4.1- Worship

Later, comes the reflective stage. Religious conduct is based on reason. Then, the question arises ‘Why does man worship a higher power?

The obvious answer is:

It is the feeling that a higher power can give and will be induced to give man what he needs and save him from trouble.

This is true whether the Power is an invisible God or visible man or image. In the first place, there must be power and willingness to use the power in the object worshipped, and as a counterpart, there must be a need, a fear, or other stimulus operating upon the worshipper to make him believe in the power and willingness of that power to render help. The stimuli are of various sorts, of that example, Arti or trouble, need for some objects and a desire to understand this mysterious and puzzling universe and one’s relation to it. Of these, the Arti is the commonest stimulus. It is the sufferer, Arta, who turns to God or to a saint or to a spirit-not the contented and happy man spending his time quite easily and with joy. If, in the last case, a man is given to philosophizing or investigating on a basis of curiosity to understand himself and things about him such a person in name Jijnasu – he may turn to God and pray for divine aid to understand. But such people are few. The question is further raised whether any object at all should be worshipped. Mostly this question is raised by persons who have neither

1.any trouble

2.need

3.other stimulus mentioned above

4.any spirit of solemn enquiry

5.higher impulse or sensitivity.