(Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda, Bhaktivedanta Manor)
"So Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, and if you are devotee, then you can catch Him. This is the secret. Just like electricity is everywhere, electrons. One who can tackle the electrons, they can talk without any direct connection by electronic method, thousand, thousand miles away. Just like radio message, television message. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also everywhere. Just like the waves of sound wave is going on. As soon as you produce..., I produce one sound, immediately within a second the sound goes round the earth seven times. So if a material thing has got so much power, just think how much power God has got. So He is everywhere. Simply you have to catch Him. And He's also ready for being caught. Yes. If somebody wants to catch Him... Suppose you are a devotee. If you want to catch Him, He comes forward ten times than your desire. He's so kind. Therefore, we have to simply receive Him.
So this Deity worship in the temple means worshiping Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's akhilātmā-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Where you shall find Him? He's everywhere. Therefore, He has very kindly accepted to assume a form which you can handle. This form of Kṛṣṇa, the atheist will say that 'Here is a form made of marble. How is that, they are worshiping God, Kṛṣṇa?' That is atheist view. But from the śāstra, we understand Kṛṣṇa, if He is within the atom, why not within the marble? It is simply understanding. Not only within; the marble itself is also Kṛṣṇa. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These material elements, earth..., earth, water, fire, air, they are Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: 'They are My energies, separated energy.'
So even if you consider that here is not Kṛṣṇa but a marble, no, that marble is also Kṛṣṇa. Marble is also... And Kṛṣṇa is, being omnipotent, even for your logical argument... Even if you say that this is a marble statue, still Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, omnipotent, that He can accept your service even through this marble. Actually, it is not marble. Or, from spiritual vision, everything being Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa can accept your service even through the marble, even through the water, even through the fire. Why not? Energy.
Just like if you come to the sunshine, energy of sun, you immediately touch the sun globe. Is it not? Because the beams are coming from the sun globe, so as soon as you touch the sunshine, sunbeam, you touch the sun immediately. And there are yogīs who can reach the sun planet through the beams of sun. Because the spirit soul is very, very small, smaller than the atom. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9). And the spirit soul can go everywhere.
And it is, the speed of spirit soul, is greater than the mind. You have got experience of the speed of the mind. In a second you can go many thousands of miles, mind. Suppose you are sitting here, those who are Indians, immediately, within a second, one can reach Calcutta, Bombay. Immediately, without even less than a second's time. The mind's speed... Mind's speed you can imagine. And finer than the mind is the spirit soul. So how much speedy is the spirit soul, that we have to know from the śāstras. Śāstra yonitvāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.3). Everything.
Therefore do not think that we have installed a marble statue. The rascals will say, 'They are heathens.' No. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa personally. Kṛṣṇa personally, Kṛṣṇa has kindly assumed this form just... Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, the gigantic Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa is everywhere... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our imperfect senses cannot see Kṛṣṇa immediately. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, as we can see... We can see stone, we can see wood, we can see earth, we can see water, we can see color. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa comes before us just quite suitable for our vision. But He's Kṛṣṇa.
So this Deity worship, those who are in charge of Deity worship, they never should think that 'Here is a statue.' No. Here is Kṛṣṇa. The honor, the respect, the samra, means with great honor... You must always think that 'Here is Kṛṣṇa personally.' Don't think that it is statue. Kṛṣṇa personally. So you should honor and think also and be cautious so that you may not commit offense. Kṛṣṇa worship, if you neglect the process, then it will be offensive. There are sixty-four kinds of offenses. You have seen it in The Nectar of Devotion. So not very much...
You should be very much clean, first thing is. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Very much clean, rise early in the morning, take your bath and perform maṅgala ārātrika, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then read scriptures. In this way remain twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is the purpose of installing Deity. Not that after few days you think it is a burden. No, then it will be great offense. It is not burden; it is a great opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa.
As the gopīs are serving in Goloka Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He has come here to accept your service in a manner in which you can handle Him. You can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can offer prasādam, you can chant His glory. In this way, always remain engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and gradually you'll find how you are advancing in spiritual life."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Installation, London, August 21, 1973)
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