Years ago I read something I have never forgotten. It said in the beginning Beelzebub gave to the humans the arts and sciences. I understand the western Beelzebub to be the equivalent of the eastern Maya.

After many years in America I can see this perspective as wisdom. In this article I am going to refer to art and not science.

I think that this statement pertains to areas where the passing of culture has been lost and art has grown to an individual educated action, a need for a personal and competitive statement perhaps.

Generally I view current art as well as the art of our present cycle as a social pariah, plague and sort of infection, to the desire to discover the truth of our inner nature. Most modern art only strengthens vanity, self importance, elitism, isolation of the one pursuing and making the art, and casts a spell of goo ga on those who love and support the the arts. I feel the best medicine for many artists would be shoveling horseshit in the westlands of Texas for an eternity.

In other parts of the world where the meek still exist, where creativity is a normal part of the passing of culture, where very little status or praise is given to the people who do this art, then perhaps these people are in some way benefited.

It is true that anytime you do something creatively with your hands you gravitate to a more genuine and honest place, quite often feeling better because the mind has become quiet.

When I refer to art as sadhana I am not referring to such superficial realities as calming, feeling better, etc. But rather a creative dynamic whose effect is the same as Sadhana (actions that liberate us from the ego and unite us with the divine self)