Sculpting "Bhagwan"
by Swami Deva Padam, sculptor
with Swami Anand Suvan, artisan
on the occasion of Bhagwan's birthday

The sculpture "Bhagwan" was conceived when Suvan and I attended the 1984 Enlightenment Day Celebration in Rajneeshpuram. Neither of us had taken sannyas yet, although we both felt that in the course of time it would happen.

One morning during the festival, Bhagwan gave a discourse in which he described at length a beautiful sculpture in India - a representation of a meditator, carved in white marble and standing 51 feet high.

This impressed us, and we both knew, without saying a word to each other, what was going to happen in our lives. We just giggled.

Later that same day, as we sat on the bank of the Muddy River, Suvan broke the silence when he pointed off into the distance, saying, "Let's make it 52 feet high and put it on that mountain!" We exploded in laughter, and for one whole year, the project quietly incubated. Suvan has always been [a] catalyst in our collaborations. He is half my age and his youthful energy usually motivates me into action.

A labor of love began. Suvan gathered the materials - 650 pounds of clay, 300 pounds of plaster, and many other casting materials - while I made working drawings, which were displayed in the sannyasin community in Vancouver, on March 21, 1986.

With no studio, no funds, and no more "ranch", we decided to scale the sculpture down to more or less life-size, give or take an inch.

I live in a tiny 12' by 24' cabin in New Westminster, B.C. It contains a living room, a kitchen and a small bathroom. We rearranged the furniture to accommodate the project. Suvan constructed a sturdy armature and we began frenetically applying the clay. Then slowly, after 1500 hours of work over a six month period of time, we arrived at the result - a casting in epoxy resin, with a silvery-dove-grey-bluish patina.

How do I feel about it? The only parallel I can draw is the feeling a mother must have: satisfaction, joy and relief when she realizes the umbilical cord has been cut finally and the child is breathing on its own. As happy parents, we face the reality that the future of our child is unknown.