09/17/1998 - 2239 ...(See Related VNN Stories)

Madonna Redeemed

Eugene, OR (VNN) - by Mandala Publishing Group

Madonna Redeemed: WVA Vice President Blesses Performance

Swami B. V. Tripurari, vice president of the World VaishnavaAssociation (WVA) and 1998 Louisville Grawemeyer Award nominee, issued astatement today in response to harsh criticism hurled by some WVAmembers against the entertainer Madonna for her "sexually charged" blendof "Eastern mysticism with Western hedonism" in her performance onThursday's MTV Video Awards.

The swami, along with his publisher, Mandala Publishing Group who gavepermission to Madonna to use its Saraswati image as the backdrop to herset, expressed support and appreciation for the entertainer. Contrary tothe outrage already noted by some WVA members, the swami gave hisblessings to Madonna's performance in the following statement:

"The Hindu community and Eastern spiritual seekers the world over shouldbe happy for Madonna personally in terms of her genuine interest inenlightened life, and grateful to her for her sincere efforts to attractothers to the same. That she does so through the media of popular musicand dance that she has influenced millions by throughout her career is,however, potentially problematic. Thus a rather small and conservativegroup of Hindus has criticized her performance in terms of its sensualappearance.

"I do not entirely agree with this criticism, which bypasses the veryheart of spiritual pursuit. However flawed one's presentation may be,the sincerity of heart and motivation behind it compensates a great dealfor apparent external discrepancies. That her sincere motivation was notcaught by Hindu critics is unfortunate. As the vice president of theWorld Vaishnava Association, I wanted to make this statement to balancethe public criticism organized by only one of the many institutions thatmake up the World Vaishnava Association."

Besides his role as WVA vice president, Swami Tripurari is one of thedirectors of Mandala Publishing Group, an organization dedicated topromoting a greater awareness and understanding of the philosophy, artand culture of the ancient Indian spiritual traditions. Mandala sponsorscultural performances, art shows, and financially supports severalarchitectural and environmental preservation projects in India's holycities.

Swami B. V. Tripurari was a finalist in this year's LouisvilleGrawemeyer Awards with his title "Aesthetic Vedanta: The Sacred Path ofPassionate Love." To date he's written seven books. For moreinformation, view www.swami.org. or www.mandala.org on the internet.

Mandala Publishing Group
1585-A Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Contact: N. D. Koster
Voice Mail: (800) 688.2218
Day Phone: (541) 349.0567
Night Phone: (541) 349-0567
E-mail: mandala@rio.com

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