Deity worship means the habit becomes clean. If you stop Deity worship, then they will remain unclean

Expressions researched:
"Deity worship means the habit becomes clean. If you stop Deity worship, then they will remain unclean"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Deity worship means the habit becomes clean. If you stop Deity worship, then they will remain unclean. Because along with the Deity worship one has to rise early in the morning, take bath, attend maṅgala-ārati. This is another practical training—to keep him clean. Because here, your countrymen, they are very, very unclean. So this Deity worship will help them to remain clean. And then they will be able to understand this philosophy.

750615 - Conversation A - Honolulu

Prabhupāda: We should have ideal institution, varṇāśrama college. People will be very much happy to send their children. So you have got a group of men who, likes you, who follows you, could train up the teachers and open a varṇāśrama college anywhere, either in India or here, and make an ideal school. They will see how nice it is.

Siddha-svarūpa: Would it be one . . . an institution that more for people who are living outside, public, to come and go, take class . . .?

Prabhupāda: That way we could. But they come, they take their meals here . . .

Siddha-svarūpa: Take their meals here, just like at school.

Prabhupāda: Or make it public school, resident students.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yeah. Both.

Prabhupāda: So they will be trained up right, just like you are training in Dallas: rise early in the morning and attend maṅgala-ārati, then in class, take nice prasādam. All facility—but this culture of… No smoking, no gambling. Better, male and female separate.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. And what about Deity worship?

Prabhupāda: Deity worship there must be. Otherwise . . .

Siddha-svarūpa: Right away.

Prabhupāda: . . . they remain unclean. Deity worship means the habit becomes clean. If you stop Deity worship, then they will remain unclean. Because along with the Deity worship one has to rise early in the morning, take bath, attend maṅgala-ārati. This is another practical training—to keep him clean. Because here, your countrymen, they are very, very unclean. So this Deity worship will help them to remain clean. And then they will be able to understand this philosophy.

Siddha-svarūpa: The reason I ask is because many people, especially people who are brought up Christians, they are have . . . they have a very difficult time. They can chant, and they might be interested in coming and being part of the classes, taking a class in the Bhagavad-gītā and so on, but they would have a very difficult time worshiping Deities. They . . . there's some block, because of the way . . .

Prabhupāda: Then have kīrtana.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. That may be a . . . that may be . . . but rising early in the morning . . .

Prabhupāda: Deity worship and kīrtana, becomes very ecstatic.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, that is, in, in the . . .

Prabhupāda: Without Deity, kīrtana is not very ecstatic.