What is the position of Vedanta on this kind of worship? Nature worship or worship of beauty?+

Q: Jim Vieth in terms of beauty and the female principle (not sex) Prakriti. What is the position of Vedanta on this kind of worship? Nature worship or worship of beauty? Sorry if I am belaboring.

Santthosh Kumaar: ~ Beauty implies duality.  The duality is ignorance.  Whatever belongs to duality is a falsehood.

Vedas bar nature and human worship: ~

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.":~ (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

Then why worship the female or male principal in place of God when Veda bars such activities and also warns people who indulge in such activities are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.

Indulging in glorifying the human form is erroneous because the human belongs to Prakriti. Prakriti is the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to Prakriti is bound to be an illusion.  Whatever worshipped of the dualistic illusion will keep one in ignorance. 

The ‘Self’ God exists prior to the form, time, and space. The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns. Thus, human has no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is the real God. Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.

By worshipping the beauty of humans’ one will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

There is neither Shiva (male)  nor Shakti (female)  but only the consciousness. The consciousness is real God. Focus your attention on the Soul, the only reality.

Remember:~

The Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, that God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than the consciousness. 

Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self.   In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the Self.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality of Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth, Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries and does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus

Yajur Veda says: ~

Translation 1

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.)

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith pg. 538)

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

They sink deeper in darkness than those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc (Yajurveda 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, and bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

Then why worship and glorify the non-~Vedic Gods in place of  Vedic God when Veda bars such activities and also warns people who indulge in such activities to are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.

The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.

Hindu idols or deities or temples have nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temple worship ban on beef-eating were introduced many centuries later. 

The Advaitic orthodoxy belongs to Hinduism whereas the Advaitic wisdom belongs to the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

It is for every seeker who is seeking truth must first know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishads and reject all non-Vedic Gods to realize that Atman is the real God. 

Remember:~

Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Vedas are in the Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) was written before the Christian Era in Vedic language.  Vedic language is not Sanskrit.  It is the same language in which the Zoroastrian Scripture Zend Avesta is written – a form of Persian language.  All the other scriptures of India are written in Sanskrit.  

These include Rig Veda Chapters II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas, and the Vedantas.  These were written during the Christian Era after the Thomas ministry. As the use of this language diminished, it became a tough language for the commoners. The priests, who were supposed to be experts in this language, translated it into Sanskrit language and manipulated the meanings in time and gradually, all the practices changed.

The DaVita, Vedanta borrows the concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damanation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which state that the Soul attains liberation. 

 It looks like the creator-creation theory is also borrowed from Abrahamic religion and on the base new belief system has been introduced giving it a Vedic outlook and propagating all non-Vedic rituals and worship by someone in the past.  

The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution, it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.

Sage Sankara endeavored to establish the Vedic religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara. His inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

The orthodoxy is unaware of the fact that their inherited belief system is of superstition and dogmas based on the imagination. They think whatever they have inherited from their forefathers is the ultimate truth. 

After the 2nd century, there were many adulteration and reforms in Indian societies and there were saints formed their own belief systems and codes of conduct, and many new belief systems were formed within India. Each sect has its own founder. Thus,  the whole Indian society was divided into many sects and creeds creating separation in society. 

All these diverse groups of caste, sect, and creed together are called Hinduism. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma does not exist today. The followers of Vedas today indulge in non-Vedic activities barred by Vedas in the name of Vedas.

Remember:~

It is time for the reform to build a strong society free from dogmas and superstitions. Orthodox people impose their outdated religious ideas on their children and force them into Self-imposed prison.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

It is high time for orthodox people to realize the fact that their inherited belief system is meant for ignorant people. If they think they are on the right path, but the Vedas declare they are on the wrong path because they indulge in non-Vedic activities.  Orthodox people think that they are on the right path to Moksha, but such moksha is merely an imagination within the dualistic illusion.

It is high time to realize the truth of their own inherited religion is full of adulteration and they are simply indulging in worships and activities barred by the Vedas.  Vedas warns not to indulge in non-Vedic activities.     

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. Thus, the Purva mimam. sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

The orthodox people are ordinary people. Thus the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices. The karma kanda of the Vedas is meant for the ordinary audience, to help lead its followers along the way.

Remember:~

Most of the orthodox families, today live in the prison of dogmas.   The orthodox people expect their clan to follow a certain outdated religious code of conduct (Shastras) and live dogmatically following the traditional lifestyle. Those children who are married out of religion are treated as not humans.

Those who followed are favored and others are condemned and excommunicated from the family thinking they are going to get Moksha by doing this act. Their chosen path of orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant who have a sheepish mentality and blindly accept the inherited dogmas and superstition. 

From the ultimate standpoint, the concept of God itself is a superstition. Thus, all religious ideas of heaven, hell, sin, and karma are merely imaginary theories meant for the ignorant people of ancient times. 

It is high time to stop judging   who is right and who is wrong in this unreal world and instead spend the same time acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnan or Atma Gnana to realize the world (Samsara) is unreal the Brahman alone is real

Shiva and Shakti are religious concepts.  Whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion (world) is a falsehood.   : ~Santthosh Kumaar