Why puja-worship of any god is acceptable as being within the Hindu outlook

[Shantanu]

In our Hindu way of looking at things, one does puja to acknowledge God's hand in Creation so that whatever He has done is seen to have been for a great purpose. Our customs in Hinduism, no matter which god one worships through puja, serves the Supreme God as the Creator of all gods. This is Sri Krishna. For us Hindus, there is the right god for every person in the guna consciousness triad that is part of the energy creation of God. And the Supreme God does not have rules that anyone should worship/do puja to any particular god or even God Himself as being greater or lesser in importance to His scheme of things.

After 17 long years of religious studies although I know Sri Krishna and have had communications with Him, I still wear my tiny Ganesh murti around my neck (as the god who removes obstacles) and have Shiva (Mahadeva-destroyer) with me on my key ring wherever I go as these were given to me by my mother and father (indirectly) respectively. I would do puja to Saraswati for vidya, Lakshmi for material well being, and Shiva to lend me his 'trishul' to fight my enemies with.

I therefore also believe that Jesus Christ and Allah are also the creations of the same God and Hindus must not discriminate against Muslims or Christians because they worship these gods in their own ways.

 

[Madhuri]

It is absolutely acceptable.
I can't think of any reason why it should be discouraged.

 

[Shantanu]

It is absolutely acceptable.
I can't think of any reason why it should be discouraged.

I did not know this for certain until this morning when I questioned my God about it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I therefore also believe that Jesus Christ and Allah are also the creations of the same God ..

If they are creations of God, then not God himself - that is why.

 

[Shantanu]

If they are creations of God, then not God himself - that is why.

Nothing happens on Earth without the implicit endorsement of the Supreme God Sri Krishna.

 

[shivsomashekhar]

Our customs in Hinduism, no matter which god one worships through puja, serves the Supreme God as the Creator of all gods. This is Sri Krishna.

This is incorrect in multiple ways.

1. For the most part, when the Hindu is worshiping Ganesha, he/she is simply worshiping Ganesha. They do not think that they are worshiping some other bigger God in an indirect fashion.
2. The idea of Krishna being a bigger God is a Gaudiya Vaishnava / Eastern Indian concept and should not be generalized across Hinduism. Even if you actually meant Vishnu (which, I do not think you did), it is still limited to Vaishnavas and should not be generalized to all Hindus.

 

[shivsomashekhar]

Nothing happens on Earth without the implicit endorsement of the Supreme God Sri Krishna.

Does this include the rapes, pedophile and genocide activity that happen around the world?

That is, are you saying that these acts carried the implicit endorsement of the Hindu God, Krishna?

 

[Shantanu]

1. For the most part, when the Hindu is worshiping Ganesha, he/she is simply worshiping Ganesha. They do not think that they are worshiping some other bigger God in an indirect fashion.

You are absolutely right. God Sri Krishna knows that He is not being worshipped in an indirect fashion. Sri Krishna does not ask or expect to be worshipped for only someone who has experienced Sri Krishna at a personal level will know His Nature. Not may people have acquired this knowledge. It does not matter to God Sri Krishna that Ganesh or Saraswati or Lakshmi or Shiva is being worshipped. People will worship the god that they think looks after their interests or represents something of value. It is perfectly logical that people should do this if it gives them peace of mind. The point I am making is that all gods other than Sri Krishna are generated through the guna consciousness energy and the minds of human beings get attracted to the god that is most value to them. I value what Saraswati represents so even though I know Sri Krishna is the Supreme Creator God, I consider it appropriate to do puja of Saraswati because Sri Krishna has generated the conditions for this goddess and what she represents to acquire such prominence in Hindu culture. The same applies to Ganesh or Lakshmi etc.

2. The idea of Krishna being a bigger God is a Gaudiya Vaishnava / Eastern Indian concept and should not be generalized across Hinduism. Even if you actually meant Vishnu (which, I do not think you did), it is still limited to Vaishnavas and should not be generalized to all Hindus.

A rational mind works out that there can only be one Creator God in one universe. I did my own studies to get convincing evidence that this is Sri Krishna, regardless of Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions. I do not subscribe to any other person's or sampradaya's conception of the Nature of Sri Krishna. I have my own findings. I have blogged about this experience extensively.

 

[Shantanu]

Does this include the rapes, pedophile and genocide activity that happen around the world?

That is, are you saying that these acts carried the implicit endorsement of the Hindu God, Krishna?

All actions that are carried out by humans some of which you have listed as heinous and so would like to have eradicated are carried out by human beings who may have acquired sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic or some blend of these gunas that is coupled with their particular genetic attributes that together gives them particular urges to do certain things. Some of these acts are frowned upon in some cultures. Sri Krishna has created humanity in this way so I used the term that He implicitly endorses these acts. To extrapolate from this He does not judge any human being as committing 'heinous' acts. After all He has created humans of all types. It is we humans who bring in our own values into such behaviour to describe some of these acts as crimes and punish the offenders/perpetrators. As God the Creator He does not lay down rules like some people believe and which they call sanatan dharma. Earthquakes, floods and volcanoes similarly kill vast numbers of people and destroys human-erected buildings. That is what Nature is, without which the Earth would not have developed in the way we see it after 4 billion years of existence and 13 billion years of the universe itself. Sri Krishna therefore endorses earthquakes, floods and volcanoes because He has created the Earth and its solar system. You may not like a God like that but this is the inescapable Reality.

 

[shivsomashekhar]

All actions that are carried out by humans some of which you have listed as heinous and so would like to have eradicated are carried out by human beings who may have acquired sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic or some blend of these gunas that is coupled with their particular genetic attributes that together gives them particular urges to do certain things. Some of these acts are frowned upon in some cultures. Sri Krishna has created humanity in this way so I used the term that He implicitly endorses these acts. To extrapolate from this He does not judge any human being as committing 'heinous' acts. After all He has created humans of all types. It is we humans who bring in our own values into such behaviour to describe some of these acts as crimes and punish the offenders/perpetrators. As God the Creator He does not lay down rules like some people believe and which they call sanatan dharma. Earthquakes, floods and volcanoes similarly kill vast numbers of people and destroys human-erected buildings. That is what Nature is, without which the Earth would not have developed in the way we see it after 4 billion years of existence and 13 billion years of the universe itself. Sri Krishna therefore endorses earthquakes, floods and volcanoes because He has created the Earth and its solar system. You may not like a God like that but this is the inescapable Reality.

Fair enough.

So, if Krishna cannot/will not take a stand on the dark activities that go on in this universe, what exactly is his role?

In other words, why should the typical human (who worships Gods to either gain something or not lose something) take any interest in Krishna? Because, by your description above, prayer to Krishna will not change anything - no protection from evil or favorable circumstances in life.

 

[Shantanu]

Fair enough.

So, if Krishna cannot/will not take a stand on the dark activities that go on in this universe, what exactly is his role?

In other words, why should the typical human (who worships Gods to either gain something or not lose something) take any interest in Krishna? Because, by your description above, prayer to Krishna will not change anything - no us protection from evil or favorable circumstances in life.

Sri Krishna resides as Paramatma in the consciousness of all human beings and devotional surrender to Him will reveal to the yogi this Reality. A person has to be an absolute mental case to go down this route of discovering the Ultimate Reality. Far better for the typical human being to worship other gods of guna consciousness. Do you want to know what maya is, that is to say, the magical powers of God? Have you got 17 years to 'waste' trying to find this out?