BABA
Request about Baba's image
Namaskar,
A good reason to not post pictures of Baba and the pratik on social media and the Internet, nor play with the images, nor reproduce Baba in art.
It is known that we are not to reproduce art of Baba, neither drawings nor sculpture. All visual art of Baba is considered a graven image. One ends up worshipping the art and not Baba. Photographs of Baba are different. Yet, and this is an important point, toying around with the images is a form of art. It is, in fact, a personal expression, and therefore must be considered art. This includes posting on social media. Social media is essentially a method for people to express themselves. This is making Baba into art. This is prohibited. Also what is done but I don't think it should be done is playing around with Baba's image in photoshop. This is art. This is not the pure form of Mahasambhuti and thus should not be worshiped. It is a personal expression. It is art. So when you see Baba floating in the cosmos or on a lotus flower or whatever doctored up image of Baba you see, you should not worship that. It is tainted with personal expression. Your imagination is strong enough not to have to rely on such images. Yes?
Nothing is wrong with personal expression. Art is a good thing. Art is also a bad thing. We all know this. So do you think playing with Baba's photograph in photoshop is a good thing or a bad thing? It is a bad thing. It is, in fact, downgraded art and therefore a form of dogma. Dogma is prohibited in Ananda Marga. We accept into Ananda Marga those who have dogmatic beliefs. But we also try to persuade them of the difference between dogma and satya. If you want to make art, if you want to express yourself, express the inspiration you receive through some form of service. That form of service might very well be art. Playing around with Baba's picture is not service. Baba is His own personal expression!
Furthermore, because so many people have disregarded the rules and posted Baba's pictures and video all over the Internet, I submit that we should not even allow the "Gentleman's Photograph" to be posted. Mahasambhuti allowed the posting of His picture in some of His books. This is a far cry from posting His image on the Internet. Anyone who cannot understand this is a fool.
I know very well there is a lot of art made of Shiva and Krsna. One reads Baba's words on the subject and realizes that much of this are is erroneous. It depicts myth: fiction, not fact. Therefore, is it a good thing to ideate on fallacious forms of Shiva and Krsna? In Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Baba debunks many of the myths spread about Shiva, who He was married to, and various mythological beings associated with Him. Baba will say such and such a creature did not exist because a human can't have four arms. He says this over and over. Is this not intelligent and factual? It is one thing to create fantasy. It is another to worship fantasy. That is a dangerous activity. Mythological beings are Jungian archetypes. Jungian archetypes are not God.
You have attached your ego to Baba's image
I am an artist. I have thought of depicting Shiva and Krsna. I chose not to. Why depict Mahasambhuti? Better to build a jagrti. Rather than looking at images of Krsna and Shiva, why not read about them in Baba's books?
As I am an artist, I know this well, the point I am about to make. If you express something, it is no longer in your mind. What you have expressed becomes released from your mind. You will no longer dwell on it in the same way. It becomes an object of your creation. This having happened, you cannot keep the ego from attaching itself to what you have created. This includes "sharing" Baba's image. This is not a personal activity. Baba is not remaining in your mind. You have attached your ego to Baba's image.
I used to have many pictures of Baba on my puja table. I thought, more is better. More is not better. More diffuses and confuses the mind. Less is better. One may have many pictures of Baba, but best, in my opinion, to only have one picture on the puja table. This helps focus the mind. Those that do dyana should understand this. We don't want to be seeing Baba everywhere on the Internet. We want to internalize Baba's image. We want to be thinking about Baba within and not projecting His image out in the world all over the place. And didn't Baba say the way to reach Him is by going within? I am sure He said that many times.
So not only will I not post images of Baba and the Pratik, nor make any art based on Baba's image, I will also not make any art of Shiva or Krsna, as they are also Mahasambhuti. Read about Krsna and Shiva in Baba's writings and you will begin to imagine the REAL Shiva and Krsna, which is much more satisfying. You will think about them within and not rely on external creations.
The more we can properly respect the images of Mahasambhuti, the better. Baba is special. By tossing Baba's images and video out onto the Internet, we are giving away the farm. This is similar to selling properties that should remain with Ananda Marga. This is, in essence, selling out.
Keep Baba internal. Stop externalizing Him. Keep Him to yourself. That is where He should be. Is this not so? We must refrain from the impetus to express Him. Rather, go inward. Then you are more likely to see Him in the sky and chirping birds, in flowers, everywhere.
Baba's Grace,
bhaskar
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