devotee comes to see—"Kṛṣṇa is here." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw—immediately fainted. So there are two visions. Therefore it is forbidden. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. So the atheist class, they see, "Here is a wooden... Oh, what is the Jagannātha made of? Wood or stone?" They're seeing wood and stone. Similarly, Vaiṣṇavas also they're seeing, "a American," "European." They are blind. They have no capacity to... Therefore śāstra says, "Don't think like that, nārakī. If you think like that, then you become hellish." Because he has no vision, he's warned only, that "Don't do this. It is very dangerous."

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1969:

I am glad that your friendship with Mr. George Harrison is gradually working, so much so that he is now prepared to spend $3,000 for an altar slab and a block of bluish marble for carving Krishna or Lord Caitanya. For Lord Caitanya yellowish marble or white marble should be used. If yellowish golden colored marble is available, that is very nice. Another thing is that these Forms should be worshiped. Our Deity worship is not heathenism. If we keep Forms of the Lord without worshiping the Deity under regulative principles, it will gradually turn into idol worship, which is an offense. The Deity of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. Krishna can act through the Deity perfectly. As I have given several times the example, the mailbox can act perfectly as the post office because it is authorized.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Trivikrama -- Vrindaban 8 September, 1976:

Unless one understands what is Krishna they will simply accuse us of having idol worship. They must first understand the science of Krsna then they may appreciate the temple. So go and and distribute as many books as possible.