Swami Vivekananda, was once the guest of the king of Alwar. During their talks, the king told him he disliked people who worshipped statues made of stone, metal and wood, because they had nothing to do with God. There was an oil painting of the king on the wall behind the throne. Vivekananda took it down and asked a courtier standing by to spit on it. The nervous courtier refused to comply. Then Vivekananda asked the king to do the same. He too was taken aback.
Vivekananda then asked the assembly why they were hesitating, since the painting was just an amalgamation of colors and not a representation of the king? Nobody had any answer. He then explained that the devotee does not worship the metal or the stone. The representation is just a medium. The believer pays homage to the creator through the representation. Belief is what counts.
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