A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

THE RELIGION WE ARE BORN IN. 53?is full cf misery, and as such, it is nothing, nothing butuift*eal, not worth bartering the soul for its ephemeral jo^^and possessions. For this very reason, tta West is everespecially adroit in organised action, so also, the Eastan<fis ever cold in search of the mysteries of the internal world.Let us, however, turn now t one or two other aspectsof -Hinduism. There is the doctrine of the Incarnationsof /rod.In the Vedas we find mention of Matsya AvataratHfe Fish Incarnation, only. Whether all believe in thisdoctrine or not is not the point ; the real meaning, how-*ever, of this Avataravqda is the worship of Man, to seeGod in man is the real God-vision. The Hindu does not.go through Nature to Nature s God, he goes to the Godcfrman through Man.,Then there is Image-worship. Except the Five Oevataswho are to be worshipped in every auspicious Karmaas enjoined in our Shastras, all the other Devatas aremerly the name of certain states held by them. But again,these five Devatas are nothing but the [different names ofthe one God only. This external worship of images has,however, been described in all our Shastras as the lowestof all the low forms of worship. But that does not meanthat it is a wrong thing to do. Despite the many iniquities that have found entrance into the practices of imageworshipas it is in vogue now, I do not condemn it.Aye,where would I have been if I had not been blessed with tljedust of the holy feet of that orthodox, image-worshippingBrahman !Those reformers who preach against image-worship, $rwhat they denounce as idolatry, to them I say, Brothers!If you are fit to worship God-without-Form discarding anyexternal help, do so, but why do you condemn others whocannot do the same ? A beautiful large edifice, the glorious