Gormley said at the weekend he had achieved his goal of challenging perceptions of what constituted art.
"If it wasn't disturbing to people, it wouldn't be doing its job," he said.
"If it isn't contentious and doesn't get a mixed reaction, it's totally failing."
According to that definition , Baba Ji is the artist Divine! His wisdom still disturbs people who find it contentious and results in a mixed reaction.
Even now sending His divine wisdom on the emails has resulted in a few angry and abusive replies. First of all it hurts us a bit as there is a part of me that wants to be liked and popular.
But then we know that it is the Truth and Truth is rattling the thick layer of falsehood created by the religious bullshit some people have totally encased themselves in.
The very first time we met Baba ji he said things which we knew were true but had never dared to mention in our sikh society, we said that to Baba ji and he replied "if you know the Truth you have to share it, you cant keep quiet, that's not what Guru Gobind Singh ji wanted His Khalsa to be like." So we said to Baba ji that we are full of fear and Baba ji blessed us with a smile and a pat on the back. Since that day 6 years ago, circumstances have forced us to face all the ones we were afraid of - parents, wife, religious elders, managers at work, our own superstituous religious beliefs, all with faith in what we were saying is the Truth and if that means we lose our parents or our marriage or our job then so be it. But in the end everything has worked out fine and the bubbles of fear have burst. At the times we were telling the Truth and livng our Truth we did not always remain humble, mostly we shouted, got angry, stood our ground, pointed out our slanderers false beliefs and faced their wrath. But it must have struck them in the heart because they have all changed for the better. Having been challenged they have all changed (sooner or later) and mellowed out and adopted a "live and let live" attitude rather than the control game they were playing before - parents, wife, religion and mangers all trying to manipulate us through fear and guilt. If they didn't change or mellow out, then God has moved us away from them eg changed jobs. Dassan Dass ji said that when we have Truth behind us our words have power and is not considered to be anger, as written by Guru Nana k Dev ji in Japji "Karam Khand kee banee jor" - In the realm of Grace your WORDS have power. When we are blessed by our Guru and enter the realm of grace - Karam Khand, then our words have the power to shake off the filth of the false. dont be afraid to use this power.
So keep telling the Truth, have no fear in "disturbing" the ones who are in falsehood and be happy if they find it contentious and react badly. It means we have done a good job. The day we get into a comfort zone with everyone praising us and no one reacting to us, is the day we crawled back under the rock of complacency.
"What is false I will call false.
Even though the people may try to silence me.
I do not care for what anybody says.
I will speak but the truth from my mouth."
(Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh, Treh Charittar No.266, Dasam Guru Durbar)
Dust of your feet
Harjit
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