What is the difference between a chlld bathing its doll and priests bathing an idol?
Hagiographers and blind worshippers of Vivekananda often quote the incident of Swami's encounter with the Prince Mangal Singh , - the Maharaja of Alwar, Rajasthan. Vivekananda , as was his habit of hanging around kings and rulers, visited the Alwar Samsthan, He had an interesting conversation with Prince Mangal Singh. The Prince expressed his lack of faith in idol worship. Vivekananda, then asked the servants to bring a picture of the Maharaja hanging on the wall. The servants brought. Vivekananda asked the Diwan (Minister or vazir) to spit on the picture. The Minister could not spit on the picture , because he temporarily saw in the picture, the image of his late king. Vivekananda (for the purpose of drama) asked them why they were hesitating to spit because it was only a piece of paper. The servants and the Diwan could not spit because they saw a likeness of their late master in the picture. Vivekananda then used the occasion to lecture them about the advantages and merits of...