> Vaj wrote: > > > > Technically however these are not "idols", they > > are not inanimate forms. In fact murtis (or statue > > representations of deity) all undergo the same > > process that someone who receives a TM-style > > ishta mantra: they are established with prana- > > shakti. Thus they serve as living doorways to > > the divine.
A chum told his wife that if she wanted a shiva lingam in the house, they had to commit to oiling it every day, as if it were a living entity requiring daily care. Conversely, I heard somewhere that it's a bad idea to keep a statue of an avatar, deity or saint around the house as a mere decoration, acquiring dust. Instead, if one has such a statue, it's proper to treat it with respect. Otherwise the statue can do more harm than good. (I think of this whenever I see my wife's ash-laden Ganesh incense stand.) I see a connection between these admonitions and the customs of not hanging Guru Dev's portrait on the wall or laying it face down to 'deactivate" the puja area. These ramblings lead to a question or two. Are these superstitions valid? Is there a difference between statues of deities that have been formally charged with prana-shakti and those purchased at Pier 1? - Patrick Gillam To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
