For the Elements

For the Elements

Sometimes at night I lay and ponder

Twilight and her world of wonder

Where beauty and friendship always thrive

It’s good to see these things survive

I love the spell it puts me under

These beautiful manes and dazzling eyes

The depth of my spirit they mesmerize

Lessons of goodness the true-hearted seek

Delivered in good fashion week after week

When Kindness finds courage and Loyalty flies

The heavenly spheres set by sisters royal

While Apple mares work near the trees in the soil

There is smiling and Laughter and joy for all ages

Many creative minds this party engages

To great friends and their virtues dear Rainbow is loyal

Sometimes in the morning I wake and admire

The Equestrian tales and the good they inspire

Then I gaze inward and see my potential

To gain Harmony which to me is essential

And its fine Elements that I hope to acquire

I am glad and grateful for the lessons I’ve learned

From the Mane Six and the way that they turned

Discord to Kindness and danger to fun

Their Magic of Friendship may charm anyone

In whose heart and mind inspiration has burned

Mike Babbish 2015

Tribute to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

   The Art of Living Foundation is an international NGO that teaches stress relief, breathing, and meditation techniques. It was founded in the 1980’s by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual leader and Guru to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world. Sri Sri believes in a stress-free, violence-free world and founded the Art of Living to help bring this about. He developed a powerful breathing technique known as the Sudarshan Kriya, which many participants of Art of Living courses have benefitted from throughout the years. I know from my own experience the healing effects of Sudarshan Kriya and meditation.

   I have had an interest in Indian literature for a while, and have been deeply moved by works such as the Bhagavad Gita. This I interest is evident in my recent sculpture of Lord Ganesha from Hindu spirituality and literature. For my next sculpture I wanted to honor the founder of the Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Referred to as the Guru of Joy, Sri Sri has brought greater happiness and motivation to many around the world via his message of peace and service to others. It was also through the Art of Living Foundation- and its university-based YES Plus branch- that I was able to complete the Seva Project I went on at the end of last year (my first blog entry after the introductory post describes this trip in detail- please read it if you’re interested).

   As a way to thank the Guru that has had such a positive influence on my life and the world, I have ventured to craft a sculpture in his likeness. It is a simple little statue, much like the Lord Ganesha statue I already produced, but I like it and I hope it is a fitting tribute to a man who relentlessly (and yet effortlessly, it seems) shares kindness and joy with the whole world. Kindness is something this world needs more of. Its value is beyond measure. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has dedicated his life to spreading kindness throughout the world, and I have the highest respect for it.

   Thank you for reading this personal anecdote of mine, and I hope you like the pictures of my sculpture. Any and all constructive criticism is welcome. If anyone else would like to share his or her experiences with Sri Sri or the Art of Living, please feel free to do so.

Jai Gurudev!

Mike

Thanks for viewing! More information on The Art of Living can be found at:

www.artofliving.org

Hello everyone,

Here are the pictures of my completed sculpture of Lord Ganesha. This is my first attempt at sculpture ever. I am satisfied with how it turned out overall, considering it is my debut effort.

Constructive criticism is certainly welcome as this is an new endeavor I am starting. Thank you for taking the time to view the images!

The nest sculpture I'm working on portrays Sri Sri Ravi Shankar- the Guru of The Art of Living Foundation. I'm looking forward to completing this and many other new works!

Ganesha

     In Hinduism, there is a deity known as Lord Ganesha. He is immediately recognizable because he has the head of an elephant on a human body. There is a myth that explains this. The Goddess Parvati was tired of her husband Shiva intruding on her privacy as she was bathing. So she used her powers to create for herself a child, who possessed immense power. The child was instructed to guard the doorway to the palace where Shiva and Parvati lived, and deny access to anyone who tried to enter. Shiva arrived home and intended to enter his palace, but he was thwarted by the child. The child explained that he was Parvati's son and was guarding her privacy. The child even managed to best Shiva in a duel- something totally unheard of. Shiva eventually used his spear to sever the child's head and enter into the palace.
     Paravati was devastated at the loss of her powerful child. Shiva was overcome with remorse and wanted to cheer up his beloved wife. He instructed one of his servants to go earth and bring him the head of the first creature the servant found. This was an elephant. Thus Shiva placed the head of the elephant on the boy's body and brought him to life. That is why Ganesha looks the way he does.
Ganesha is a very popular deity in Hinduism because he is known as "The Remover of Obstacles." Because of this, devotees pray to him before starting something new- whether it be a new job, a new endeavor, or purchasing something new.
     I am starting a new artistic endeavor of my own. I have never done sculpting before, but I always wanted to. This longtime dream of mine will finally be realized! As my first project, I am working on a sculpture of Lord Ganesha. Who better to begin with than the Remover of Obstacles? I always liked his unique look, and I am excited to complete my debut attempt at sculpting in honor of him. He is an auspicious personality to start with.
     I included the except above in this week's blog post because I plan to post pictures of the completed statue on this blog when it is finished. This way those viewing the pictures who do not know who Ganesha is could have some background knowledge.

Pictures of the Ganesha statue are on the way!
Jai Gurudev!