10 The Creator And His Creation
The shapeless and formless existence of Ishwara is called
'Brahmabhab'. The Brahma lies there as a spirit only. In a formless
worship a devotee feels Ishwara in the depth of his or her heart.
There the worshipper prays for his or her welfare.
Either idolatry or formless - both are ways of worshipping Ishwara.
It is said in the Holy book, 'Formless Brahma Himself takes a
physical form, when it is necessary'. It means the one who is
shapelss is bodied also. Bhagaban Shrikrishna says in Gita, 'As
somebody worships me, so I shower my mercy on him or her.' It
makes no difference whether we worship Ishwara as an idol or a
shapeless entity.
Upasana is an everyday work. We worship Ishwara three times a
day: morning, noon and evening. We need purity of our body and
mind for worshipping Ishwara. We have to wash and purify
ourselves. We can worship at temples. It can also be done at our
home. One has to sit before a god for one's worship. Usually the
worshipper sits straight facing north or east. There are many
prescribed 'asans' or sittings for worshipping Ishwara. However,
'Padmaasan' and 'Sukhasan' are considered suitable for all kinds of worships.
Padmaasan Sukhasan