Guest guest Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Teachings of Swami Vivekananda It has been a trite saying, that idolatry is wrong, and every man swallows it at the present time without questioning. I once thought so, and to pay the penalty of that I had to learn my lesson sitting at the feet of a man who realized everything through idols; I allude to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Take a thousand idols more if you can produce Ramakrishna Paramahamsas through idol worship, and may God speed you! (III. 218) The Christian thinks that when God came in the form of a dove, it was all right, but if He comes in the form of a fish, as the Hindus say, it is very wrong and superstitious. The Jews think if an idol be made in the form of a chest with two angels sitting on it, and a book on it, it is all right, but if it is in the form of a man or a woman, it is awful. The Mohammedans think that when they pray, if they try to form a mental image of the temple with the Caaba, the black stone in it, and turn towards the west, it is all right, but if you form the image in the shape of a church, it is idolatry. This is the defect of image worship. (IV. 44-45) Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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