Above you can watch a video excerpt from a recent satsang on the reason why sacred imagery should be used by those aspiring to spiritual growth.
The following is an edited transcript of this video, presented for those who prefer to read and reflect more slowly. In it, Swami Nirmalananda explains why sacred images are far more than artistic representations or reminders: they can become living points of contact with the divine consciousness they embody.
Why Sacred Imagery Is Important for the Yogi
Sacred imagery is extremely important, and the yogis know this.
Thoughts are things. Forms are things. We call them thought-forms, and they have a vibration. When we see them, that vibration, which is ultimately a state of consciousness, can arise in the mind.
Everything we see is really inside us; the image is within us. So it is with thought: it is a vibration. Therefore, sacred imagery is extremely important, and the yogis know this.
The ignoramus does not know it. He says, Oh, idolatry is terrible, and is materialistic and so on. Yes, yes, yes. Let them go and grumble into their beards.
The truth is that form, thought, and consciousness are interrelated.
Vishnu: Love and Mercy
First, I want to show you something I think is extremely beautiful. This is an image of Vishnu, the Preserver, the one who incarnates in the forms we call avatars.
Vishnu is, in a sense, the embodiment of love and mercy. We usually think of those qualities as the Mother’s province, and I have something relating to that to show you.
Durga: Divine Power
This image is absolutely marvelous. It depicts the goddess Durga, the Mother aspect of God. Her hands hold various objects. There is a trident and an axe, emblems of war and battle, because she is Shakti, power itself. She is the power of goodness and righteousness within us.
On the other hand, we see a lotus and food. She is also the Mother who bestows material benefit. This is quite significant. It is meaningful, and it is very real.
The gods are real; they are not symbols. Their forms are symbolic, that’s true, because the gods themselves are divine consciousness, and consciousness is not visible. Therefore, to communicate with us, this consciousness takes on form.
In a sense, we return the compliment by using these forms to tune in to what is essentially formless. It is like therapy—a means by which the inconceivable is conceived and the intangible is touched and made a real and present force in our consciousness.
These sacred images are not idols. They are signatures of the divine presence in the world.
Gateways to the Divine
These things are very important, because thoughts are things and things are thoughts.
Behind me is Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles. He is not mythological. He is real and existent.
Durga is also on the other side of me, accompanied by the lion, which represents courage; the real spiritual force that goes forth.
These images are very valuable, and they have a vibration. Whether we see them or not, they have a presence.
Behind me are many different depictions. They are gateways, means of communication with what they depict. Here in this room there are many presences. These images are not merely reminders or symbols; they are presences of the divine.
According to our vibration, according to our basic psychic state, they may manifest.
When Sacred Images Come Alive
I remember when I lived next door to Self-Realization Fellowship in Hollywood many years ago. People spoke about the photographs they had of the masters honored by Self-Realization Fellowship.
They found that when they placed these photographs in their meditation rooms and meditated, there were times when the masters eyelids seemed to close and open, or their lips appeared to move. They wondered whether it was simply something happening with their eyes.
They asked Sister Mira about it. Sister Mira was one of Yogananda’s close disciples. She had lived in the ashram for many years and was the director of the Hollywood Center.
She told them that Yogananda had said, The astral bodies of masters manifest wherever someone meditates.
Just as meditation imparts spiritual life to us, even the objects around the meditator begin to take on a living aspect.
So do not be surprised if they move or smile. And do not be surprised if they do not, because what we need, we receive; what we do not need, we do not receive.
The Meaning of the form of Ma Saraswati
Frequently Asked Questions About Sacred Imagery
Why is sacred imagery important in yoga?
Sacred images embody particular qualities and states of divine consciousness. By contemplating them, the yogi can become inwardly attuned to the spiritual reality they express.
Are sacred images merely symbols?
Their visible forms are symbolic, but they point to realities that are more than symbolic. They provide a tangible means of approaching divine consciousness, which is itself formless and invisible.
What is the difference between a sacred image and an idol?
An idol is understood as merely a physical object. A sacred image is regarded as a gateway or point of contact through which the divine presence can become real within the devotee’s consciousness.
Can a sacred image acquire a spiritual presence?
Yes. Prayer, meditation, and devotion can impart a perceptible spiritual atmosphere to sacred images and to the place in which they are kept. Their influence may be experienced inwardly even when nothing outwardly unusual occurs.