Art
Shri Mataji
Then the second chakra [Swadishtan], when it is awakened within you, you have a special quality of creativity. Because when the second chakra is awakened, you are actually thoughtless. There’s no thought in your mind, so you start looking at anything without thinking. You start looking at anything that is created without any ripple of thought in your mind. Like all that is created round the lake of your mind is completely reflected in that ripple-less lake, and you see the complete reflection of that creation as well as the joy that is bubbling in that creation. So your creativity becomes tremendous, you start seeing things but not thinking about it.
Now, see if you come to this hall, and you start seeing something, you like it, then you start thinking, “Oh God, this is a beautiful thing, but how much it must have cost, and now how old it is? Is it going to last or not? Is it insured or not?”
All sorts of funny ideas will come to you, and you’ll never enjoy watching it. But supposing you have no thought about it, you just watch it, you just see. What happens? The creation that of the artist who has created this beautiful thing, the joy of that creation that the artist had, who might be dead now, you start enjoying that joy. The whole thing can be filled in you with that bubbling joy that he wanted to put there with his own heart. And that’s what happens because there is no thought, so the creativity becomes tremendous. But it’s not only that the creativity is tremendous, but your techniques even. For example, a musician can become a tremendous musician. People who have never done any work can become extremely powerful….
Like Mona Lisa now. We like her, Mona Lisa. According to modern standards she cannot be a beauty because she was a very plump lady, an elderly lady. But today also, if you go there, you cannot see her painting. It’s so crowded; everybody’s anxious to see Mona Lisa. And if you go and feel the vibrations, from distance you’ll get vibrations, because the coefficients of her body, face and everything is made so well, that you get the vibrations.
Now people are very anxious to create new ideas, new type of things, and this, but these things do not sell and even if they sell temporarily, they have no eternal value. So the people with this chakra enlightened, start creating things of very eternal values, of universal values. Anywhere you take such a thing – you’ll take it to India, you take it to China, you take it to Japan or you take it to America, anywhere – any human being who sees that, sees the beauty of the Spirit, because it gives you joy in your Spirit. So the pure art is produced too. That’s the purity, or I would say the holy art is produced too. When you start producing that holy art, then you should believe that you have got an enlightenment on that chakra…..
Shri Mataji, 1983
First of all our eyes are not steady. They go on hovering from here to there. God knows what we are looking for. The eyes become impure because we start thinking about things. As soon as we see something we start thinking and a barrier is created.
For example, there is a beautiful piece, something very beautiful, you see, and looking at it, if there’s a thought you cannot enjoy. But if there is no thought, there’s pure rapport, pure connection, between that beautiful art and yourself. Then you just see it and enjoy that joy of the artist which he has poured into it, without thinking about it.
Otherwise normally people will think, “How many pounds can I save?” or “What should I do? Should I purchase it or not?” All sorts of nonsensical, flippant, cheap ideas can come into your head. Or could be something higher also. “This colour is not matched with that and this.” But a person who is a realised soul will just see, just like children. They just look, in the same way, without thinking.
So the first thing that happens to your attention is that the thoughts subside. Thought is the first problem that has started with ego and now when the thoughts subside then you become peaceful.
Shri Mataji, 1984
The festival of Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha (January – February).
This “Panchami” is also known as Saraswati Day, because it is believed that on this day the Goddess was born. As Diwali is to Shri Lakshmi and Navaratri is to Shri Durga, Vasant Panchami is to Shri Saraswati, the Goddess of art, creativity, knowledge and learning. She represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. She is the Mother of the Vedas, and chants to Her often begin and end Vedic lessons.
Saraswati literally means “the flowing one”. In the Rigveda it is said She represents a river and the deity presiding over it. In later mythology, Shri Saraswati was identified with Vach or Speech. The “flowing one” in an allegorical sense may mean speech also – perfect speech which denotes intelligence.
On this Vasant Panchami day, Lord Brahma is said to have created His consort Goddess Saraswati, infused speech into Her and bestowed the Veena in Her hands. She was thus named as Veena Vandini (veena player) and Vani Dayyani (recipient of speech). As the spouse of Brahma and the Goddess of wisdom and eloquence, She is known by various names such as Veenapani (holding the veena), Sharada (giver of essence), Vagisvari (mistress of speech), Brahmi (wife of Brahma) and Mahavidya (knowledge supreme).
The colour yellow is given special importance on Vasant Panchami. On this day, Shri Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped. Books, articles, instruments of music and arts are placed before Her. In the evening after the Puja is over, the idol is immersed in the sea with serenity.
In all educational institutions of music, arts and science in India, Saraswati Puja is observed with great reverence. Saraswati Puja is also performed during the Navaratri or Dusshera. In India, Hindus prefer to wear yellow clothes on this holy day. Sweets of yellowish hues are distributed among relatives and friends.
Children are taught their first words on this day, for it is considered an auspicious day to begin to learn how to read and write.
Vasant means “spring”, and Vasant Panchami heralds springtime in India, a time of renewal and creativity of life in nature.
(Photograph: freewebs.com)
Mankind, with all its creativity and discipline,
Cannot create a thing as beautiful as a flower.
How to fashion each perfect part?
The shape, the hue, the texture,
The symmetry, the angularity,
The flamboyance, the staid?
The abundance, the rarity,
The variety, the uniformity?
These are beyond the minds
And imaginations of humankind.
Our dabbled attempts at art
Are nothing compared with
The wondrous palette
Of a simple, domestic garden.
The creative genius of God
Is beyond our comprehension
And evades our clumsy attempts
At portraying the Divine Art.
Melody Anderson