The Art of Devotion In the artistic traditions of India, which…
→ Dandavats.com



The Art of Devotion
In the artistic traditions of India, which are rooted in its spiritual heritage, a devotee of Krishna finds inspiration for her spiritual practices. ” . I worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa … where every word is a song, every gait is a dance, and the flute is the favorite attendant.” . (Sri Brahma-samhita 5.56) What is the purpose of art? In art college I learned that it is a way to express something about oneself, something original. Fair comments, but what about the point of it all? What should be the reason for a work of art, a dance, or a piece of music? For many, it is the creation itself, or even the desire for the fame that comes with making something never created before.
http://goo.gl/A6hjVl

I Lost My Heart in Vrindavana! The first time I entered the…
→ Dandavats.com



I Lost My Heart in Vrindavana!
The first time I entered the ISKCON temple in Mumbai – it was in February 2012 something caught my attention, besides, of course, the Deities and the beautiful architecture inside: I noticed many devotees wearing T-shirts carrying the slogan “I Lost My Heart in Vrindavana.” What’s so special about Vrindavana? I wondered. I had some faint idea about this place – how it was related to Lord Krishna’ s childhood activities – but nothing much.
After beginning to associate with devotees, I started to realize how this place is extremely special. Visiting such holy places, I learned, is an integral part of devotional service, and so devotees made regular pilgrimages to Vrindavana and meditated on its glories. Rupa Goswami, the sixteenth-century saint of medieval India, has described in his writings the exalted position of Vrindavana and the immense spiritual benefit one can derive by staying there. I hoped and prayed that I too would get an opportunity to go to Vrindavana.
http://goo.gl/y1hgJ9

Harinama in a wintery Moscow, Russia (Album 65 photos) When the…
→ Dandavats.com



Harinama in a wintery Moscow, Russia (Album 65 photos)
When the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted by many men together, it is called sankirtana, and as a result of such a yajna there will be clouds in the sky (yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg.2.14]). In these days of drought, people can gain relief from scarcity of rain and food by the simple method of the Hare Krishna yajna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.1.17 Purport)
http://goo.gl/itrtWP

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 11/20/2014
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban Bahulaban Barn Cows 1970

 

This week’s challenge: Many people will be enlivened to know the building in this photo is currently undergoing a major renaissance. Can you identify it, what purposes it’s served over the years, and possibly the era this photo was taken?

Extra credit: Can you ID any of the Matajis in the foreground?

What to do: Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the Brijabasi Spirit website.

 

Ratha-yatra, November 16, Laguna Beach
Giriraj Swami

Lord-Chaitanya-at-Rathyatra“During the Ratha-yatra festival, Lord caitanya manifested the mood of Radharani wanting to bring Krishna back to Vrindavan. He would pull the chariot and that emotional process was pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan. In a way we want to install Krishna in our hearts. This body is compared to a chariot, so just as Lord Jagannatha was placed on a chariot at Ratha-yatra, we also want to place Lord Jagannatha or Krishna on the chariot of our hearts. But, in order to do that we have to cleanse our hearts.”

Kirtan, Laguna Beach
Ratha-yatra Talk, Laguna Beach

True Authority, According to Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī
→ The Enquirer

This is a translation of Tattva-sandarbha 10 & 11, with “my” comments inset. Please think about the implications of excluding “Statements of Scholars” and “Tradition” from śabdha-pramāṇa and the significance this has on 95% of what is most often spoken on contemporary disscussions of śāstra (like Bhāgavatam classes or public lectures).

~ ~ ~ ~ = ~ ~ ~ ~

People have four flaws, beginning with misperception.

The four perceptive flaws are (1) misperception (bhrama), confusing one thing for another, (2) delusion (pramāda), believing in our misperceptions, (3) dishonesty (vipralipsā), hiding or ignoring evidence of the flaws in our misperceptions, and (4) perceptual ineptitude (karaṇāpāṭava), the foundation of misperception.

Therefore, our ability to ascertain the veracity of anything is limited, particularly in regard to things of a spiritual nature which are, by their very nature, beyond the boundaries of normal perception. For that we certainly require assistance from the uncommon words of the Veda.

All the numerous ways of trying to know reality can be classified as a particular blend of the these three fundamental strategies: 

1) Empirical perception (pratyakṣa) 
2) Logical deduction  (anumāna)
3) Expert instruction  (śabda)

“Empirical perception” involves many forms of direct measurement (pratyakṣa) as well as indirect observation of the remote effect one entity exerts upon another (ceṣṭā).  

“Logical deduction” involves many forms of extrapolation. Some examples are comparisons (upamāna), probabilities (arthāpatti), inferences (abhāva), and inclusions (sambhava).

“Expert instruction” means to receive valid information from someone who is an expert authority on a subject. However, this does not deserve to be a separate category unless the expert authority ascertains veracity on the basis of something other than empirical perception or logical deduction. For example, statements of scholars (ārṣa) seem like “expert instruction,” but it is relegated to Perception or Deduction if the scholars base their instruction primarily on their own empiricism or logic. Tradition (aitihya) is similar. Many people may accept an idea for a very long time, but this sort of authority is differentiated from “expert instruction” and relegated to the other two categories if the source of the tradition is someone’s perception or deduction.

If “expert instruction” does not originate from empirical observation or logical deduction, where does it originate? Śrī Jīva explains…

The beginningless and perfect words of the Veda are self-manifest and communicated to all people through paramparā.

Knowledge (“Veda”) is inherently contained within objects manifest by Viṣṇu, it simply takes a very developed and clear intellect to perceive all the knowledge inherent in the universe. The clearest, most developed intellect, in the person of Śrī Brahmā Jī, makes exactly such perception and then expresses his understanding in words, thus putting Veda into a spoken form accessible to those with less superhuman intellect. Brahmā’s explanation becomes inaccessible to the intellects of humans at certain points in history, which is when Vyāsa reconfigures Brahmā’s Veda into a myriad of Veda, Upaniṣad, and Purāṇa.
The Veda grants accurate knowledge of all things, worldly and transcendent. Therefore the ultimate basis upon which we can ascertain the validity of a statement is the Veda, in all places, at all times, and for all subjects both wondrous and common.

“Logic and argument cannot prove or disprove transcendent things.”

— Vedānta Sūtra 2.1.11

“Argument is not capable of determining things that are beyond comprehension.”

— Mahābhārata Bhīṣma.5.22

“Such knowledge is born from Śāstra.”

— Vedānta Sūtra 1.1.3

“The Śruti is the ultimate root of the veracity of all concepts.”

— Vedānta Sūtra 2.1.27

“The Veda is the only eye through which anyone — human, ancestor, or god — can see the Supreme and come to understand the ultimate objective and means.”

— Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.20.4


Ekadasi at Radha Gopinath Mandir
→ Ramai Swami

IMG_1043IMG_1045

On every Ekadasi, many devotees from Radha Gopinath Mandir, Bali, gather at the temple.

They chant extra rounds, do more kirtan, hear Bhagavad-gita and some even stay awake all night to observe the Ekadasi vrata.
Lord Krsna told Yudhisthira, “One who observes Ekadasi just once earns ten times more merit than a person who gives a thousand cows in charity to a brahmin.” IMG_1047IMG_1044