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sri:

Dear Sri Srivatsa Chakravarthy: 

This Q&A Session at the monthly Vedics meet in Chicago might answer some ofyour 
questions.
Vedics never use the word IDOL (ArchaAvathara is the right word)
but usually outsiders or those new to Vedic Culture may use the word IDOL.

===============================================================================>From
 Q&A Session Transcript at UIC - Vedics: 1999
===============================================================================
Topic: ArchAvathara, God in Archa (Idol) Form 
=================================================================
Question: Why do Vedics place so much emphasis on worshipping idols?

Answer:
This is a very important question, and can often be one of the most difficult 
concepts for someone 
either new or outside to Vedic culture to conceive. SriVaishnavam concurswith 
most of the world's 
faiths that there is only One Supreme Being, and His Loving Presence is 
everywhere in 
this Universe, including our own hearts.

Question: If he is everywhere, then why do we need to go to a temple, or make 
some 
elaborate altar for Him in our homes? Is not the whole thing rather primitive 
and idolatrous, 
and something that most monotheistic faiths would consider as backward or 
sinful? 

Answer: 
Questions such as these are valid but complex (for outsiders), but need to be 
answered 
if we are to ever fully accept the Vedic understanding of God and how He 
isconnected to His Universe. 

A good first step towards finding an answer begins with discovering that 
virtually all religions 
of the world have some representation or form of God that they recognize and 
adore to 
one degree or the other. It seems that the older the religion is, the more 
emphasis is place on icons and religious symbols. 

But, what is important for us to understand is that unlike these other faiths, 
the Vedic seers 
recognized the icons to be far more than just symbolic representation or 
objects of meditation, 
but an actual physical manifestation of the Lord Himself, who has provided us 
with the 
ultimate gift of Love, Himself in an understandable form, so that we can know 
His Presence and experience His Beauty and Love directly. 

As we know, our Acharyas recognize the Supreme Being, Sriman Narayana as being 
the One Supreme Truth, the Supreme Soul, upon whom all that is known and 
unknown 
about this Universe subsists. His Nature is one of infinitely good and 
admirable qualities, 
and His Power and Majesty are such that He Rules Over All That Is. 
But, despite all of this, He is accessible to each and every one of us as our 
Dearest Friend and Benefactor, irrespective of who we are, or what station of 
life we are in. 

Needless to say, such a Being's Love for us far exceeds our desires for him. 
So, while even the most devout among us may try and connect with him through 
our prayers for a few minutes every day, He is thinking about us each and every 
moment, 
and is constantly striving for ways to reach out to us, not in a forceful and 
demanding 
way, as some would suggest, but with His Love so that we may accept Him andbe 
redeemed from this endless cycle of birth and re-birth that is the result of 
our own selfish actions.

To reach out to us, the Supreme One, who is said to beyond the comprehension of 
even 
Brahma and Siva, has to come to us in ways in which we as human beings can 
understand. 
Our Acharyas describe five general forms through which He reveals Himself to us:

1.Para ? this is the Form that we see when we interact with Him in His Supreme 
Abode, Vaikuntam or Paramapadam
2.Vyuham ? this is the Lord as the Creator and Preserver of this Universe, the 
Great Cosmic Energy Who serves as the Source for the very existence for all 
things.
3.Vibhava Avathara ? these are the various Avatharas that the Lord has taken 
throughout history. They include the ten Avathars that we are all familiar 
with, Krishna, Rama, LakshmiNarasimha, and others.
4.Antaryami ? the Lord in the Heart, who serves as the conscience, guide and 
dearest friend to our true self
5.ArchAvathara ? God in form as the idol (Vigraha) in temples, and in homes, as 
photos, vigrahas, and salagramas.

Question: Why so many various forms?

Answer: 
While Sriman Narayana has taken all of these forms solely for our sake, it is 
relatively easy to see how most of these are ones that are currently beyond the 
reach of most human beings. The first one is only a form that we can see and 
enjoy after we have been freed from this world. The second is wonderful to 
contemplate on, but difficult to meditate upon, because despiteall its good, 
the power of the Universe can sometimes appear harsh, particularly for we human 
beings, who are constantly striving to tame it. The third are forms that took 
place or are to take place at specific times, so we may or may not have the 
benefit of interacting with them. And, while all of us would like to think that 
we are in touch with the Antaryami, the vast cobweb of fears, doubts, and 
complexities that are part of our own humanfoibles are really serving as filter 
that prevents His guidance from everyreally reaching us. 

Question: Which is the one most easy for us to access and interact with?

Answer: 
Really, the only form in which the Lord that can really and truly easily 
accessible is is the archAvathara, the Lord in form both as the idol (Archa) in 
the temples, and as the photos, vigrahas, and salagramas that every devotees 
keeps in his/her home. 
For a SriVaishnava, the Lord in this form is more than just a symbol, but is an 
actual manifestation of the Divine in a form that can be seen and interacted 
with. The Supreme, Unreachable Mystery sits helpless in our home ona small 
shelf or at best, a rather makeshift altar, in a completely vulnerable state, 
ready and willing to hear and answer any of our prayers, and accepting with joy 
what little love we can offer to Him.

This form of the Lord is available to anyone, irrespective of race, caste, 
creed and gender. All that is required on our parts is to accept Him and make 
part of our home and hearts. Indeed, while whatever we do pales to 
insignificance before His Unconditional Love and Grace, the more we accept 
Himand make Him a part of our family and life, the more He can reach to us (as 
we lower our egoes and allow his grace to flow), offering peace and happiness 
in this life, and eventually, Redemption.
=======================================================================================================================




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