Sri murti worship and idolatry. Sri murter-anghri-sevan or sraddha-purvaka-murti - serving the feet of Sri Murti with great love

They say, “The worship of Sri Murti is idolatry. Sri Murti is an idol created by an artist, and invented by none other than Beelzebub himself. Worshiping such an object would arouse the Lord's jealousy and limit His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence! " We can answer them: “Brothers! Approach the study of this question impartially and do not allow yourself to be carried away by sectarian dogmas. God is not jealous, because He is one, He has no equal. Beelzebub or Satan is nothing more than a product of the imagination or an allegory. An allegorical or imaginary creature should not be an obstacle in the way ... Those who consider God devoid of individuality simply identify Him with some force or property of nature, although in reality He is above nature, its laws and rules. His holy will is law, and sacrilege is to limit His infinite superiority, identifying Him with such qualities as omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience - qualities that created objects such as time, space and others can possess. The perfection of the Lord consists in the fact that opposite energies and qualities dwell in Him, governed by His supernatural “I”. He is identical with His magnificent Personality, who possesses such abilities as omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else. His holy and perfect Personality eternally dwells in the spiritual world and at the same time dwells in all His fullness in every created object and place.

This idea is superior to all other ideas of God. also rejects idolatry, but considers the worship of Sri Murti to be the only perfect means of spiritual development.

It has been shown that God is personal and magnificent in all manifestations. Sages, such as others, saw this Beauty with their spiritual vision and left us descriptions of it. Of course, words bear the stamp of coarse matter. Yet these descriptions allow one to feel the truth. According to them, man creates Sri Murti and contemplates in him the great Lord of our hearts with the deepest pleasure. Brothers, what is false or sinful about that? Those who claim that God has no material or spiritual form, while at the same time imagining a false image to worship, are undoubtedly idolaters. Those who contemplate the spiritual image with the eyes of their soul, as far as possible, bring this impression to their mind, and then create a symbol that satisfies the carnal vision for the continuous study of the higher feeling, are not idolaters at all. When looking at Sri Murti, do not look at the image itself, but contemplate the spiritual image of this image - then you will be an impeccable theist. Idolatry and worship of Sri Murti are two different things! My brothers, out of rashness, you simply confuse one with the other. In truth, the worship of Sri Murti is the only true worship of God, without which you will not be able to fully develop your spiritual senses.

The world will attract you through your senses until you see God in the objects of your senses. You are in a very difficult position, hardly conducive to your spiritual exaltation. Install Sri Murti in your home. Consider the Lord Almighty the guardian of your home. The food you eat is His ... Flowers and incense are also His prasadam... Eyes, ears, nose, touch and tongue - let everything be imbued with spiritual culture. Act like this with a godly heart, the Lord will know about it and will judge you according to your sincerity. Satan and Beelzebub will not be able to prevent you in this matter! All types of worship are based on the Sri Murti principle. Turn to the history of religion and you will come to this noble truth.

The Semitic idea of ​​God the patriarch - both in the pre-Christian period of Judaism and in the subsequent period of Christianity and Islam - is nothing more than a limited idea of ​​Sri Murti. The idea of ​​a monarch God such as Jupiter among the Greeks and the Aryans there is also a distant vision of the same principle. The idea of ​​strength and jyotirmaya brahmana those who practice meditation and formless energy shaktov are also very unclear about Sri Murti. In fact, the principle of Sri Murti is truth itself, which manifests itself in different ways in the minds of different people, according to different levels of their thinking. Even Jaimini and Kont, who were not ready to admit the existence of a creative God, pointed to certain levels of Sri Murti simply because some inner movement of the soul prompted them to do so! We meet people who have accepted the Cross, , and other similar symbols indicating the inner idea of ​​Sri Murti.

Moreover, if divine compassion, love, and justice can be painted with a brush or expressed with a chisel, why can't the personal beauty of God, including all other qualities, for the benefit of man be described in verse, depicted in a painting, or expressed with cutter? If words can express thoughts, a clock can show the time, and a symbol can tell us a story, then why can't a picture or statue give rise to higher thoughts and feelings associated with the transcendental beauty of the divine Personality?

The worshipers of Sri Murti are divided into two types: the adherents of ideal and physical worship [idealists and formalists]. The adherents of the physical school have the right, according to the circumstances of life and the state of mind, to establish temple institutions. Those who, due to circumstances and position, have the right to worship Sri Murti in their minds, while maintaining due respect for the temple institutions, usually tend to worship through and , and their church is universal and independent of the caste and skin color of believers. prefers this second type and establishes the method of worship in His Shikshashtaka, printed as an appendix to this book. “Worship continually, with a sense of humility, and very soon you will be blessed ».

According to the doctrine, as it is stated, God is an absolute independent Personality, possessing appearance, feelings, consciousness and all other attributes of a living being. This concept of God allows us to understand the idea of ​​Murti, or the image of God. Although Murti is created from material elements, he is not material and is the eternal form of God. Murti is created not by his own whim and not by the power of a person's imagination, but is the embodiment of spiritual revelation, in which God reveals Himself in the pure heart of a holy soul. These revelations subsequently become the directions according to which the Deity or Murti is made. Some Murti are considered self-manifested, that is, appearing without human participation. There is a special tradition of worshiping the Murti - one of the types of selfless devotional service to God. The idea behind such worship should be properly understood. Srila Bhaktivinod rejects the point of view of rationalists who consider the worship of the Murti one of the forms of idolatry that is often found in traditional cultures of different peoples. Rationalists do not understand the nature of Murti and mistakenly believe that Murti expresses an impersonal higher truth in sensual images that are understandable to ordinary people who are not capable of philosophical reflection. Such rationalists assert that God is a great nothing (or, conversely, great everything), that He is dissolved in nature, space, history, etc. Although rationalists arrogantly ridicule the feelings of ordinary believers, they themselves profess a philosophy that does not speak of great foresight. The Absolute God, as the all-encompassing principle of existence, cannot be reduced to an impersonal force: after all, then He would be diminished in comparison with a person who has an individuality, name, feelings and relationships with loved ones. The Source of man, the Source of personality itself cannot be impersonal, devoid of individuality. It is a mistake to think that the unlimited God does not have the ability to appear in the form of the Deity, or Murti. The power of God is also unlimited, and no laws of nature, no principles of logical reasoning can limit this power. The logical law of contradiction is applicable only to finite and relative objects, but it is wrong to apply it to the Absolute and the Infinite, since logic itself is only one of an infinite number of principles, the source of which is the Almighty. Rationalists, in essence, cannot go beyond their own heads, since their ideas about reality are flat, formal and speculative. God, as an independent, all-pervading Personality, is able to appear before His devotee in any form and when He wants it. No one can limit Him or resist His desire to reveal Himself. For this reason, those who serve Sri Murti do not worship man-made idols. On the contrary, they worship the eternal, full of consciousness, all-auspicious form of the Personality of Godhead, whose power is infinite and incomprehensible to the intellect of a finite, relative being, as any ordinary person is ( approx. Dinashrai Dasa).

Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Veneration of Shrimurti

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
From the book "The Life and Instructions of Caitanya Mahaprabhu".

Sri Sri Gandharvika-Giridhari, Navadwip

Some are surprised by the theory of the worship of Srimurti. "Oh - they say - the worship of Shrimurti is idolatry! Shrimurti is an idol created by an artist. And Beelzebub himself, Satan, teaches him to worship him. The worship of such an object offends God and limits His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence!" We will answer: "Brothers, sincerely ask this question and do not allow any sectarian dogma to direct your mind to the wrong path. God has no jealousy, for there is no other equal to him. Beelzebub or Satan is only an object of imagination or a subject of allegory. Allegorical or imaginary creature. , should not be an obstacle on the path of bhakti. Those who believe that God is impersonal, simply identify Him with one of the forces or attributes of Nature, although in fact He is above Nature, its rules and laws. His holy desire is love, and will be sacrilege limit His immeasurable greatness, identifying Him only with such attributes as omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience, which can also be present in created things, such as time and space, etc. His greatness consists in the simultaneous presence of conflicting forces and attributes that are governed by His supernatural Personality. He is identical with His all-beautiful personality, possessing such powers as omnipotence, season and ubiquity, the likes of which can not be found anywhere else. His holy and perfect personality is eternally present in the spirit world and, at the same time, in every created object. And is present there in all His fullness. This idea surpasses all other ideas about Divinity. Mahaprabhu denies idolatry, but considers the worship of Srimurti to be the only and irreplaceable means of spiritual culture. As already mentioned, God is personal and all-beautiful. Sages like Vyasa and others could see this beauty with the eyes of their souls. They left us descriptions. Of course, words carry the coarseness of matter. But in these descriptions you can see the Truth. According to these descriptions, Srimurti is created and in him the great God who is in the heart is perceived with great pleasure! Brethren, is this sinful or false? Those who say that God has no form, material or spiritual, and yet create a false image for worship, they are no doubt idolaters. But those who see the spiritual form of the Divine through the eyes of their soul, transfer this impression to the level of the mind, as accurately as possible and shape it into an image, to satisfy the material view, cannot in any way be considered idolaters. Seeing Srimurti, you should not even see the image itself, but the spiritual model of this image, then you are a pure theist. Idolatry and worship of Srimurti are two different things, but my brothers, you are simply substituting one for the other out of haste. In truth, the worship of Shrimurti is the only true form of Deity worship, without which it is simply impossible to adequately cultivate your religious feelings. The world attracts you through your senses, and until you see God in your sense objects, you are in an awkward position that hardly contributes to your spiritual growth. Place Shrimurti in your home. You must think that the almighty Lord is keeping your home; the food you take is His prasadam, flowers and incense are also His prasadam. Eyes, ears and nose, touch and taste are all spiritual in nature. If you do it with a pure heart, God knows it and judges you by your sincerity. Satan and Beelzebub will never come between you in this. All ways of worship are based on the Shrimurti principle. Look at the history of religions and you will understand this noble truth. The Semitic idea of ​​a patriarchal God in the pre-Christian period, in Judaism, and in the post-Christian period, in Mohammedanism is nothing more than the limited idea of ​​Shrimurti. The monarchical idea of ​​Jupiter, adopted by the Greeks, or Indra by the Aryan Karmakandis, also has a definite view of the same principle. The idea of ​​strength or Jyotirmaya brahma of the adherents of meditation, or the unformed energy of the shaktas, is also an obscure vision of the same Srimurti. In fact, the Shrimurti principle is Truth itself, which manifests itself in different people in different ways, according to the level of their comprehension. Even Jaimini and Komte, who were not ready to accept the doctrine of a creator God, preached some aspects of Shrimurti, simply by obeying some inner movement of the soul! And again we see people who worship the cross, salagram shila, lingam, and other emblems, as signs of the inner idea of ​​Shrimurti.

Further, if Divine compassion, love and justice can be depicted with a pencil or expressed with a sculptor's chisel, then why should the personal beauty of the Deity, covering all other attributes, not be depicted in the poetry of painting or sculpture, for the benefit of people? If words can inspire thoughts, a glance can tell time, and a sign can tell a story, why can't a drawing or figure inspire high feelings and reflections on the transcendental beauty of the divine Personality?

PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF WORSHIP OF DEITIES

We can feel the presence of the Lord only to the extent that we have advanced in devotional service to the Lord and purified our lives from sin. However, even those who have not yet got rid of all sins, the Lord mercifully allows Him to see Himself in the form of arca-murti installed in the temple. The Lord is omnipotent and can accept our service by entering the arca-murti - the Deity in the temple.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.1.17 comm.)

Acyutatma dasa:

Of the 64 modes of devotional service, Srila Rupa Gosvami singles out the 5 most powerful ones that can awaken love for Krishna:

bhagavata-sravan, madhura-vasa, sadhu-sanga,
sri-murti sraddhaya sevan, nama-sankirtana

I do not want to say banal phrases about how important it is for the devotees of our yatra to worship Nitai-Sacinandana, and that the Deities should be at the center of the life of the community. This is stated in all Vaishnava scriptures.

Sri murti sraddhaya sevan- worship the Deity with faith. Word sraddhaya emphasizes that we should worship murti Lord with deep faith. Shraddhaya- giving Him your heart!

Coming to the program, we can bring something as a gift to the Deities, consciously sing and dance for Their satisfaction, and not just give out our energy. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda descended on this earth to bestow love for Radha and Krishna to everyone, and those who try to fulfill Their desire by distributing Srila Prabhupada's books, chanting the Holy Names in the streets of the city, distributing prasadam are awarded Their mercy. Nitai Sacinandana manifests where devotees spread Their glories!

Sri Sri Nitai-Sacinandana ki - jaya!

Anyone who is engaged in worshiping the Deity or form of the Lord in the temple is considered a Vedic student twenty-four hours a day. Simply by decorating the Deities of the Lord, Radha and Krishna in the temple, one can very easily understand the teachings of the Vedas.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.7.46, comm.)

Jiva-raja dasa:

There are three ways. The path of bhagavata-vidhi, where Deity is the holy name; pancaratrika-vidhi, where the Deity is arca-vigraha (made of material elements); and the Vedic path is also given, where the Deity is the sacrificial fire. For those who do not yet see God in the holy name, it is very important to see Him in the form of the Deity. The importance of Deity worship for a devotee, whether beginner or advanced, cannot be overstated. We see from history that even such exalted personalities as the Goswamis of Vrindavan had their beloved Deities, because for these Vaishnavas the Deity is not just a statue or "apparatus" for blessing food, incense and flowers. They saw in them directly the Lord himself and served Him.

Almost all the incarnations of the Lord, having completed His mission, disappeared from the sight of people, but the Lord in His incarnation of the Deity, arca-vigraha, is very merciful. He stays with us as long as necessary. We can see God every day, sing for Him, eat the remains of His table, touch His transcendental body, etc. Why does He come in this manner? Because as long as our senses are contaminated, we cannot see the Lord in the holy name, therefore He appears before us in the form of a Deity made of material elements to accept our service.

In fact, our whole life should be built around the Divine. We live according to the pancaratrika system. Getting up early, bathing, putting on tilak, chanting Gayatri, wearing clean clothes, etc. - all this is necessary to cleanse our senses. If we were on the liberated level, there would be no need for this, because the material body is not taken into account at this level. But if we are influenced by the objects of the senses, and we are inclined to hear, see and smell things not related to Krsna for our own enjoyment, then that means our senses are contaminated. That is why there is Deity worship, pancaratrika-vidhi. Through this process, we can engage all our senses and, moreover, all our activities. Deity worship is much broader than simply performing arati or washing the Deity. Raising funds for worship, preparing items for worship, bowing, organizing worship, preaching, etc. - these are just a few of what can be attributed to Deity worship. The basic methods of Deity worship are beautifully outlined by Rupa Goswami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (in Srila Prabhupada's abridged version of The Nectar of Devotion). There are so many books on the topic of Deity worship, and you can study them all your life. Unfortunately, most of them are not in Russian, and not even in English, but in Sanskrit. Nevertheless, there is enough information in Russian for our successful Deity worship.

When we go to the store to buy potatoes, this is also Deity worship. After all, it will be potatoes for the Lord! Such meditation should permeate all activities of a devotee. Then life takes on meaning and, coming home to such a devotee, you, in fact, find yourself not just in an apartment, but in a real temple, where the main personality is the Deity. In this way, the senses of a devotee who daily contemplates the Deity, inhales the flowers offered to Him, incense, eats the remnants of His food, touching His transcendental body, are purified, and He becomes very happy that He can serve the most beloved person, his true friend, the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is liberated during his lifetime - he is already living with Krsna.

The most important thing in worshiping the Divine is to remember that He is a person, and Divine at that. All insults arise from neglect of Him as a person. Therefore, in the presence of the Divine, one must always be very careful.

The results of worship for every sincere devotee will be amazing. Usually humble Vaishnavas do not talk about their relationship with the Lord, but surely everyone has it. I see that some devotees have much more devotion to Sri Sri Nitai-Sacinandana than I do. This is also proof that Deity worship is not performed solely by the pujari. I bow down to the feet of the devotees who have faith in the Deities and are sincerely trying to serve Their lotus feet.

Bhakti-Vidyapurna Swami said that after the distribution of books, Deity worship is second in importance. We distribute books to attract people to our Vaishnava society, in the center of which is the Lord in the form of Sri Sri Nitai-Sacinandana. Pujari service is also considered preaching because people look at the Deities when they come to the temple and enjoy the view of the altar with beautiful Deities. The altar should be a feast for the eyes. This is a window to the spirit world.

For me personally, Deity worship means a lot. You can't list everything. I just can't imagine how to live without it. I pray to all the devotees who will read this to bless me to serve for the rest of my life to Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana.

Manjari priya dasi:

Srila Prabhupada writes in the commentary on 17th verse 12 of Chapter 4 of the Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam that "arca-vigraha, although it is the physical form of the Lord, is nondifferent from His original spiritual form." It also says that "the worship of arca-vigraha should not be considered idolatry" and that the Deity, "arca-vigraha, is the embodiment of the Lord in a form that is perceivable to the devotees!"

Deity is the most merciful incarnation of the Lord ! Why? Due to its availability; it is available even to the most ordinary people.

Our wonderful Deities Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana came to us in the St. Petersburg yatra at the most difficult time, when we were left without a temple. Jaipataka Maharaj gave them beautiful names and blessed us to worship them.

Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana began to "raise" our yatra, even enduring the fact that They did not have their HOUSE (Temple)!

They are very amazing, very merciful - they accept our service in any circumstance and teach us to serve in any circumstance! For 10 years they have been supporting us and arranging everything in a favorable way for us! I see Them very Majestic and Royal! Sri Sri Nitai-Sacinandana Bring Happiness to Devotees! They are Generous, Compassionate, very Merciful and answer all my prayers. Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana Ki - Jaya!

The deity should be very well worshiped, clothed, fed, etc. By doing this, you will always be peaceful and cheerful.
(Srila Prabhupada Letter dated 7/8/1976)

Yamuna dasi:

By the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Krishna, I have been trying to serve Sri Sri Nitai Sacinandana for several years, and this service is one of the main pillars of my spiritual life.

My Guru Maharaj Srila Bhakti Chaitanya Swami says that it is no accident that we are attracted to Krishna consciousness in a particular yatra where there are certain Deities. He explained that it is by Their desire that we come to the devotees. And I very strongly feel that the Lord came for me in this very form. Over time, the Deities taught me to see this.

Nitai-Sacinandana inspires me most of all because of the way They care for Their devotees. They love us very much, each of us. And the amazing thing is that They know what's going on deep in our hearts and respond to each one accordingly - an incredibly personal approach. This is very inspiring. Not a single prayer, not a single request goes unnoticed. And sometimes, when there are spiritually difficult moments, They literally invade my life and attract to Themselves, destroying all the stupid fabrications of my mind. I would not have coped with my mind and feelings without Them. I see that the Deities accept my service, not because They need it, but because I need it. They will allow me to serve themselves and watch my ministry as parents watch a small child play in the sandpit. In this way They occupy all my senses. They educate me (along with my spiritual master), teach me how to serve, communicate with devotees, and correct my mindset and understanding.

Srila Prabhupada said that the Deities of any yatra are the main Deities of all devotees of that yatra. Sri Sri Nitai-Sacinandana are the main Deities of St. Petersburg, and our household Deities are Their expansion, even if it is the form of Jaganattha, Radha-Krishna, Krishna-Balarama, the image of Panca Tattva ...

Therefore, we see Them not only on the Sunday program, we see Them all the time, and They see us. The service of Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana is far from limited to the activities of the Pujara department. All we do is serve the Deities of our yatra. And if we want to develop relationships with them, then we need to strive to find out how this can be done. For example, any prasadam from the Deities is transcendental. In the meantime, we need something to constantly remind of the Deities - for example, kanthimala offered to the Deities, ornaments, garlands ... Any service can be performed as an offering to Their lotus feet. You can go to work, perform your daily duties, trying to realize that this is the service of Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana. Ideally, we should come to the realization that our entire life is an offering to the Deities.

One who is sufficiently advanced in spiritual life can receive direct inspiration from the temple of the Deity, and therefore a devotee of the Lord always takes shelter in the temple of the Lord to advance in spiritual knowledge by the grace of the Lord.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.30, comm.)

Syamananda dasa:

I am very grateful to Srila Prabhupada and Guru Maharaj for giving me the opportunity to do this amazing service. Service to the Deities is valuable in that it can be both individual and joint.

We can do direct service to the Lord, and this can be our personal relationship with the Divine. Deities become the center of our life, I am not afraid of this word - members of our family. All activity takes place around Them. When I was a pujari in a now defunct temple on Paper, I wrote a letter to my spiritual master Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami and asked him how I could develop prayer communication with the Deities. And he answered me: “I do this in relation to Krishna and Balarama in Vrindavan: whenever I enter the altar room (altar), I put my head on their feet and pray that they will give me Their mercy. Do the same. "

I immediately recall the stories from the Caitanya Caritamrta, when the associates of Lord Gauranga tried to get dust from the feet or to embrace Gaurahari's feet. We can also do this, if not physically, then in our hearts, because the purpose of serving the Deities is to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.

The joint service of the Vaishnavas to the Deities is no less amazing. Through this shared ministry comes spiritual friendship and experience. An experience of spiritual cooperation without self-interest in serving the Deities. Everyone performs his service: someone dances or sings in kirtana, someone distributes books or decorates the Deities, someone collects an altar or bouquets, someone washes the floor or brings fruits and flowers. All ministries are important because they depend on each other. Just like the musicians in kirtana can play beautifully only when they cooperate, and not play "who is in what."

It is already 10 years since Sri Sri Nitai-Sachinandana has given us His mercy. During this time there were many difficulties and trials; there was even a time when there were not enough decorations for the altar, paraphernalia, dishes for the Deities.

Now Sri Sri Nitai Sachinandana has over 50 sets of clothes and many paraphernalia. An abundance of various incense and oils. There is little left to do - it's time to build a temple for the Deities!

Yatra has changed many centers and ashrams over the decade, but devotees continue to selflessly serve the Deities in any conditions and this is inspiring.

I would like to thank the Vaishnavs for the help they provide in service. Only by serving together can we achieve a positive result in our individual worship of the Lord.

A Vaishnava saint is able to stop
ALL the pain of EVERYONE and FOREVER.
By insulting a saint or a murti, you deny
The very Source of Life and the Path to It,
creating an avalanche of pain around him.

Chapter 13

Gopala Chapala did not cause any pain to the Vaishnava, even if it could just be pain of resentment. We know that the saints are perfect, and therefore do not take offense, especially at such a trifle. However, the whole body of Gopala Chapala began to decompose alive, causing him unbearable pain. How did compensation work here?

And as far as the Dharma is concerned, saintly Vaishnavas are outside of it, because they follow the principle sarva dharma parityajya ... By doing this, Gopala Chapala did not violate anyone's faith in the Dharma, because the Dharma provides for the worship of Durga Devi and other demigods. Why was he awarded such a terrible and painful disease?

But that's not all. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that after the death of Gopal Chapala, unimaginable suffering awaits in Hell for insulting a Vaisnava. One gets the impression that God is simply avenging His own.

Gopala Chapala did not hit Srivasa Thakura, did not even call him, and did not alienate anyone from following the Dharma. Why was he so "compensated"?

And the second part of the question. You gave me the example of the Gopis, who agreed to put the dust from their feet on Bhagavan's head, although everyone else did not dare to take such a suicidal step. Is God so angry that he will severely torture someone who does not respect Him too much? After all lack of resentment and anger is considered a sign of perfection... How can the Perfect Lord be so angry? After all, this is not even an insult to Your bhakta, for which You could “justly punish”, but an insult to You personally. The dust is put on your head and not on someone else's head. How does aparadha compensation work? These are my questions.

A holy Vaishnava is one who is able to end ALL pain of EVERYONE and FOREVER!

By insulting a Vaishnava, you undermine his authority in the eyes of others and destroy others' faith in what he says.

The same applies to Sri Murti. In the example with dust, we are talking about the Deity of the Temple. The sastras indicate that neglecting the Deity leads to going to Hell. Those who refused to give dust from their feet knew about these instructions. Having acted in similar images with Murti, you will cause others to think that the Divine does not represent something important from Himself.

Having lost faith, many, very many will not take advantage of the help of the holy Vaishnava and the mercy of Sri Murti. Can you imagine what an endlessly huge mountain of suffering COULD BE REMOVED from the unfortunate shoulders, but by your grace remained in its place?

Woe to him who takes these little ones away from Me!

Even if you push one person away from salvation, all his pain for hundreds of future births, which COULD NOT BE, will be laid on your head. What "compensation" can compensate you for this?

Even the slightest doubt that you manage to generate in the heart of another person will lead to pain that he could have avoided, but did not escape. For the presence of doubt affects degree of diligence with which a person follows the instructions of a saint or worships the Deity.

And if we assume that as a result of my actions no one will suffer? If, for example, the insult was inflicted when we were face to face?

Sooner or later, the secret always becomes apparent.

What if it happened on a desert island?

You cannot help but influence others in one form or another. You can never eliminate your influence on the surrounding space. For the closest ties run everywhere and everywhere, permeating every atom of the universe.

Just as a diving swimmer cannot, no matter how hard he tries, to stop touching the water enclosing him from all sides and move its particles, so a soul wrapped around Maya from all sides cannot leave the mechanism of interaction of coarse and subtlest energies. Each beat of your heart reaches the smallest particles of the most distant spaces from you, and your every thought generates a movement of energy that has an impact on the Universe.

I tell you again: he who does not try to live for Me's sake slows down the movement of EVERY creature towards Me. Therefore, he is involved in one way or another in the pain of everyone in the Universe.

Compensation always seeks to eliminate disharmony by applying equal and opposite force.

Ignoring Sri Murti or insulting a saint, you deny the very Source of Life and the Path to It, generating around you “destructive vibrations”. These vibrations cannot but affect other living beings. In this way, you are contributing to the continuation of the general pain. And the power of this contribution is explained by your close proximity to the Source of Life, which you are trying to poison.

I seem to be starting to understand, but very vaguely so far. How does this subtlest influence of mine take place?

Murti, Sri Murti- Murti means a statue or other image of one of the forms of God. In this case, we are talking about the Deity of the Temple.

Vaishnava aparadha- an insult to a devotee of Vaisnavas.

Gopal Chapal and Srivas Thakur- see story below.

Goddess Durga- the wife of Lord Shiva, is a united divine power, establishes balance and harmony in the material world, creates peace and well-being.

Sarva dharma parityajya- part of a verse from Bhagavad-gita 18.66, which reads: " Leave all kinds of religions and just surrender to Me. I will free you from all the consequences of your sinful actions. Do not be afraid of anything. "This is what Krishna says to Arjuna on the battlefield, explaining the various" types of religion "and the path of cultivation. In other words, at the end of the cultivation path, when one attains love of God, he gives up all kinds of religion and engages in pure devotional service. , which cannot always be squeezed into the framework of strict religious precepts.

Addition:

The Story of Gopal Chapal: An Insult to Srivasa Thakur

The house of Srivasa Thakura at that time was a place for nighttime kirtans (congregational chanting of the Names of God) - so wanted by Lord Caitanya, who Himself was present.

There were several people who blamed and criticized Srivasa Thakur, and among them were even educated people from the upper strata of society. They publicly called Saint Srivasa a tantrik and spread rumors that during the day Srivas and his brother were looking for naive innocent girls, and at night they bring them to their house, drink wine and hold tantric orgies, which is a terrible sin.

Srivas did not pay attention and simply continued to chant the Names of God, even if they began to threaten him to report to the king (because what he was doing was forbidden). They threatened to break into his home, beat him and his brothers and throw him into the Ganges. One such envious person was Gopala Chapala, a fairly educated brahmana who held a high position in society.

And then one day Gopala Chapala crept up to the house of Srivasa Thakur and did his dirty deed. He laid a large plantain leaf near the threshold and laid out on it the objects that were used to worship the goddess Durga, and next to him he placed a jug of wine. Gopala Chapala hoped that in the morning people would see all this and think that Srivas is a hypocrite who behaves like a Vaisnava saint, but at night he worshiped the goddess Durga in order to satisfy his selfish desires.

It turned out that Srivas left the house before anyone else and saw all this. Instead of removing the "incriminating evidence", on the contrary, he called all the community leaders and very humbly said: "I want you to know what I am doing here at night - look at this." Srivas Thakur was not upset by this incident , he thought like this: "Let them think what they want, the main thing is that Krishna knows how things really are." And no one believed his words, moreover, respect for the holy Vaishnava only increased. People saw that he was not even trying to protect himself, and then they themselves cleaned and cleaned everything, thoroughly rinsing with water.

The story goes that three days later, Gopala Chapala fell ill with a terrible disease - leprosy, which was the result of his deliberate insult to a Vaishnava. His fingers and nose were covered in pus and oozed with blood, white worms were climbing there, and he howled in pain. But even more he was tormented by mental anguish, since everyone turned away from him. Leprosy is contagious, and at that time there was no medicine for it, so the brahmana was expelled from the village, and now he was lying under a tree on the banks of the Ganges, rejected by everyone, experiencing great suffering.

After some time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to take a walk. This happened for a reason, He wanted to teach a lesson to the "brahmana" Gopala and all of us, so that we do not repeat such serious mistakes and commit offenses. Gopala Chapala saw Him and cried out in agony, understanding his hands, prostrating himself: “O Lord, in the village You are like my nephew, and I am You like an uncle, You are the Supreme Lord, you protect everyone, save the most fallen sinners. I am suffering, I beg you to forgive me. Please save me. " Lord Caitanya became angry, “You have done a great offense to Srivas. The leprosy from which you are now suffering is only the beginning, only preparation for ten million lives in hellish suffering. " And He left.

Why did Lord Caitanya, the savior of the most fallen, say this? He didn't just want to end the suffering of his body and mind; He wanted his heart to change, so that this change did not happen superficially, but in the very depths, at the root. He left the brahmana to think about it and left. When Sri Chaitanya was returning back, Gopal Chapala's heart changed in depth, and he again approached Lord Caitanya. This time he did not pray to Him in despair for deliverance - he prayed sincerely and with humility. This is a huge difference - in despair, you simply pray to God: "Lord, please take this suffering, I will do anything, just take this suffering," but now he was truly humble. Gopala Chapala approached the Lord with humility, realizing his offenses towards saint Srivas Thakura and sincerely repenting for that. But Lord Caitanya replied that only Srivas Thakura can forgive him. Then Gopala Chapal went to him. Srivas did not hold any grudge against the brahmana, on the contrary, he prayed for him. He could not do anything. do until Gopala Chapala himself asks him for forgiveness from the bottom of his heart, and when the fallen brahmana came and asked for forgiveness, with faith and respect for Srivas, he forgave him with love.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw this, He not only healed Gopal Chapala of leprosy, but also freed him and the insects that were eating his flesh; the brahmana became young and beautiful again, and his heart was filled with Krishna-Prema, love of Godhead. Thus, by the grace of Lord Sri Chaitanya and saint Srivasa Thakura, the offense and its terrible consequences were neutralized - Gopala Chapala was saved from ten million lives on the hellish planets and attained the highest goal of life - love of God.