is not stone

So the arca-vigraha is also Krsna. Therefore, adhoksajam. Adhoksajam, adhah-krtam, aksajam jnanam. Our knowledge is what we see. We can see stone. We can see metal. We can see other material elements, wood. So Krsna has appeared as we can see Him. Because we cannot see more than stone, wood, metal, therefore Krsna has appeared as stone statue. But He is not stone statue. That we have to understand. He is Krsna, but He is so kind that He has appeared before us as we can see Him. This is the philosophy, not that stone is Krsna. Stone is also Krsna in the ultimate sense, because stone is the expansion of energy of Krsna, material energy. Bhūmir apo 'nalo vayuḥ kham mano buddhir eva..., bhinna me prakrtir astadha [Bg 7.4]. This is called philosophy of inconceivable one and different. The same example can be given: just like the sunshine. In the sunshine there is heat and temperature. That means the sun is there. [break] ...cannot say the sunshine has come... [aside:] Why you are standing? If you stand... This side. "If the sunshine has entered my room, therefore sun has entered my room." This is Mayavadi philosophy. No. By the entrance of sunshine within your room, the sun has entered and has not entered. This is right philosophy. Acintya-bhedabheda. Acintya, simultaneously one and different.    (More...)

Therefore our duty is that we should never think of this Deity as something made of stone or metal. We should always think, "Here is Krsna personally present." That is devotion. And we should worship Him like that. We should offer respect, that "Here is Krsna. We cannot do anything wrong." And therefore there is list of offenses of worshiping, sixty-four... Or how many? It is stated in The Nectar of Devotion. Do you discuss this? So we should avoid these offenses, not that "Here is a stone statue. He is not going to see I am doing this offense." Then that is not very good. We should always feel that "Here is Krsna, personally present." Actually He is personally present. Then are we so fool that we are worshiping a stone Deity? No. "We" means we have installed this Deity under the direction of previous authorities, acaryas. So it is not whimsical. We have installed the Deity exactly under the direction of the previous acarya, and therefore the Deity is personally present, Krsna. As He is present everywhere, sarva-bhūta-guhavasam, similarly, He can live in many millions of temples simultaneously and live at the same time Goloka Vrndavana. That is Krsna. That is Krsna's omnipotency.    (More...)

Therefore here it is said, bhaktya puman jata-viraga. Bhakti is so powerful that if you engage yourself in the bhakti-marga or bhakti-yoga... Here it is said, rjubhir yoga-margaiḥ. Rjubhiḥ means very easy to perform. How? Now, drsta-srutan mad-racananucintaya. Drsta. You can see Krsna. Krsna is kind enough. Although Krsna is beyond our vision-we cannot see with these eyes Krsna-but Krsna has agreed to be seen by you or by us. How? He has assumed this arca-vigraha. Krsna, this vigraha, don't think it is stone. Even it is stone you think, but Krsna can become visible before you like a stone, because you cannot see beyond stone. That is Krsna's mercy. Because your eyes or senses are so imperfect that you cannot see Krsna present everywhere in His original, spiritual... We have got difference between spiritual and material. We have got, because we are imperfect. But Krsna has no such distinction. Because He is Absolute, He can become spiritual, He can become material, as He likes. That does not make any difference of Krsna. Then how Krsna is almighty, all-powerful? He can change matter into spirit, spirit into matter. That is Krsna. So don't think that, as the atheist class men they think, that "They are worshiping an idol." Even it is an idol, still Krsna. That is absolute. That is absolute nature of Krsna. Even you think it is stone, it is metal, it is wood, still, He is Krsna.    (More...)