Deity Worship – the most valuable Benediction given by the Lord to Neophytes

Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the
most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners.
All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord
by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

DEITY WORSHIP – THE MOST VALUABLE
BENEDICTION GIVEN BY THE LORD TO NEOPHYTES

SB 1.12.9 purport —
There is no difference between the thumblike Viṣṇu in the womb of Uttarā and the full-fledged Nārāyaṇa in the Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma, the kingdom of Godhead. He accepts the form of arcā-vigraha (worshipable Deity) just to accept service from His different incapable devotees. By the mercy of the arcā-vigraha, the form of the Lord in material elements, the devotees who are in the material world can easily approach the Lord, although He is not conceivable by the material senses. The arcā-vigraha is therefore an all-spiritual form of the Lord to be perceived by the material devotees; such an arcā-vigraha of the Lord is never to be considered material. There is no difference between matter and spirit for the Lord, although there is a gulf of difference between the two in the case of the conditioned living being. For the Lord there is nothing but spiritual existence, and similarly there is nothing except spiritual existence for the pure devotee of the Lord in his intimate relation with the Lord.

SB 4.30.27 purport — Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

SB 7.14.39-TRANSLATION — My dear King, when great sages and saintly persons saw mutually disrespectful dealings at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, Deity worship in the temple was introduced with all paraphernalia.

NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501 — Without worshiping the arcā-vigraha, the form or Deity of the Lord, one cannot understand such literature as Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.  So the temple worship is essential. So those who are against temple worship, Deity worship, they are not very intelligent class of men, foolish, mūḍha.

WHEN WE HAVE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING

760924SB.VRN — If we think that “Here is a stone statue,” then it will not prolong many days. It will not… Galagraha. No more vigraha, but galagraha. Suppose I have established this temple. Now under my direction, my disciples are worshiping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rūpa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that “Our rascal Guru Mahārāja established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration.”This will be… That is called galagraha, a burden, “He has left with us a burden.” This is the risk. Then this, such a big temple will be mismanaged, and you’ll find that “This is breaking” and “This is unclean,” And there is no attention. This will be our… That is called galagraha. “The rascal has given us a burden.”

So it is very difficult. If we lost, if we have lost that feeling that “Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is a chance to serve Him...” Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ… Not that. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. As soon as… Therefore we are very much vigilant, “Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why…?” As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple. To manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don’t mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. “All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all.” This is the position. 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. … As soon as you will lose the spirit of service, this temple will become a big go-down, that’s all. No more temple. So we have to maintain that service spirit. Therefore we are so much particular—”Why fresh flower is not there?” If you think, “Here is a stone statue. What is the meaning of fresh flower or old flower? We have to give some flower. That’s all.” But no feeling, that “Here is Kṛṣṇa. We must give fresh flower.” Just like I’m a living man, if you give me a fresh flower, and if you bring some garbage, and if you give me, shall I be pleased? Do you think? So this feeling is losing even in the beginning, that “We shall satisfy this statue with some rubbish, garbage flowers. He’s not going to protest.” Yes, He’ll not protest. But your life will be finished. The protest will come like that. As soon as you lost the feeling, bhava, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ [Bg. 10.8]. Who can worship Kṛṣṇa? When there is bhava. Sthāyi-bhāva. This has been discussed in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, what is bhava. But if you have no bhava, then you are on the material, kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Simply show. A show cannot go on many days. Show will be finished very soon.

NO NEED TO BUILD A HUGE TEMPLE-

SSR CHAPTER 5 – Therefore, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that this is the incarnation of God in this age. And who worships Him? The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the middle, accompanied by His principal associates—Nityananda, Advaita, Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture. Anyone can have this picture in his home, chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is the simple method. But who will capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much bother, if one simply keeps a picture of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at home and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and worship God. Therefore it is a great opportunity.

Madhya 25.278 : PURPORT :-All the devotees connected with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must read all the books that have been translated (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, Room Conversation — May 7, 1976, Honolulu

“By serving the spiritual master, you keep your weapon always sharpened. And then take help from Kṛṣṇa, the words of spiritual master sharpen weapon and yasya prasādād bhāgavata…, and the spiritual master is happy, then Kṛṣṇa immediately will help. He gives you strength. Suppose you got a sword, sharpened sword. But if you have no strength, what will you do with the sword? Kṛṣṇa will give you the strength, how to fight and kill the enemies. Everything is described. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu (said) guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya [Cc. Madhya 19.151], make your weapon sharpened by the instruction of the spiritual master and then Kṛṣṇa will give you strength, you’ll be able to conquer.”

Conv june 23 1976 NVRN

Devotee (4): The difficulty is that we cannot understand, we cannot feel what pleases Kṛṣṇa now, Yet we can feel what pleases us, and that is the difficulty?

Prabhupāda: You have no feeling, that everyone knows. Therefore you have to carry out the order of spiritual master, that’s all.

Devotee (1) : If we try to please Kṛṣṇa with all of our service and activities, that automatically brings pleasure to the self?

Prabhupāda: You cannot please Kṛṣṇa directly. You please your spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. If you want to please directly Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. That is concoction You cannot please. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You have to please your spiritual master, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased.

Bombay Dec 4 1974 lecture

Somebody was talking that “Your Deity is just like trying to talk with me.” Prasanna-vaktra Yes. He is here to talk with you, but He is waiting whether you’re interested to talk with Him. That’s all. Kṛṣṇa says that teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prti-purvakam, bddhi-yogam adami tam [Bg. 10.10]. He talks, but with whom? Tesamsatata-yuktanam. One who is twenty-four hours engaged with love and faith in the service of the Lord. To whom? Just like if you want to talk with some big man, then you must have qualification. Is it possible that if you want to talkwith the big man here, immediately you like? No. You cannot talk. Youmust be fit to talkwith him. Similarly,Kṛṣṇa is ready to talk with you. He has come. He has descended in arcā-mūrti to talk with you, to be visible by you. Now you make yourself ready and fit to talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then He will exchange conversation. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. This is possible.

Lecture NY sept 18 1966

So in my childhood, when I was five or six years old, I requested my father that “Father, give me this Deity. I shall worship.” So father purchased for me little Krishna, Rādhā, and he gave me, and I was imitating. Whatever foodstuff I was getting, I was offering to Krishna and eating. In this way I got my life developed. And there was a temple in our neighbourhood.So I was seeing the Krishna deity. Oh, I was thinking…..I still remember. I was standing for hours together.

SB 4.30.27 Purport-The form of the Lord as worshiped in the temples is called arcā-vigraha or arcāvatāra, the worshipable form, the Deity incarnation. This facility is offered to neophyte devoteesso that they can see the real form of the Lord face to face and offer their respectful obeisances and sacrifices in the form of arcā.Through such facilities the neophytes gradually invoke their original Krsnaconsciousness. Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitai— Ki Jaya !!!

(by Damaghosa das)