Idol (Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"idol" |"idolaters" |"idolatrous" |"idolism" |"idolize" |"idols"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Guest: Money god is greater than Brahma and Śiva and Viṣṇu, just about, unfortunately. The people have made an idol of gold and silver and letter of paper, paper making the promises of government...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: ...which are never kept. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: I was going to say, it is a fraud.

Guest: Fraud.

Prabhupāda: Māyā.

Guest: But that is...

Prabhupāda: It is māyā. I give you piece of paper and you think on thousand rupees. This is māyā.

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 -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So western people, western civilization has become the father and mother of India.

Dr. Patel: They idolize.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: 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...