Inviting all!
WINDOWS TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD – PRABHUPADA’S PAINTERS
2018 Prabhupada Festival – New Dwarka (LA) May 26-27
http://prabhupadafestival.com
and https://www.facebook.com/prabhupadafestival
Theme: Windows to the Spiritual World- Prabhupada’s Painters
Artists attending: Baradraja, Rukmini dd, Shyamarani dd, Puskar, Dhirlalita dd, Ramdas, Dhriti dd, Jahnava dd
Special guests: Srimati dd and Nanda Kishore
Kirtan, Harinam, Prasadam, Katha, Sanga, – FREE!
Rukmini dd: I remember the first thing I did after receiving my first book written by Srila Prabhupada was to look at the pictures. I would sit in my room and just stare at these amazingly beautiful pictures. I had no clue really what they were about but I could not take my eyes away from them. I would get lost in their beauty and wonder.
“Windows to the Spiritual World” and “Filled with bhakti” is what Srila Prabhupada said about these beautiful paintings. The paintings have had and continue to have a profound effect on people when they see them in the books. These paintings were done by devotee artists and depict the scenes from Lord Krishna’s pastimes when He appeared on this planet 5000 years ago.
Srila Prabhupada knew the paintings held great importance in attracting people to Krishna Consciousness and so he oversaw every aspect in the creation of the early paintings to ensure that all were correct in every way. He told the artists what needed to be painted and told them exactly how to paint the scenes and personalities. The descriptions of the Lord’s pastimes and the form of the Lord have been passed down through the disciplic succession since the time of Krishna’s appearance on this earth and must be painted just as described.
“Their paintings are not imaginary. The description is given through disciplic succession, just like that given by Narada Muni, who sees the Lord and describes His bodily features. Therefore, such descriptions should be accepted and if they are painted, that is not imaginative painting.” (Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam purport 4.8.46)
If a painting did not show the Lord and/or His associates and pastimes correctly or if the artist painted for his own sense gratification then Prabhupada would not accept the painting and it had to be redone.
“This is not a good style of painting. It is an artistic style for sense gratification only. I can not encourage this style – it should be stopped immediately. Paintings should be like deities, formal and worshipable. This type of painting is not authorized.” (letter to Madhudvisa, 12/8/73)