Questions and Answers:
Q) Swamiji, we have so many Gods and Goddesses in our house. How does that help in cleansing the house?
A) When you have real respect and adoration for the Gods and Goddesses, your mind acts like a bridge to bring the Mahaakasha in. The faith and the trust act like drill bits to open and bring the Mahaakasha into the Kataakasha. The faith and trust make the idols alive. If there is no faith or trust, then it is just a stone statue.
Just having belief will not do. You should have faith. Belief is different from faith. Having belief is just like having a secret wish that something is true. It is not deep rooted. Faith, on the other hand, is an experiential feeling or emotion. It is deep rooted and can become unshakeable if it is allowed to grow in the right direction.
But some of us have faith of convenience! If we pass our exams, then Lord Ganesa is worshipped. However, if we fail, then our idol, Lord Ganesa, hits the road!
This type of faith is not good. It is only if you have the real feeling that the photos or statues of the Gods are embodiments of energy, will you be able to feel how they cleanse the whole space. Faith and trust have the unique power to expand the Chitaakasha. It is said that the faith of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gave life to a statue of Goddess Kali.
In the temple of Goddess Kali in Dakshineshwar, the deity has four hands, of which one hand holds a sword that can be removed, and another holds a skull that cannot be removed.
It is a practice in the temple to adorn the Kali deity with conch bangles on her hands. It is easy to insert the bangle on three hands, including the one holding a sword. However, inserting the bangle into the hand holding the skull is not possible.
The temple priest used to put the bangles on the three hands and place the fourth at the feet of the Goddess, as it was impossible to put it on.
Ramakrishna said, 'Why can't you put it on?' He went inside the sanctorum and put the bangle on the fourth hand.
The priest was surprised and asked if Ramakrishna broke the hand. Ramakrishna replied, 'Why, what is the need? I just told her to put the skull down for some time and I inserted the bangle. Now she's holding the skull again!'
Such was his faith in Mother Kali that the deity simply did what he requested it to do. Even now, you can go and see the idol. They allow you to go and touch the idol there. You can actually see the conch bangle without any breakage and the hand also intact.
When you feel that the deities are alive, they become real energy centers. They become your bridge to the Universe.
Idols are not mere idols; they are energy. That is why I say, worship is never of the idol, it is through the idol, the Existential energy.
In the Hindu sect of Vaishnavism, there is reference to a Divine incarnation, or avatar, called the Archaavatara. Apart from the dasavatara (ten living incarnations of the Lord) that are described in the Hindu epics, they believe in one more avatar, wherein the Lord takes the form of whichever idol you have immense faith in.
So no logic can explain these phenomena or concepts. Trust has got a tremendous capacity to create a bridge between you and Existence. Never think that anything is dead matter. Everything is 'live' energy.
Q) Can singing bhajans (devotional songs) create positive vibrations?
A) Surely they do. Bhajans are positive energy. The problem is that we do not understand 'emotion'. That is why I do not delve on bhakti and prayers, because prayer cannot happen unless one has had a glimpse of meditation. Unless you have had a glimpse of the energy or the ecstasy, prayer cannot happen, and then, whatever you do is like putting up an application with no proper credentials. All applications without proper credentials are simply consigned to the dust bin! So, when you have not experienced something on your own merit, it gets wasted and there is no benefit from it.