I'm so Vain

[Fireside_Hindu]

Namaste,

Recently, just from online perusal as well as visiting other temples, I've come up with this crazy idea that probably makes me a terribly vain person.

For a little background, in college I had roommates who were obsessed with this certain kind of doll. They would buy them and then make clothes for them as well as repaint their faces. One roommate got so good other doll owners would pay her to modify their dolls.

Lately, I've been seeing some murtis that I feel desperately need a "face lift". Either they are painted poorly or not at all and I can't help but feel they would be so wonderful if they had a bit of TLC. So there are times when I kind of want to buy cheaply made murtis and repaint them. I wouldn't resell them. I'd just leave them at temple for people to take if they wanted.

I don't know - maybe it's an artist thing. I feel the same way when I see a blank wall downtown. I want to cover it with a mural.

 

[Vinayaka]

It's the gardener/ in me that does this. A rosebush would look good there ... and there ... and there. Some lilies here, and here, a climbing vine there, and there. At least when you do art, FS, there won't be immediate maintenance. Hopefully you can do some stuff to your new temple.

 

[Aupmanyav]

For me, it is putting macrons in place of capitals/block letters, and more importantly the translation of Sanskrit verses. Unfortunately, I do not know much Sanskrit, but even then, I see the dictionaries, put the meaning in place of words, and get my own literal translation. Prabhupada's Gita inspires me to do this the most. I am sort of a purist.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

So there are times when I kind of want to buy cheaply made murtis and repaint them. I wouldn't resell them. I'd just leave them at temple for people to take if they wanted.

I think that's a beautiful idea! You would be honouring the deities, helping other people, and using your artistic talents.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Lately, I've been seeing some murtis that I feel desperately need a "face lift". Either they are painted poorly or not at all and I can't help but feel they would be so wonderful if they had a bit of TLC. So there are times when I kind of want to buy cheaply made murtis and repaint them.

Do that when you are in India. You can get raw terracotta murtis, gypsum casts, and then can paint it. Perhaps instruct the potters for better decoration. Check when you are here. They have all sorts in India. Done poorly and done gorgeously.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Do that when you are in India. You can get raw terracotta murtis, gypsum casts, and then can paint it. Perhaps instruct the potters for better decoration. Check when you are here. They have all sorts in India. Done poorly and done gorgeously.

Question Aup -

Are the murti maker's workshops places I can find and visit? I'd love to meet them, watch them work and talk to them about their craft. I know there are probably touristy things, but I'd like to get away from that if possible.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Also, prepare yourselves for my first victims/ patients. This Radha Krishna Murties has been sitting with the free books and printed material for weeks and no one has adopted them. I suspect it's because they are a little on the ...smudgy side. The kumkum also isn't helping. They look like they were in an accident. Let's see if I can jazz them up!

 

[Aupmanyav]

Are the murti maker's workshops places I can find and visit? I'd love to meet them, watch them work and talk to them about their craft. I know there are probably touristy things, but I'd like to get away from that if possible.

Oh yes, in every city that you visit. Raipur will have its own tribal flair. Modern art has reached them.

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Santhal+sculpture&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1LENP_enIN576IN576&espv=2&biw=1455&bih=705&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi63ZWCyZzOAhUMwI8KHT4IDS8QsAQIIQ#imgrc=B5Jk5A-U9LqZWM:
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Santhal+sculpture&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1LENP_enIN576IN576&espv=2&biw=1455&bih=705&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi63ZWCyZzOAhUMwI8KHT4IDS8QsAQIIQ#tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CfdQd6oY2cs4Ijh1skRd1bNPs_1zuwf4mx1A5UM_1Tri5zX9eQcOHYEQyfCy8AFRvIt3YluQR5cIYKXdGyqmJsHrPWoyoSCXWyRF3Vs0-zEdZtI1wHLeQSKhIJ_1O7B_1ibHUDkR6L9vZGJDWRQqEglQz9OuLnNf1xEH3ulDzJjHUyoSCZBw4dgRDJ8LEZZ0Jl0TwnYrKhIJLwAVG8i3diURv6EdtaRvFoEqEgm5BHlwhgpd0RH0Rmjj1D_1AFCoSCbKqYmwes9ajETjeIqcgmq78&q=Santhal sculpture horse

Also, prepare yourselves for my first victims/ patients. This Radha Krishna Murties .. Let's see if I can jazz them up!

Radha Krishna murti is beautiful but really needs de-jazzing (the red spread). A fair Krishna for the White people. Balarama and Laxman were fair and so was Shatrughna.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

A fair Krishna for the White people. Balarama and Laxman were fair and so was Shatrughna.

Were Krishna and Ram not dark in complexion? There are not many white people to appeal to at my temple, and I feel there is a enough preference for fair skinned people/murtis as it is. I have started painting them. Radha is still fair, but Krishna will be dark blue. I will show when they are finished =)

Thank you for the links!

 

[ShivaFan]

Have you ever thought about the lost wax method?

The process begins with beeswax or other wax that you can shape your murti, carve in details etc., essentially make a sculpture of the murti in wax. Wax also allows you to add a lot of very artistic details to the murti.

After the wax murti has been carved, increasingly coarse layers of clay are applied to the object and allowed to dry. The first and finest clay slips capture the wax details in the smooth mold, and the coarser clay layers provide strength.

But as you built your clay that will become the mold of your murti, you run a little rod, could be metal, that is hollow like a straw or a material which is such that you can pull the rod out from mold and casy. The rod will run from the outside and touch the wax murti on the inside.

You then fire the clay hard, as the heat melts the wax that drips out from the channel created by the rod.

You then pour melted metal or casting into the hole created by the rod. Inside the clay molding, now that the wax has melted and dripped out of the channel created by the rod, is the exact image of the wax murti you carved.

The liquefied metal or other casting you poured into the channel becomes hard as it cools down. When you break away your clay outer shell, you have a metal or other replica of your wax murti!

It is called LOST wax, because the end result is one of a kind - the original wax murti is gone, melted away, the resulting metal or other material murti is a copy of your wax sculpture.

BUT ... you can reuse that wax to make ANOTHER murti, one of a kind, and then another, and another...

... thus from the ONE came MANY.


The entire assemblage is fired, causing the original wax carving to melt away, leaving only a baked clay shell. Liquid metal is poured into the empty mold and left to cool and harden. Later, the clay exterior is broken open, revealing the finished metal object beneath.

There are ways to also paint or stain your metal if you use that. But now you have created a true metal murti as has been done for 2000 years or more.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Have you ever thought about the lost wax method?

The process begins with beeswax or other wax that you can shape your murti, carve in details etc., essentially make a sculpture of the murti in wax. Wax also allows you to add a lot of very artistic details to the murti.

After the wax murti has been carved, increasingly coarse layers of clay are applied to the object and allowed to dry. The first and finest clay slips capture the wax details in the smooth mold, and the coarser clay layers provide strength.

But as you built your clay that will become the mold of your murti, you run a little rod, could be metal, that is hollow like a straw or a material which is such that you can pull the rod out from mold and casy. The rod will run from the outside and touch the wax murti on the inside.

You then fire the clay hard, as the heat melts the wax that drips out from the channel created by the rod.

You then pour melted metal or casting into the hole created by the rod. Inside the clay molding, now that the wax has melted and dripped out of the channel created by the rod, is the exact image of the wax murti you carved.

The liquefied metal or other casting you poured into the channel becomes hard as it cools down. When you break away your clay outer shell, you have a metal or other replica of your wax murti!

It is called LOST wax, because the end result is one of a kind - the original wax murti is gone, melted away, the resulting metal or other material murti is a copy of your wax sculpture.

BUT ... you can reuse that wax to make ANOTHER murti, one of a kind, and then another, and another...

... thus from the ONE came MANY.


It's a method I've always wanted to try actually. I've made paper mache casting from clay but never lost wax. Maybe I can find a workshop on it. I would love to be able to make metal murtis =)

The entire assemblage is fired, causing the original wax carving to melt away, leaving only a baked clay shell. Liquid metal is poured into the empty mold and left to cool and harden. Later, the clay exterior is broken open, revealing the finished metal object beneath.

There are ways to also paint or stain your metal if you use that. But now you have created a true metal murti as has been done for 2000 years or more.

It's a method I've always wanted to try actually. I've made paper mache casting from clay but never lost wax. Maybe I can find a workshop on it. I would love to be able to make metal murtis =)

 

[Treks]

You're so vain? I bet you think this song is about you!

 

[ratikala]

Namaskaram Fireside ji

Namaste,

Recently, just from online perusal as well as visiting other temples, I've come up with this crazy idea that probably makes me a terribly vain person.

we canot judge eachother , we can judge our selves , ....if we want to decide if we are Vain or not ? ...then we need to honestly evaluate our motivation , ....

Why do we want to do it what ever it is ?

if it is because we think we can do a better job than another .........then this is vanity
or if it is to gain praise , favor or attention in any way then it is a form of self agrandisement , .....

however if it is because we want to do seva (either for deities or for comunity)......this is the devotional attitude which to be pure should be free from self interest and is not done for praise or any form of self agrandisement , ....

in seva we should allways train ourselves to be selfless otherwise the seva is not to the Deity but to to self , ....

Lately, I've been seeing some murtis that I feel desperately need a "face lift". Either they are painted poorly or not at all and I can't help but feel they would be so wonderful if they had a bit of TLC. So there are times when I kind of want to buy cheaply made murtis and repaint them. I wouldn't resell them. I'd just leave them at temple for people to take if they wanted.

if Deities are for home worship they may often appear un painted as this is a part of Seva that the devotee giving the Deity a home should do , in a way it is a form of bringing the deity to life , when the deity first comes to the devotees home the devotee will want to wash the deity paint it and offer it fresh clothing , ...this is all part of our building a relationship with our new deity , ...
however some people do not feel confident to paint the features of the deity so will buy them allready painted , ...most Marble Deities that come from India are already beautifuly painted , this is a real skill that one must train to do as it is not just just the skill in painting but also the correctness of every detail that must be learnt .

in the west we are now seeing everywhere these cheap painted resin deities , ....so many of these are poorly and incorrectly painted ,
but if we are talking about the Marble or Panchadhatu (the Auspicious five metal aloy) Deities , then strict procedure should be taken in painting them , these should only be painted by the pujaris (preists) or by appointed devotees, ...or for home worship , ..by the new owner , ..

Now if we are talking about Temple Deities , .. we may go to a temple and see a deity that looks to us badly painted , but we must considder that the painting of the Deity is an act of love , this deity may not be well painted , the devotee painting it may not be an artist , but if he has painted it with love this is more acceptable to the Deity it self than a beautifull job that has been done without that love , .....

I don't know - maybe it's an artist thing. I feel the same way when I see a blank wall downtown. I want to cover it with a mural.

oh of course , ...this is true I felt like this in the begining , ..it is very hard not to because it is our job , it is something that we can do , but as artists we must learn the fine line between wanting to impose our own thoughts wishes or creativity on things such as Deities , ...Mural is very different , ...it may realy chear up a dull area and give much enjoyment even education , ...but to paint the Deity , ..this is personal seva between Devotee and the lord , ....

It's the gardener/ in me that does this. A rosebush would look good there ... and there ... and there. Some lilies here, and here, a climbing vine there, and there.

how wonderfull , this is the most perfect analogy , ....and a devotee will plant flowers in the temple garden but he will plant in two ways , at the entrance to the temple he will plant a beautifull aray of plants which 'Glorify' and enhance the temple so that everyone visiting will see and feel the beauty of the place and will feel atracted , ...but in a more private area he will plant flowers for the Deities , his mind will be different , he will choose the flowers that the Deities love , he will select good garland making flowers and will try to make sure that there is something flowering at all times of the year , .... in neither instance he dose not plant to satisfy his own heart but to satisfy the Deities , as both of these seva's can be done with only the lord in mind , thus the devotee can utilise his talents and Knowledge in his seva .

but returning to your question of vanity ? it is only vanity when the mind is on the result , how it will look and what others will think , ...it is only when the artist is thinking more of displaying or imposing his own ideas that it becomes vanity , ...

we once had a temple member who was very competative , he wanted our temple to be Bigger , Better , Flashier , with Bigger Deities , ..his aim was to be more impressive than our sister temple , this foolishness was vainglorious , who was he wanting to impress ?...after all is said and done all the Guru wants is for devotees to come closer to God , he does not want to see his devotees wate their time and energy being competative , does he want to see glitz for the sake of glitz , he wants to see love and care given to the best of the abilities of the devotees , even if that ability is not the best it is the love behind it that realy matters , ....

 

[ratikala]

Also, prepare yourselves for my first victims/ patients. This Radha Krishna Murties has been sitting with the free books and printed material for weeks and no one has adopted them. I suspect it's because they are a little on the ...smudgy side. The kumkum also isn't helping. They look like they were in an accident. Let's see if I can jazz them up!

Firstly may I say please please do not think that I am being overly critial , especialy of you in person , ....let me explain ,....

this happened in our temple , people bring items used for home worship to the temple if they could not look after them for some reason , they would donate them hoping someone would look after them .

many Hindus are reluctant to take another persons Deities , there are many reasons for this , a person forms a relationship with the Deity so taking another persons deity can be seen as taking on some of the karmic conections associated with that person and his / her Deity , ...for this reason most Hindu will want a new un worshiped Deity , ...
however that being said I have mostly all old Deities , ...I canot help but stop my self adopting them , ...but they do often have different character and feel because of their different worship (or not) over the years , ....

it is important also that we understand that deity like this is a cheap representation for worship at home or as almost a souvenier , these Resin deities in my mind are not good to worship , realy it is better to treat this as an ornament than a Deity , just a representation , ...in some respect it will be good for you to practice as these deities allready exist and of course it will be good for them to be loved and cared for as not even a picture of Radha Krsna should remain un loved , ....but there is also a problem , these kind of deities are not vey correct , so all we can do is try to treat them as sympatheticaly as possible , ....these should be painted up like the marble Deities as there are different methods for painting marble which looks more lifelike , and Panchadhatu which has different Qualities

here with Panchadhatu Deities we paint only certain portions and there is correct procedure that must be followed , we paint only the fearures , the palms of the hands and soles of the feet , ..and the under clothing , there are only certain instances when the colour of the Deity is changed .

marble Deities are painted similarly except the features can be more lifelike , ...but it is normal in most cases to let mnatural colour of the marble shine through

to repaint resin deitys with clothing all cast in one you could study the small marble deities from shops like this http://www.gmb.ooo/radha-krishna-statues/radha-krishna-murti-294-381.aspx here you will see both Radha and Krsna wear crowns not helmets , ...and difference between jewellery and garlands is more clearly defined , ....

but please please do not complain or make jokes about the Kumkum this was someones devotion , allthough this is not normal for Radha Krsna deities , well at least not in our tradition , it is very commonly practiced amongst some Hindu , ...so when removing it do so very respectfully .

when we take on another persons Deity it is usual that we think that we are continuing the service that another has given , even if we do not agree with anothers form of worship we canot just impose our will on the deity , if we want to do another way we must first ask permition of the Deity , ......and we must be willing to meditate on understanding what the Deity itself wants , .....

I know it is only a common figure of speach , and I am sure you did not intend to offend , ..but you canot '' jazz up a deity '' ....it is not a '' victim '' , it is not a '' patient '' , .....if you wish to repaint the deitys however small or cheaply manifactured they are , you become their servant , you must do as they wish .

sorry if I sound exacting but it is better we know correct procedure and what is involved in this Seva , ...westernisation and comercialisation of hinduism is now inventing its own rules this will in the end be detremental to true Hinduism which although it needs to adapt to suit the needs of the times and of devotional attitudes , there are somethings that canot and should not be changed as they are laid down in Shastra , ...similarly any thing associated with Deity Seva and Worship should be taken very seriously , ....for this we need the instruction of the Guru or trained Pujari , ....

we must even be wary of Murti Wala's as comercialisation often creaps in , in this instance important aspects of tradition are lost .

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Firstly may I say please please do not think that I am being overly critial , especialy of you in person , ....let me explain ,....

this happened in our temple , people bring items used for home worship to the temple if they could not look after them for some reason , they would donate them hoping someone would look after them .

many Hindus are reluctant to take another persons Deities , there are many reasons for this , a person forms a relationship with the Deity so taking another persons deity can be seen as taking on some of the karmic conections associated with that person and his / her Deity , ...for this reason most Hindu will want a new un worshiped Deity , ...
however that being said I have mostly all old Deities , ...I canot help but stop my self adopting them , ...but they do often have different character and feel because of their different worship (or not) over the years , ....

it is important also that we understand that deity like this is a cheap representation for worship at home or as almost a souvenier , these Resin deities in my mind are not good to worship , realy it is better to treat this as an ornament than a Deity , just a representation , ...in some respect it will be good for you to practice as these deities allready exist and of course it will be good for them to be loved and cared for as not even a picture of Radha Krsna should remain un loved , ....but there is also a problem , these kind of deities are not vey correct , so all we can do is try to treat them as sympatheticaly as possible , ....these should be painted up like the marble Deities as there are different methods for painting marble which looks more lifelike , and Panchadhatu which has different Qualities

here with Panchadhatu Deities we paint only certain portions and there is correct procedure that must be followed , we paint only the fearures , the palms of the hands and soles of the feet , ..and the under clothing , there are only certain instances when the colour of the Deity is changed .

marble Deities are painted similarly except the features can be more lifelike , ...but it is normal in most cases to let mnatural colour of the marble shine through

to repaint resin deitys with clothing all cast in one you could study the small marble deities from shops like this http://www.gmb.ooo/radha-krishna-statues/radha-krishna-murti-294-381.aspx here you will see both Radha and Krsna wear crowns not helmets , ...and difference between jewellery and garlands is more clearly defined , ....

but please please do not complain or make jokes about the Kumkum this was someones devotion , allthough this is not normal for Radha Krsna deities , well at least not in our tradition , it is very commonly practiced amongst some Hindu , ...so when removing it do so very respectfully .

when we take on another persons Deity it is usual that we think that we are continuing the service that another has given , even if we do not agree with anothers form of worship we canot just impose our will on the deity , if we want to do another way we must first ask permition of the Deity , ......and we must be willing to meditate on understanding what the Deity itself wants , .....

I know it is only a common figure of speach , and I am sure you did not intend to offend , ..but you canot '' jazz up a deity '' ....it is not a '' victim '' , it is not a '' patient '' , .....if you wish to repaint the deitys however small or cheaply manifactured they are , you become their servant , you must do as they wish .

sorry if I sound exacting but it is better we know correct procedure and what is involved in this Seva , ...westernisation and comercialisation of hinduism is now inventing its own rules this will in the end be detremental to true Hinduism which although it needs to adapt to suit the needs of the times and of devotional attitudes , there are somethings that canot and should not be changed as they are laid down in Shastra , ...similarly any thing associated with Deity Seva and Worship should be taken very seriously , ....for this we need the instruction of the Guru or trained Pujari , ....

we must even be wary of Murti Wala's as comercialisation often creaps in , in this instance important aspects of tradition are lost .

I apologize if I offended you Ratikala. That was not my intention.

My informal language comes from a place of playfulness - a quality that Lord Krishna surely embodies. If someone were to ask me what it important when approaching Hinduism, I would say the qualities of Humility and Humor. Now, I have obviously failed at the first, as I have taken on this project with the idea that "I can do it better". However, I am trying to make up for that by "walking the walk" - rather then let a murti sit unloved for whatever reason, I've taken it home given it some loving attention and will return it. Perhaps the paint will make no difference, but if not, then I did my seva, did what I said I was going to do and moved on.

Now for the quality of humor - you are right that religions, especially Hinduism, end up commercialized. I think that's kind of inevitable. When you have people who value something simply for it's beauty, they will adorn themselves and their homes with it regardless of the significance to someone else. So what happens? People quickly and without devotion, churn out cheaply made murtis to sell quickly. Now, I do not know for sure if this murti I picked up was made without devotion, that's not fair. However, not knowing that, I can challenge the idea that one should endlessly consume quickly made reproductions of sacred images, by taking one aside, painting it with devotion - making it different from the others that came off the assembly line, telling it - "No, you are not intended to simply fall off an assembly line and into someone's curio cabinet - at least not yet."

Yes, the kumkum was a sign of someone's devotion. I was not mocking that. Whoever left the murti their obviously hoped someone would take it, else why leave it at a temple? If it were me it would make me sad to come in each subsequent week hoping for it to be gone, only to see that it continued to be ignored - this murti that I had loved but for whatever reason had to give up. I was making an tongue and cheek observation about how it looked on the statue. It is possible to be critical and appreciative at the same time. That's actually 4/5th of being an artist.

Again, I am sorry if you were offended.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

So I have finished the repaint. Biggest changes were the faces but I did general color enhancement too. The only disappointing thing is that the clear coat I used doesn't come our clear on resin for some reason so there's a bit of a residue. Still the coat will make the murti easier to clean and dust in the future. I will try a different clear coat next time. They will go back to temple on my next visit with a flower mala to see them on their way.

 

[ratikala]

Namaskaram Fireside ji

I apologize if I offended you Ratikala. That was not my intention.

dont worry you did not offend me , ....

it is just , ...and I am sure you know me well enough by now , ....I probably appear very streight laced about these things , ...Why ?
because my Guru ji was very strict about this protocol , ...at times he appeared to get realy angry if we did not do things correctly , ....but that is just the quality of a good Guru , he does not let deciples make mistakes , he does not let the devotee offend the Deity , ....

My informal language comes from a place of playfulness - a quality that Lord Krishna surely embodies. If someone were to ask me what it important when approaching Hinduism, I would say the qualities of Humility and Humor. Now, I have obviously failed at the first, as I have taken on this project with the idea that "I can do it better". However, I am trying to make up for that by "walking the walk" - rather then let a murti sit unloved for whatever reason, I've taken it home given it some loving attention and will return it. Perhaps the paint will make no difference, but if not, then I did my seva, did what I said I was going to do and moved on.

yes I can agree that Humility is most certainly the top most quality , and humour can be an esential and most usefull tool when used in relation to oneself if we can see the funny side of our own inabilitys and imperfections this just increases our humility , ....but humor in relation to the deities to me this is a deffinate No No !

but still do not think that I an chiding you , ...it is just that without aproaching the Deities with complete humility we do not , canot , develop a true relationship with them , which just means we do not fully benifit , ....

Now for the quality of humor - you are right that religions, especially Hinduism, end up commercialized. I think that's kind of inevitable. When you have people who value something simply for it's beauty, they will adorn themselves and their homes with it regardless of the significance to someone else. So what happens? People quickly and without devotion, churn out cheaply made murtis to sell quickly. Now, I do not know for sure if this murti I picked up was made without devotion, that's not fair. However, not knowing that, I can challenge the idea that one should endlessly consume quickly made reproductions of sacred images, by taking one aside, painting it with devotion - making it different from the others that came off the assembly line, telling it - "No, you are not intended to simply fall off an assembly line and into someone's curio cabinet - at least not yet."

I am sure that throughout time there has been an element of comercialisation or popularisation in some form or another , ....but what we face now is a cheapening and a dumming down especialy when it comes to the observance of rules and regs , ....this is something the serious devotee needs to guard against , ....

Yes, the kumkum was a sign of someone's devotion. I was not mocking that. Whoever left the murti their obviously hoped someone would take it, else why leave it at a temple? If it were me it would make me sad to come in each subsequent week hoping for it to be gone, only to see that it continued to be ignored - this murti that I had loved but for whatever reason had to give up. I was making an tongue and cheek observation about how it looked on the statue. It is possible to be critical and appreciative at the same time. That's actually 4/5th of being an artist.

Again, I am sorry if you were offended.

Again please do not think that I am offended , ....

many people think it is ok to bring Krsnas playfullness down to our mundane level , and I canot in any way blame you for common behavior , it is natural for us to follow examples set by others , .... I have seen it happen time and time again in the temple but if we realy wish to develop our sadhana we need to become more circumspect around the Deities and devotional practices , ....there is a tendancy in westernised societies to bring deities down to our level instead of trying to elevate our selves to approach theirs , ......

as artist to artist yes we should talk about the qualities and value of appreciation and criticism , ...

but as artists we might say that there is objective criticism , yes this is true , but the question is can we bring this into devotional life ? ...personaly I think it is most productive when used to kurb our own counter productive actions .

as surely criticism is best used when asessing our own work and our own abilities , ...it is only by being totaly honest and by driving our selves hard that we realy develop , ....this is equaly true of devotional life , ...but that criticism turned outward even tonge in cheek can be dangerous , .....it is something we should be taugt to guard against , ....My grandmother allways used to say ''Criticism is the lowest form of witt'' ...yet our society does it all too freely , it is no wonder that we also fall prey to the habit , ...but the etiquete of the devotee is the complete reverse we should be , .....''Humble as a blade of grass , more tollerant than a tree which bends in the wind '' and we in our tradition say ''in this humble state of mind may I offer all respects to others '' .....

 

[ratikala]

Namaskaram ji

having just posted I now see the pictures you have posted whilst I was writing , .....

I am sorry but I am totaly in shock , what have you done to Radha's Eyes , please please I beg you remove this post, ...
there is no room for artistic licence when painting Deities , ....

I am not offended , ..I am totaly disgusted , I am in tears

please please remove it , ....please do not take it to the temple .

 

[ratikala]

Please look at the beautifull lotus eyes of the lord, let him gaze lovingly upon Sri Radhika whos beauty is the only equal to his , ......

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Namaskaram ji

having just posted I now see the pictures you have posted whilst I was writing , .....

I am sorry but I am totaly in shock , what have you done to Radha's Eyes , please please I beg you remove this post, ...
there is no room for artistic licence when painting Deities , ....

I am not offended , ..I am totaly disgusted , I am in tears

please please remove it , ....please do not take it to the temple .

Well...I didn't paint them for you.

*sigh*