The common adage is that in a Hindu household, one can find pictures and images of deities everywhere. Calendars, books, box covers get printed with images. We give various forms of deities as gifts. It is also quite common for practitioners of the Hindu religion to have a miniature representation of the choicest deity in their cars or other vehicles.
Where did this belief stem from?
The Hindu theistic tradition believed in divine names resonating and captured through all sense forms. They named children with the vedic, upanishadic, puranic, and other scriptural names and forms. By calling out the name of the child, the sense of speech and hearing is connected to the name and form. By having pictures and images, the visual organs see and feel the divinity characteristics. The pictures and images in the living room, at the doorstep, or any other room, give ready access to a quick prayer, rather than going to the puja room.
Another key reason to have names and forms everywhere was to have a sense of protection and comfort. Praying to the characteristics of the deity gives solace and a cloak of protection against any mishaps or obstacles.
The flip side of this belief system is fear. As an example, the fear of offending leads to the practice of making temples the destination for broken images and torn pictures. And for some, if they do not believe in a particular deity, then that may make its way into the temple.
What does the spiritual path say?
The spiritual path regiments discipline and focus. We established a puja room for this purpose and discussed the need to keep it clean, free of clutter, and make it a hub of divinity. One should question their belief system and do a deliberate inquisition into prayer, admiration, and worship. Are images of the divine and deities being placed everywhere without a culture of cleansing? Is fear or wrath of a deity the underlying reason to have pics?
A picture on a paper gains divinity when the seeker perceives divinity in it.
A stone becomes a deity when the devotee perceives a deity.
A miniature image in the car becomes godly when the occupants perceive godliness.
The moment perception ceases, only an object remains. Still a part of this cosmic universe, but no different than any other inanimate object.
Spiritual maturity is when an individual develops divinity within and leverages an external form as a training wheel and not a crutch. Follow the five-step practice, notably the step on contemplation.
Other considerations or variations:
When keeping images or pictures outside the puja room, respect the divine characteristics of the deity:
- Keep the space clean. Avoid keeping trash or clutter near them.
- Constrain your behavior. Lying, conducting illegal activities, stretching your legs pointed at the deity, spitting are just a few examples of constraining actions.
- Avoid having images or pictures in this realm of personal or private spaces, like the bedroom.
Krishna, the preceptor of the Gita says:
अभ्यास-योग-युक्तेन चेतसा नान्य-गामिना ।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥ ८ ॥
abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā |
paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan || 8.8 ||
Contemplate through practice on the supreme divinity and you will embody and attain the divine.