Aptavani-2
49
it to yourself but why are you preaching it to others? Let people
make some spiritual progress. Countless chovisis (the cycle of
twenty-four tirthankaras) have come and gone. Idols have been
around for ages because where else would people of the
elementary religious standard go? Idols are meant for those in
the primary standards of religion not for those seeking knowledge
of the reality (the Self). The idol facilitates focusing of the chit.
These idols are those of the vitarag Lords and people accept
them as such. In addition to that, there is tremendous protection
of these idols and their influence by the celestial beings of the
vitarag Lords. So no one should point fingers at idols. The idols
have become the established visible representation of the vitarag
Lords. Even if someone were to merely utter the name of Lord
Mahavir, it would be enough, because it is the name of the
vitarag Lord. Is it better to utter the name of the vitarag Lord
or the name of some ordinary person? Along with uttering the
name of the Lord, one must also have the awareness of what the
Lord is and what His qualities and attributes are.
One acharya worked towards establishing the importance
of a guru simply because people were becoming increasingly
dependant only on idols. The importance of a guru was declining
in people’s mind along with the negative effect of the changing
time cycle. He conceded that idols were important because they
helped people attain focus in their meditation but a guru was also
necessary. But instead, people have now completely done away
with idols and new paths of devotion to only the guru have been
established.
How can one mak e disparaging remarks like, “Here goes
the procession of the inanimate idols?” Are such comments
appropriate? How can ridiculing the idols for which people have
tremendous reverence be appropriate? Nevertheless, the idols
will have to be put aside in order to gain awareness of the
importance of a guru. However idols are correct for those who
have not yet been able to have a positive focus on anything in