Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, dear gurudev, Pamho, AGTSP!

The title and first paragraph were like talking to myself, trying to draw attention to an issue that I considere real. At least for the people like me, kanistha adikari. After my rounds and readings, the thought was the same, the feeling was the same. Discourage, desapointment, frustrations is an issue that is real in ISKCON andino. 

Of course, I will never leave ISKCON. I was just quoting what you said not long ago. That you were about to leave ISKCON, not Srila Prabhupada, two times. May be I miss understood. The point is that it is very difficult to do my service here. Many problems. So I stopped trying. I don't see how can It changes. 15 years experiencing the same. 

So I´m focunsing in my personal development.

I understand very clear what you said about living in ISKCON and I follow all of that. No problem in that department. No 100% percent, but a decent amount.

So, I don´t have much else to say.

Please forgive my lack of intelligence.

your usseles servant,

the LAD

(I hope I can talk to you soon. There are another details, more personal. Thank you very much)

HpS - ASA - Yes, let us talk by Skype etc some time.

We may take charge of the institution if it is too corrupted and work to reform it for the welfare of all. We felt the GBC body was too corrupted to times. Many people felt that, so we went to Srila Prabhupada directly, but in the end the institutional problems were resolved. We could and are making the same mistakes.

Good luck in serving Srila Prabhupada and his expansions. Strangely I received idential letter from Cusco the same day, and here in Houston the night before. I don't think it is necessarily an Andean problem only. It is the nature of things in the material world. Peru has its style..

Hare Krsna.

Brother Ass can barely read the screen sometimes. It is hard to hear what people are saying.

We had no pause in workd from 3AM - 1PM. 1000 people came for Mangala arati etc. It happens second Saturday of the month. We felt we had to do a lot of work to help the Kirtan achieve effective standard. Ability to produce good rhythm is an indication of our connection with the Super soul. In the neophyte stage it is lacking so it is impossible for everyone to sing and dance in close unison. Then there is lack of food for the soul.

Then... class for 80-100 devotees from 7.30-8.30, then online for another pack from 8.30-9.30, the individual questions and work on telecommunications with Srinatha K Das, Aja, and disciple of Sankarsana Das.

Nap. Lots of sugar in the Prasad!  Letters and now some milk Prasad and then meet with Srinatha K. Das et al from 5.45-6.45 PM. 7PM Arati, class discussion, etc.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva, please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
All glories to Hanumatpresaka Swami!!

In this report we are going to focus on the Schedule for the publication of SOLARIS No 3 and the proposals of topics for the talks and workshops.

EDITORIAL SCHEDULE OF THE JOURNAL SOLARIS No. 3

1. Final date for the delivery of articles: SEPTEMBER 9

2. Orthographic correction and adaptation APA 6: SEPTEMBER 16

3. Spanish translation of articles in English: September 16

4. Orthographic correction and adaptation APA 6 to the translated articles: SEPTEMBER 19

5. Design and layout: FROM SEPTEMBER 16 TO 19

6. Cover design: FROM SEPTEMBER 18 TO 19

7. Pre-press and design closing: SEPTEMBER 21

8. Printing: SEPTEMBER 24

PROPOSALS OF THEMES FOR THE CONVERSATORIES AND WORKSHOPS

Proposals of the mother Lalita-gopi

1) The process of configuring political, artistic, literary and educational processes of peaceful resistance according to the ethical dialogue in our times.

2) Interdisciplinary models for the creation of a democratic civil society and the inclusion of art.

3) Artistic culture with national interlocutors of the different social and organizational levels (government, state, municipality)

4) The artistic culture in the context of civil associations, NGOs and social institutions.

5) The relevance of art in work environments, family; of school coexistence in the formation of the person.

Proposals by Miguel Polo

1) The importance of education in art.

2) How we understand the sacred today.

3) Art can bring us closer to the sacred.

4) The Sankhia [HpS - This is "Sankhya"] and the Sacred.

Proposals by Oscar Naters

1) The initiatory experience in the sacred and in art.

2) The variants to the sacred-religious binomial.

3) Everything sacred is religious and everything religious is sacred.

4) Finding the spiritual in the material.

Proposals by Abhiram Thakur das

1) How the sacred manifests itself in painting.

2) The art of reading and spiritual awareness.

3) The everyday in art and the sacred in the everyday.

4) Music and Faith: the relationship between art and transcendence.

5) Stanislavski's magical yes in the theater and in the sacred.

6) Singing and dancing, the natural way to experience the Supersoul.

In the next report we will start presenting the sketches of the designs and the specific proposal of the activities of September and October for the academic Sankirtan.

Hare Krishna respected GURU-MAHARAJA, his insignificant servant, Abhiram Thakur das.

HpS - Thank you for this Report. We will send it to Kalyan-kumar and Dr. Samaresh.

We have 10-weeks until the symposium so we will have five more letters from you and five more chances to respond. The chronogram for Solaris will go into our ASA Calendar.

We think that this project, Art and the Sacred, can arrange that "...humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause." (http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/1/preface). We will write about and would like to present the same, Realization of the Darling of Vrndavana, Sri Krsna, through Artistic Singing, Dance and Drama. We are all connected and all we have to do is be good then our connection with others, even a few other, will produce good.

Thank you?

Got enough money?

11avo. Informe de EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

En este informe nos vamos a centrar en el Cronograma para la publicación de SOLARIS No 3 y las propuestas de temas para los conversatorios y talleres previos y simultaneos al Simposio Internacional El Arte y lo Sagrado

CRONOGRAMA EDITORIAL DE LA REVISTA DE SOLARIS No. 3

1. Fecha final para la entrega de artículos: 9 DE SETIEMBRE
2. Corrección ortográfica y adecuación APA 6: 16 de setiembre
3. Traducción al español de los artículos en inglés: 16 de setiembre
4. Corrección ortográfica y adecuación APA 6 a los artículos traducidos: 19 de setiembre
5. Diseño y diagramación: del 16 al 19 de setiembre
6. Diseño de la caratula: del 18 al 19 de setiembre
7. Pre-prensa y cierre de diseño: 21 de setiembre
8. Impresión: 24 de setiembre

PROPUESTAS DE TEMAS PARA LOS CONVERSATORIOS Y TALLERES

Propuestas de la madre Lalita-gopi

1. El proceso de configuración de lo político, artístico, literario y educativo en los procesos de resistencia pacífica conforme al diálogo ético en nuestros tiempos.
2. Modelos interdisciplinarios para la conformación de una sociedad civil democrática y la inclusión del arte.
3. Cultura artística con interlocutores nacionales de los distintos niveles sociales y organizacionales (gobierno, estado, municipio)
4. La cultura artística en el contexto de las asociaciones civiles, ONG´s e instituciones sociales.
5. La relevancia del arte en los ambientes laborales, familiares; de convivencia escolar en la formación de la persona.

Propuestas de Miguel Polo

1. La importancia de la educación en el arte
2. Que entendemos por sagrado en la actualidad
3. Puede el arte acercarnos a lo sagrado
4. El Sankhia y lo Sagrado

Propuestas de Oscar Naters

1. La experiencia iniciática en lo sagrado y en el arte
2. Las variantes al binomio sagrado-religioso
3. Todo lo sagrado es religioso y todo lo religioso es sagrado
4. Encontrando lo espiritual en lo material

Propuestas de Abhiram Thakur das

1. Cómo se manifiesta lo sagrado en la pintura.
2. El arte de la lectura y la conciencia espiritual.
3. Lo cotidiano en el arte y lo sacro en lo cotidiano.
4. Música y Fe: la relación entre arte y trascendencia.
5. El sí mágico de Stanislavski en el teatro y en lo sagrado
6. El canto y el baile, la forma natural de experimentar la Superalma.

En el próximo informe vamos a empezar presentar los bocetos de los diseños y la propuesta específica de las actividades de setiembre y octubre para el Sankirtan académico.

Hare Krishna GURUMAHARAJA, su insignificante sirviente, Abhiram Thakur das.

Hare Krishna,

Dear Gurumaharaja

TLGASP, PAMHO

Thank you very much for your merciful response, we will do what you instructed us. A few days ago I talked with Prabhu Raghuvaram das, we talked about many things and one about a subject in parricular, a Report of the National Board of Isckon Peru in which a program was canceled in a city, Huánuco, and that was not authorized . On the occasion of that report many commentaries came out of devotees in favor and found, in our opinion the Board acted well, but for some it will not always please them. The point is that there is a problem, that goes back many years even the time that I knew this Srila Prabhupada's Glorious Movement, situations that never changed and instead that helps us grow as an Institution, it makes us go back. Then, with all this, you see that there is a vacuum, a bottleneck, that does not let things flow. we come to a conclusion that there is a broken relationship between Authority and Community, there is no good communication, which causes many problems and disorganization. Then we thought, in my last one of my functions was to be the lasso between the Management and the Personnel, I listened to problems, doubts and solved them, and everything started to improve, there was an adequate work environment, the impasses resolved and everyone was calm making their service. So we keep thinking, what is needed is a Human Resources office, where there is a devotee responsible for organizing and joining this bridge between the Authority and the Community. I do not know if this is already done, but I think it can be improved. There are devotees who for some reason have moved away, temples without devotees and the few do not get along at times. It is necessary to look for that conciliation, the solution is not to move away but to change the mentality. There are many devotees who feed the ego to other devotees, many times oneself, and when they see their reality, they realize that everything is false, fallen free. Dear Gurumaharaja, we know the area, I have been part of a problem, we understood it and we feel that we have the solution to this, so please pray, allow me to be able to take care of this service, it will be gradual, we will start in Cusco later in other cities, the intention is not to cause problems to the authorities, but to support channeling these bottlenecks, everyone must speak the same language, DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. For this we want to talk with the devotees of the National Board and talk about this service, which will try to enumerate the devotees, current situation, service, temple to which you belong, etc. We do not want to be part of the board, we do not want power, fame, what we want is to serve the devotees. Dear Gurudeva, I thank you again for your merciful time, we hope you can give us your permission for this service, we have the experience, if so, we will also beg for your blessings. May the mercy of Sri Krishna always be poured out on you.

Your foolish sinviente

Govardhana das

HpS - ASA - You see the letter from Laksmana agra ja Das? It is really strange, divine, that you both are talking about the same situation, but independently.

I was in a similar situation once, even now we remember, twice. I was feeling frustrated with my administrative authorities, associates, and my GBC Secretary , Sesa Das, said, "They are people, Hp Swami!"    "Hummmf!" thought I.  I had forgotten that. They are just as sincere as am I but in a different service with different personal resources.   The more cruel they are the more it means they are suffering and need our mercy. Cruel husbands, wives, mothers, presidents, followers.

Chant Hare Krsna and you will get intelligence.

I think if you can talk with a few local presidents etc and work with them as consultants that will help. Of course, we can always talk personally to anyon. You can call yourself an ISKCON Human Resource Officer, no? That is on the order of Lord Caitanya, no?
 

Hare Krishna
I'm about to leave ISKCON. But not Srila Prabhupada.
I clarify.

HpS - ASA -- Please, AGTSP. SP is the Founder and Acharya of ISKCON. No one shares or occupies that position, so to leave ISKCON means to leave Srila Prabhupada, no?

I am about to leave my relationship with the local administration, not with Srila Prabhupada and the Sankirtan movement of Lord Caitanya. Actually they already left me a long time ago.

It's 2.30am. My demons do not leave me alone. I have to kill them. The only way is to write about them and they will leave. I've already chanted five bad rounds and I can not continue. The thoughts harass me.

"wherever two or more meet in my name I will be there " I always liked that phrase of Jesus. I think ISKCON is becoming an esoteric entity. Wherever there are people trying to fulfill the seven purposes of ISKCON...Srila Prabhupada is there.

I'm not going to tell the administration what your job is. Actually nobody knows what they do. A few years ago, I commented with P. Mathures on the importance of communication between the community and the administration. Something basic. I told him that from the outside you can not see that they do much, you do not see a vision. May be they are doing many good things, They may have a vision. But nobody knows. So how are we going to work in cooperation? You only know about them when they communicate that they are going to punish someone . Anyway, I'm nobody to judge. I am sure they are making sincere efforts. But frankly I do not see a north, a perspective.

This is not an emotional reaction, just in case. I have been trying to do things since 2002. I have experienced many adverse situations in the institution and I have always kept doing things. Only the hospital took me away for a while. But even I could barely move, I came back. If you look up the word resilente in the dictionary ... there's my picture.

I'm fine. I get up early, I follow the principles, I chant my rounds the best I can, I go out on harinam from time to time, I distribute some books and prasadam, I read, I study. As soon as I finished the semester at university, I took this facilitation course with P. Baladeva from Argentina. I'm busy with my thesis project. In September I start the last semester. And then, next year I´ll start my doctorate. I am focused on that for Prabhupada and you. To improve my service in the education area. But I'm thinking more outward. There are many people who need a higher vision. It is surprising what one discovers and learns with outsiders. This is motivating me more to educate myself to help. In fact I already have a good relationship with several people. I give them books, mini japas, prasadam and we talk.
Association I do not lack. I relate to Srila Prabhupada and my sankirtan group, my students and teachers. Also the sangas vituales, etc. With the administration only a kind treatment. No more.

In the educational aspect, I have already spoken on numerous occasions to retake Peru as the examination center for Bhakti sastri, however they have other priorities, another vision, apparently. I'm not going to insist. There is a group that has finished the course, there are others who are waiting for previous groups and there is a new group that is starting. At first I thought about stopping all this, also because of my thesis, but it would not be fair to leave the devotees who are enthusiastic about getting educated. It would also be a bad precedent for the administration because I would have to say the reason why we would stop. I am thinking that a good temporary solution would be for the devotees to take the exam through an other examination  center that we can access through your generous advice. The details would fix here, how to get a Proctor, etc.
Thank you very much, gurudev for your mercy, for listening to me. I hope we can talk about this and other issues that concern me very soon.
ssLAD

HpS - ASA-  Hare Krsna. Your thoughts sound like my thoughts at 2.30AM after five bad rounds. Thank you for sharing them with us.   Now we need another letter at 10AM after 16 good rounds.

Good means the best we can do.

If we are following the four principles then we are sober enough to know if are making a good try to chant good rounds. That is ISKCON: The community of devotees who get up for Arati and Kirtana during Brahma-muhurta, chant good rounds, read and discuss SB amongst themselves and then after Prasada meet to plan their Sankirtan etc.

We keep ASA that way. You can join us with letters like this or on line and when we visit. When we die we can all go to Goloka.

Taking Sannyasa means to minimize our administrative activities in our insitutuional relation with ISKCON.

So, please write again after 16-good rounds for Srila Prabhupada. Thank you so much for your association!

Hare Krsna.

Happy Ekadasi

We have letters unanswered from one week and one day!    This regular travel situation is kicking in. We have been busy all day with Latin American GBC meeting, Daily SB class, Dr. Samaresh, Srivasa Pt. and how we have 26 minutes to bath, pack, run to the Temple and evening Bh Vai SB seminar.

Hare Krsna.

Just like you, no?

Did not see letter from Abhirama Das!