The Guru and the Disciple
29
Dadashri: Nothing will work. The pictures do not endorse
anything. Today, if you were to take a picture of Indira Gandhi,
will it have any power to sign any documents? You want the one
that is living today. So today, neither Indira Gandhi nor Jawaharlal
Nehru (both previous Prime Ministers of India) can help. Right
now, only the one in power and present will be able to help you,
no one else can. Only the signature of the one who is present will
be acceptable. Even if you do not have their full signature but just
their initials, it will do, but even if you have the full signature of
Indira Gandhi, it will not do.
Idol worship is indirect worship (paroksha bhakti)
Questioner: One saint says that we should not depend
upon inert things such as photographs or idols. He said we should
take support from the one who is living and present in front of us.
Dadashri: He is right. If you find a living guru who is good,
then you will feel satisfaction. But, until you find such a guru, you
should do darshan (see with devotion and reverence) of the murti
(that with a form; an idol). The murti is a step; do not let go of it.
Until you attain the amurta (the formless, the Self i.e. the Soul),
do not let go of the murti. The murti will always give the (benefit
of) murta (that which has form). The murti does not give amurta
(the Soul). A thing can only express and bestow its own attributes.
The murti is paroksha bhakti (indirect worship). Even the guru
is indirect worship, but the guru is a quicker vehicle to attain
pratyaksh bhakti - direct worship. He is a living idol. So, you
should go where there is pratyaksh (a living guru). You should do
the darshan of the Lord’s murti; there is nothing wrong in doing
darshan. When we do that, we are expressing our reverence and
we bind merit karma (punya) in the process. Therefore, in doing
darshan of