Why Do Hindus Worship Idols As Gods?
Although ancient Hindu philosophies laid the foundations for all other modern day religions and is aeons ahead of modern science, there is a misconception regarding the practice of idol worship in Hinduism.
As we discussed in an earlier feature, the devas and asuras in Hindu mythology represent aspects of consciousness and human nature. Idols carved into the personification of said mythological characters serve as a reminder of the human consciousness they symbolize.
Hindus do not specifically worship these idols as gods, but rather the power vested in the idols that invoke the attributes of the gods. Everything is energy and vibration, and in accordance with Agama Shastra, Hindu idols are energized so worshippers can consciously reconstruct their own minds with the powers of consciousness present in the idol.
The manufacturing and energizing process of Hindu idols is an entirely scientific process. The same rituals have been followed for thousands of years. There is mention of idols in ancient Vedic literature, although this sacred knowledge had to have been known even before the oldest Vedas were compiled.
Mainstream science only realized the “myths” in the Vedas are grounded in universal truths around 60 years ago, although enlightened thinkers have been aware of energy, vibration and consciousness throughout the ages.
Even today, many scientists do not agree because in accordance with official history, they cannot accept that the “primitive” minds of the ancient man could know about scientific facts before modern science discovered it. So they just ignore ancient texts and call them “myths”.
The Tantric scientific methodologies described in the Agama Shastras are a prime example. Modern day scholars do not like to put a date on these sacred texts, but acknowledge they were written at least as early as the late Vedic period around 50AD.
What is most fascinating about the Shastras is they explain how temples and idols should be constructed to certain dimensions in order to create the right vibrational energy together with how mankind can come to self-realization through philosophical texts and meditation.
Furthermore, the information written by the ancient Hindus, at least 1500 years ago, talks about things that were only discovered by science in the 20th Century. Idols and temples are not created to prey upon anyone, but as objects from which people can benefit from their vibrational energy and invocation of the universal consciousness vested in them.
The science behind the Agama Shastra
The entire process of idol-making in Hinduism is a deep science. When an idol is manufactured, it is made to specific dimensions provided by the ancient sages in the Agama Shastra.
Idols are made with specific materials and energized is certain ways depending on the vibrational energy the creator wants the idol to reflect. This practice is known as Prana Prathishta and literally means to invoke the life force.
The life force is a degree of consciousness, a vibrational energy that we connect with. But we only connect with the level of vibration our consciousness allows. People that are more spiritually advanced and attuned to vibrational energies can tap into higher frequencies and receive greater knowledge.
This idea may sound fantastical, but the law of vibration is a scientific principle in physics and is included in the physical laws of the Universe. Albert Einstein said “Everything in life is vibration.” Furthermore, quantum physics has determined everything that vibrates has a consciousness.
Idol-making is a practice that makes it possible to manifest specific energies by matching mudras, the symbolic meanings of the gods, with mantras, the ancient philosophies that program our conscious awareness.
This concept is also a science that modern day Neuro-biologists are still coming to terms with. It has been given the label of neuroplasticity, but essentially it is a way of re-programming your mind by redirecting the neurons along the neural pathways in your brain.
Neuro-biologists have come to realize that it is possible to reorganize the neural networks by changing the way we think. The human brain is programmed as we go through life, and triggers thoughts and emotions in accordance to what we experience.
Because the system we live in is designed to keep us in a state of fear, ignorance and negativity, we typically have thoughts of self-doubt and worry, or simply blinded to the truth about our true selves and everything around us.
Hindus are taught from an early age that thoughts are vibrations, as this is a fundamental belief in their spiritual journey. Although it is not fully understood today, advocates have picked up on this principle and call it the “law of attraction.” Essentially, we have the power to create our own reality.
This is something quantum scientists discovered in the 1960’s in a now famous study known as the double-slit experiment which was inspired from an earlier experiment performed by Thomas Young in 1801. What quantum scientists found in the 1960’s was that the results changed depending on the pre-conceived idea the experimenter wanted the outcome to be.
R.C. Henry, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University states: “A fundamental conclusion of the new physics also acknowledges that the observer creates the reality. As observers, we are personally involved with the creation of our own reality. Physicists are being forced to admit that the universe is a “mental” construction.”
The All: One Universal Consciousness
The purpose of charging idols with positive energies reflected by mythological gods is to enable the worshipper to contemplate on the relevant aspects of their own nature. This is a process of self-realization.
For example, an idol of Shiva invests in the worshipper the realization that it is possible to overcome challenges by destroying attributes of your personality that are preventing you from overcoming the challenge. The intention of idol worship is to help initiates improve their quality of life.
This is easier for initiates to do when they have a level of understanding that we are all one consciousness, and everything in the Universe is all part of the same consciousness. Therefore, the energy instilled in the idols is consciousness that worshippers can easily adopt because they are part of the same consciousness.
“We are all one” is a fundamental doctrine of Hinduism – another ancient discovery the “primitive” ancient Sanskrit writers knew about thousands of years before the “educated” scholars of modern times. At a sub-atomic level, every molecule is a distinct property of itself, but is connected by a wave of universal consciousness – the absolute consciousness, the All, the Oneness.
And this is why modern scientists are being “forced” to accept the Universe is a mental construct. Because consciousness creates the reality we live in. Hindus use idols to help them create the reality that enriches their experience as a human being.