15 May 2015 - QA 5

If God has no form or shape, then why does Hinduism have so many idols and temples?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

The ancient Vedic people discovered that (as human beings) we cannot relate to something that has no form. You are talking to me, but do you talk to the space next to me here? If you do, then you must have gone mad and you will be taken to the mental hospital. What do you relate to? To a form! We can only relate to forms. This is why they created so many forms and said, "When you need to relate to the highest spirit, relate through this form".

Gods and Goddesses have subtle forms (light forms) and not physical forms. They have subtle energies. The ancient people connected a particular type of energy to a particular form. It is totally scientific. If you go deep into it, you will be amazed by how beautiful this ancient knowledge has been.