Letters to the editor

Dear Maharaj,

PAMHO AGTSP!

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to each message. Here are my responses to your esteemed questions 🙏.

1) PhD:

Here are 4 ideas that we have been brainstorming for PhD:

🐸 ASA - Wow! Too much detail for a 75-year-old brain cell! We scan them and give our best shot. Ribbit!

A) Ancient Indian Classical Dance and Mental Health Applications, PhD in Performing Arts from The Julliard School, NY

🐸 Too complicated. You don't know enough about physiology and endocrinology.

B) Psychotherapy through Ancient Indian Classical Dance, PhD in Psychology from Stanford, Harvard etc

ASA - Sounds like the first one. Real thing is you need to find a mentor at the university who can evaluate your talents and then set a practical thesis etc. for you. Big name schools, Harvard and Stanford eg. Are almost always colored by big business. Which means pharmaceutical medicine.

C) Dramaturgy in Cinema and Mental Health Applications, PhD in Cinematic Arts from USC

ASA - Huh!? Seem the same. We have so much stuff going that understanding any details of any program to make detailed decisions is not possible. Right now Dr. Samaresh is waiting for us to review Solaris 7, and in 26-minutes the BOEX meeting starts.

Hare Krsna, Hare Rama.

D) Impact on Mental Health by Supplementing Modern Cinema with Elements of Ancient Indian Dramaturgy. PhD in psychology from UCLA

PhD in psychology might help in preaching. People might take it more seriously and the earnt laxmi can be used in film-making. UCLA is about 3rd place in both cinema and dramatic arts. I might be able to take useful courses in both discplines while getting psychology degree.

In my proposal I could begin with greek medicine; Hippocrates talking about mixture of bodily humors producing behavior; controlling secretion of humors through mind; establish ’drama’ as therapy (SE somatic experience, FR fantastic reality, CBT, NLP etc), proceed to Aristotle, vs Bharata. Then after quoting my research results of Ancient Indian Dramaturgy’s effects on my IIT students (survey based) I can propose the benefits of creating films using emotion centric stories (from India)?

ASA - Had to scan through the above. Is very detailed. First thing, again, is to find a faculty advisor you can work with. If they exist.

Our perspective would on the history of cinema and its impact on society eg. Battleship Potemkin

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=c99bbc8990dbca26JmltdHM9MTY4Njc4NzIwMCZpZ3VpZD0xNTI1Yzc5Ny01YmFkLTZhYjgtMDExZi1kNmY2NWE3ODZiZTEmaW5zaWQ9NTQ0OA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=1525c797-5bad-6ab8-011f-d6f65a786be1&psq=battleship+potemkin+britannica+encyclopedia&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJpdGFubmljYS5jb20vdG9waWMvQmF0dGxlc2hpcC1Qb3RlbWtpbiM6fjp0ZXh0PUJhdHRsZXNoaXAlMjBQb3RlbWtpbiUyQyUyMFJ1c3NpYW4lMjBCcm9uZW5vc2V0cyUyMFBvdHlvbWtpbiUyQyUyMFNvdmlldCUyMHNpbGVudCUyMGZpbG0lMkMsYXMlMjBhJTIwbWFzdGVycGllY2UlMjBvZiUyMGludGVybmF0aW9uYWwlMjBjaW5lbWEuJTIwQmF0dGxlc2hpcCUyMFBvdGVta2lu&ntb=1

Or The Great Dictator.

Then use that for your Sankirtan. Of course, that is our perspective. May not be too much use to you as as Siksa for your Sankirtan.

2) Publications/Research.

Yes Maharaj, IIT Mandi Director Dr. Lila Purushottam (The General of the army) has an entire team of researchers doing phds on various Indian Knowledge Systems (yoga, odissi, pranayama, yoga nidra, mantra meditation, kirtan etc) for Mental Health Applications (IKSMHA). Because it is an IIT they have almost every resource in India available. This topic is interesting to me and they are also paying me to teach and monitor results on enrolled students and they will give me the monitoring equipment (Captain of classical dance).

One paper has already been published on heart rate variability and Odissi, conducting tests on my 300 class students. Tests showed a reduction in stress in students after Odissi class. Because of suicide rates in India, student mental health is being seen as important. This HRV correlation with Odissi paper has been accepted in a conference in Italy.

Being first author in this research, will be useful for phd applications. I know preaching efforts usually don’t get funding because we go against Maya Devi 🙏. But somehow some little window of service opportunity is opening up here for time being 🙏. I hope it’s worth while. Also I’m very happy to work with Dr. Ravi Singh and NIOS as well if they are open. A lady (from Nashville in Geriatric care) on the plane overheard me on this research topic and was so interested she asked me to share more.

ASA - Ask Lila and his crew about this line of work! Contact Dr. Ravi directly. Let us know the results😃

3) Film-making:

HpS/ASA - Here we have to stop! 😅 All our brain cell can handle for one letter. Doctor limits our academic work each day or else we will have brain hemorrhage.

Please use us properly.

HpS - ASA

... Yes Maharaj, I’m building my community beginning with Yogi from Houston. He’s quite enthusiastic and guiding me, he has a lot of contacts with Hollywood as well. I have shared with your esteemed self the first draft of the pitch deck on WhatsApp (it’s missing few slides, work in process).

I’ve also reached out to devotee film makers. Of course after I enrol there I can also build my own community of contacts.

Sanskrit verses: Maharaj you were suggesting you had some ppts made for festivals that you wanted to share with me to guide my dance productions 🙏. You mentioned there are selected verses in those ppts. Hence it was in that context I asked. As the film is evolving and we are approaching various sponsors, I’m adapting the content of the film also.

I just met with DG ICCR Delhi, Tuhin Kumar, he is interested in empanelling our theatre production group and taking our Ramayan on North America tour after Dec.

4) Kalaripayattu diploma starting in July from Kalarigram (Indian martial arts).

YAS

SMDD

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja

Please accept my humble Obeisances and kindly forgive my offenses.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you.

Dayal Nitai Gaura Chandra ki Jai!!

I am Krishna from Richmond.

My brother’s daughter went to goloka today early hours in India. Please pray for her soul GuruMaharaja.

She’s 10 Months old. She has health complications 🙏

Here’s her picture Maharaja.

Always serving your lotus feet.

Thank you Gurumaharaja. Haribol!

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja.

Por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias.

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Gurudev, estoy escribiendo durante FMS porque después puedo olvidarlo.

En las clases de SB del comité de educación de Iskcon Chile, vamos en el canto 1 capítulo 11.

Este sábado comenzamos el curso de Discípulos. Tenemos 7 estudiantes hasta ahora.

Quería contarle que he estado con insomnio por algunas semanas.

A veces leo o reviso el celular o solo pienso y luego me da sueño. Entonces duermo a la hora de FMS, para recuperarme pues debo hacer muchas cosas durante el día, especialmente asegurarme que los niños vayan a la escuela, bañados, alimentados y a tiempo.

Duermo entre 5 a 6 horas y eso me preocupa un poco.

Entiendo que Srila Prabhupada dijo que había que dormir 6 horas no?.

¿Cuál ha sido Su experiencia Gurudev? Con las horas de descanso?

Me complica dormir 5 o 6 horas. Porque me estresa pensar en todas las cosas que debo hacer y cumplir, y creo que debo descansar más 🤷🏻‍♀️.

No quiero volverme más loca 🤭

Ayer fui al doctor y me haré exámenes y tengo hora con psicóloga.

Vamos a ver si el burro está bien o si está fallando.

Disculpa por tomar tu tiempo en estas cosas 🙏🏻

Mis reverencias.

Priyasakhī Devi Dasi

=-=-=-=

Hare Krsna, Guru Maharaja.

Please accept my respectful obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Gurudev, I am writing during FMS because afterwards I can forget about it.

In the SB classes of the Iskcon Chile education committee, we go in canto 1 chapter 11.

This Saturday we begin the Disciples course. We have 7 students so far.

I wanted to tell you that I have been suffering from insomnia for a few weeks.

Sometimes I read or check my cell phone or just think and then I get sleepy. So I sleep at FMS time, to recover since I have to do many things during the day, especially making sure the children go to school, bathed, fed and on time.

I sleep between 5 to 6 hours and that worries me a little.

I understand that Srila Prabhupada said that you have to sleep for 6 hours, right?

What has been his Gurudev's experience of him? With the rest hours?

It makes it difficult for me to sleep 5 or 6 hours. Because it stresses me out thinking about all the things I have to do and fulfill, and I think I should rest more ♀️ 🤷🏻.

I don't want to go crazier 🤭

Yesterday I went to the doctor and I will take tests and I have an appointment with a psychologist.

Let's see if the donkey is okay or if it's failing.

Sorry for taking your time on these things 🙏🏻

My obeisances.

Priyasakhi Devi Dasi

HpS - Hare Krsna! AgtSP. Paoho. This is nice text:

https://vedabase.io/es/library/sb/3/26/30/

IIs big, big, topic. Six hours is enough if we have simple Sattvic life.

If driving for a long time the next day then Srila Prabhupada recommend even 8-hours before.

If we are transcendental Brahmanas like the six goswamis then 2-hours a day with short naps is enough.

So many details.

Even the secular society knows these. Eg:

Don't look at computer or TV screen for one hour before sleep.

Don't eat things that will energize your senses for active work.

Have a good Sadhana so that your heart is not bothered by terrible aspects of the material world.

We struggle with this but are learning more and more.

Do the best you can. Consult with doctors. Don't expect a perfect solution.

Try only eating Ekadasi stuff after 4PM. Don't nap too much. Go to bed early and get up early and get your rounds done!

Maharaj, PAMHO AGTSP!

I hope you’re feeling better 🙏. Maharaj I’ve been thinking a lot about the Hollywood films/novels.

I could either:

1) write the stories like Norse mythology (Thor, Loki etc became so popular). And manage bbt copyright issues.

2) I could write it like children’s fantasy like Harry Potter, e.g. take Prahlad’s story and dedicate 1 book per torture: being thrown off cliff, burnt etc, that he had to overcome. But change the names, attire, location and circumstance a bit, adapt to western story. The conundrum of ‘restaging’ according to audience, medium of communication etc while respecting Vyasadev and SP’s original work. In this option I’ll have to judge how much divergence from real story is too much.

What do you suggest is better or should we just try both?

YAS 

SM DD

HpS - We just finished the other two letters. Will try to look at some others that are two weeks old also.

We smile at how little we are able to do.

Like in the other letters, we think that you need to look for others who are in similar work and coordinate with them.

These seem like big projects.

Do you already belong to a broader community?

Dear Maharaj,

PAMHO AGTSP!

In accordance to your guidance to pursue doctorate/title/awards from academic sources,

HpS/ASA - I hope we were clear in presenting it as a suggestion, no? Srila Prabhupada suggested to Tamal Krsna Swami and Giriraja Das to go to Red China to preach. They were developing a scheme to go in as beer salesmen for GD father's company, but finally Srila Prabhupada said that it seemed too complicated to him.

I tried to apply for faculty with Mandi IIT. In response they offered me to do PhD under them. My father suggested better to pursue that in the US. So now I’m upgrading my relationship with the institute by working on research projects for journal publications with them instead. This is my current research topic. Please advise if you feel it’s worthy of research 🙏:

The human body consists of various systems that co-function in order for an individual to experience a wholesome life.

Beginning with motor functions, digestion etc., all the way up to neurological systems responsible for computing responses to external stimulus.

When an individual is physically injured, the damage usually doesn’t percolate to other systems.

ASA - Huh? Damage to the liver has reaction in the function of the other organs, no?

However when mental or emotional injury, i.e. trauma, is introduced into the human system, a trickling effect of dysfunction is observed

affecting other systems of the body such as the respiratory, immune, even digestive, endocrine, as well as the autonomic nervous systems, which makes it imperative that trauma-healing be researched thoroughly.

ASA - Dr. Carlos Mello in Mexico was a industrial trauma psychologist. People lost a had or something in industrial accident and insurance paid for him to counsel their mental state. Stomach ache can make you angry at everyone.

Various therapies have emerged over the years, but most of them remain drug based, treating mental well-being like a chemical from the neurological perspective. However, there are lesser mind-healing therapies available in the field of medicine. The term "psychotherapy", comes from the Greek word "psyche" or the mind. Some recent findings show SEE-FAR-CBT-SIT-NLP protocols as emerging, integrated and innovative treatment methods already proving themselves as effective treatments in the field of psychotherapy.

After a deeper look at these techniques, several parallel elements came to light in the traditional practices of ancient Indian classical dramaturgy, which seemed to effortlessly combine the fundamental techniques in these protocols under its curriculum.

This research aims to explore Odissi’s therapeutic benefits, depending upon varying levels of exposure to the artform, from the perspective of these healing protocols by conducting similar surveys.

Being already encapsulated as a tradition, the therapeutic practice of dramaturgy may re-emerge as a self-administerable lifestyle enhancing practice, making smooth integration into modern lives.

It is not only sensitive to all ages, genders and cultures, but may also feel more organic to adapt and feel less clinical and thus benefit a large range of patients with varying levels of illness.

ASA

Hanging our with Nitai-gaura-sundara Das, Dr. R. P. Singh, Head of Geriatric Psychiatry at the "Trustpoint Psychiatric Hospital", we think his first response would be that there would no funding for the research. Big pharmaceutical companies dominate the economic resources. Then, if the research was done and published, the experience is that 80% of the research is never implemented.

If you find a General who is minding an army who is developing such projects then you might sign on as a Captain.

That is our perspective, which we feel is maybe 70% accurate.

O.K.?

Do you have the knowledge and resources to do the biology, brain scans, hormone levels that seem to be required?

What we were suggesting was a Doctorate in something like 'The History of Cinema' , "The History and Potency of Dance". Raul is doing his PhD from University of Birmingham I think because it is one of the like three places in the world that has a PhD program for 'Cinema and Community'.

What do you think?

UCLA? UC Berkeley? In Texas near your family, devotees. Doing a PhD in co-ordination with NIOS and Abhiseka Das?

YAS,

SMDD

Maharaj, PAMHO AGTSP!

Hanumatpreshaka Production: Inspiring the god of Inspiration.

HpS - ASA --- Hare Krsna!!! Thank you for this letter and this work! Who is the god (Not God) of Inspiration? 🐵

The film’s story line is:

A little girl approaches you (with father or adult brother?) to ask the meaning of your name during a Diwali festival where an Odissi/Manipuri dance drama is happening.

The scenes will interchange between English description of Hanuman's feats by you to her, shots of dancers (dances?) on Sanskrit verses, actual scenes with costumes and characters and locations on instrumental music.)

Requesting recomendations for the selection of Sanskrit verses for the following sections:

1) 2 verses inspiring Hanuman before the leap (istadev Vandana part of hanuman mangalacharan dance piece). And 1 verse glorifying him in general (opening verse, setting the scene)

2) I need maybe 4-8 verses describing sita’s plight. This will be choreographed as a solo expressional Odissi Abhinaya piece. One verse’s translation will be selected for poetic English narration in between

3) Verses summarizing Ramayan in 20 min (https://youtu.be/tsscKC7wYYM) Rama’s birth, Sita’s swayamvara, exile, golden dear/kidnapping, Jatayu passes, search party, Hanuman leaps.

4) celebratory verses for grand finale dance on Sita found and Hanuman’s victorious character!

YAS

SMDD

HpS - Awk! Gronk! Prkk! SmaCH! 😕

Wow!

We don't even know where to begin to look for such verses?

Is there a Sanskrit Ramayana that we could use?

We don't read Sanskrit... Ooof.. and even if we had the books our eyes are getting weak, the DTC(UT) Spain and India need editing. NIOS Nashville, and consolidating NIOS for future life or dissolution, personal letters to devotees. . .

Hmmm? Who is the audience? Most people Western people haven't the the slightest hint what classical Indian dance is doing, no?

For a cultured Indian audience?

Let us look at the other post.

Prabhupada made Rathayatra appreciable to some people!!!