Our Attitude Towards Worshipping Gods

The Mother has herself answered this question thus: ‘Those who still believe in gods can certainly continue to worship them if they feel like it—but they must know that this creed and this worship have nothing to do with the teaching of Sri Aurobindo and no connection whatsoever with the Supramental Realisation.’

Of course here She is referring to the traditional approach as a ‘creed and a worship’. Nevertheless it has always been said that once one has turned towards a spiritual Master one should not divide one’s consciousness into different channels that may come between us and the Divine Mother and deflect our aspiration. Giving oneself to different powers and personalities is termed as a divided bhakti (vyabhicharini bhakti) and does not bear full results. It is also understood that one can surrender only to one and in this Yoga it is to the Divine Mother. Seeking benefits from other gods and goddesses also implies a lack of trust in the Mother.

Of course all this is if we wish to follow the path in all sincerity. Besides it must come from within naturally and spontaneously rather than as a rigid mechanical rule to be forcefully applied to one and all. A great degree of vastness and plasticity is required in the actual application of spiritual truths since a lot depends upon the stage, temperament and past evolution of our nature. It is difficult to make absolute and general rules.

As to the Mother and Her relation with the gods and goddesses it is a different subject. It is a conscious dealing with Her creation and Her children much like She would ask a devotee or a disciple to do something that is needed for the Work. That is what She asked the gods of they would be willing to participate in the Work by incarnating in human beings. To this most gods refused except Sri Krishna. But they offered to help within the sphere of their influence. This help that the Divine takes during his earthly embodiment is partly because when He descends into Ignorance He must partly veil Himself and work according to the conditions laid down by the earth nature. But it is partly also because the cosmos is interconnected and the gods (as well as the titans) have participated in the earthly evolution until now. They have to be taken along and be part of the work in some way or the other.

As to whether one should keep the picture of gods and goddesses is a question to which each has to find their own answers. Some leave all else and dropping the past forms rush headlong towards Her in a leap of faith. This does not mean denying the gods of belittling them but knowing their rightful place in the grand scheme of things while owing all one’s allegiance to the Divine Mother. Others continue to keep their association with them with the change of attitude taking them as portions and children of the Divine Mother. Still others continue with the old association and worship of the gods by past habit and impulsion. Still others keep them side by side along with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in an effort to please all the cosmic powers apparently to get the most out of all. The rarest of all see all the gods and goddesses in Her and more and feel no need or urge to turn towards anyone else for all their spiritual and material needs except the Mother. As is our faith and approach so does the response come from Her who is the All and greater than the All.