Links to my Vrindavan-related editorials on Vrindavan Today

Satyaraj Prabhu asked me to write about Vrindavan as a tirtha for the upcoming edition of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies. I have written so much over the years, you would think that I had some kind of clear idea of what I want to say. I have been spending my time looking over the old material and trying to reduce it all to around 5000 words and to make a coherent presentation.

The problem is, as always, what do I want to say? What is my “big” realization of the moment? Or the inspiration that guides my understanding of the Dham?

Well, first of all I think it is necessary to distinguish the tirtha from Dham. Tirtha is a place you visit, the Dham is a place you stay. I think that needs to be narrowed down a bit more. Dham includes tirtha, but tirtha does not include Dham. A tirtha is usually primarily about expiating sins, one's own or those of one's forefathers. Its primary goal is mukti, whereas the Dham is about bhakti and enhancing one's devotion to Krishna. Residing in a holy place is always a part of sadhana, but residing in the Dham is in and of itself a sadhana.

So here it is a few days later and I am not much further ahead. I have been looking at my editorials on Vrindavan Today over the past so ever many years, as well as the Vrindavana-mahimamrita posts that seem most relevant.

The following are the most important editorials, 25 in all. These were posted a few days ago on Facebook as a note, but I thought why not share it here too, for the record. Some of these have also been crossposted on this site. Those that haven't perhaps should be.

  1. Service to the Dham is Bhakti (Feb. 2010)
  2. Seva to Vrindavan, not “Save Vrindavan” (Nov. 2010)
  3. Vrindavan is Primarily for the Bhajananandi Vaishnavas (Nov. 2010)
  4. Vrindavan’s VIP Road (Jan. 17, 2011)
  5. Global Warming, the Yamuna and Vrindavan (April, 2011)
  6. Reflections after a Long Weekend (August 2011)
  7. The Good Fortune of Residing in Braj (Aug. 2014)
  8. Looking at Vrindavan’s Future Again (I) (Nov. 2014)
  9. Looking at Vrindavan’s Future Again (II) (Nov. 2014)
  10. Manipur Vaishnavism and Cultural Transplants (Nov. 23, 2015)
  11. Radha and Partha Sarathi (Feb. 27, 2016)
  12. Bhaktivedanta Marg and the Three Vrindavans (March 2, 2016)
  13. The Culture of Consumption and Vrindavan (Apr. 2016)
  14. Creating a Human Sanctuary in Vrindavan (May 2016)
  15. The Dham is Nirguna and Independent in Its Power. (Aug. 2017)
  16. Without Iron Will and Enforcement, no Swaccha Vrindavan (Sept. 2017)
  17. What does it mean to be a Brajbasi ? (Sept. 2017)
  18. Revealing Braj’s true form through Seva (Sept. 2017)
  19. Srila Prabhupada, Globalization, and the Three Vrindavans I (Oct-Nov. 2010)
  20. Srila Prabhupada, Globalization, and the Three Vrindavans II (Oct-Nov. 2010)
  21. Srila Prabhupada, Globalization, and the Three Vrindavans III (Oct-Nov. 2010)
  22. Krishna’s move from Gokula was due to environmental degradation (Jan. 2018
  23. Braja Vasa Sadhana for Foreigners (March 2018)
  24. Religious Tourism and the Sacredness of the Dham (March 2018)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O Mind! Meditate on Radha's Breasts

Image
Flickr As I go through the dāna-līlā episode of Chandi Das's Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana , there are many songs in which Krishna describes Radha's beauty, and a regular feature of that includes descriptions of her breasts. In fact, breasts are a subject that is prominent in all Sanskrit poetry, and is even standard in prayers to goddesses. There does not seem to have been any inhibition in talking about breasts in the ancient Indian culture, even though I dare say, there is more of one in the modern society, in spite of Bollywood. There is, however, an apparent restriction in talking about genitals, male or female, in the so-called erotic poetry of India--Sanskrit or vernacular--even when lovemaking etc., is described. Such descriptions would automatically fall into some other genre. In Radha and Krishna descriptions, I cannot recall ever seeing or hearing a passage that mentioned genitals or overt sexual activity. It is nearly always spoken of somewhat euphemistically. I remember
Read more

Swami Vishwananda's Bhakti Marga and Parampara

Image
It has been a little strange here at Jiva these past few days. Swami Vishwananda is here with his troupe of disciples, of whom there are a goodly number, perhaps 80 or so. When I arrived in Vrindavan already a couple of weeks back, almost the first thing I noticed at the corner of Mathura Road and the Parikrama Marg was a big billboard with Swami Vishwananda’s charming smile and glowing tilak staring charismatically out at the world and announcing that he would be giving darshan on March 8 at the Jiva Institute. Below him, in a smaller frame was Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji, who besides being his host will be speaking on the Bhāgavatam at the darshan event. This is not the first time that Vishwananda and his group have been at Jiva. Satyanarayana Dasaji calls Vishwananda a friend, and indeed the relations between the two are very cordial. Vishwananda's group is mostly young and enthusiastic, predominantly European (German and points east), who are very enthusiastic about
Read more

Erotic sculptures on Jagannath temple

Image
This was written on the basis of Sundarananda Vidyavinode's Sri Kshetra and intended for a devotee audience, as it was done on a commission by disciples of Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj. It has never been published. I decided to put this on line since there was a discussion on Facebook on the subject and I thought I would revisit what I wrote here nearly twenty years ago. This is from chapter ten on temple renovations. Please note that I have removed the images that I had found of some of the sculptures. I have been blocked from posting links to this blog on Facebook for some infringement of its "community standards". The only thing I can think of on this blog that might have offended some prudish person in cyberspace is this. I do not have much hope for redemption as it has been over six months since my ban is "under review" and there has been no sign of action. Needless to say, I find this heavy-handed action on the part of Facebook dangerously authoritar
Read more