Letters to the editor

 A G T S P !
paoho / bw

Hare Krsna / Hare Rama ...   Here we are in the Lima center. It is 2.21AM. We have four rounds done, R[4]. We've done a little NOI-ASA work on the NOI-VVB (NoI Vaisnava Verse Book) listing all the verses cited in NoI.

Yesterday we gave SB class in the morning. It is the SB 2.2.20 series on Kundalini yoga. This matches exactly the Kundalini - Jung symposium that we did in the National Library the last four days. We finished the Symposium with several very big scholars, psyciatrists, dance teachers. We hope the video can be edited. In our presentation last night we just presented Kundalini-yoga the way Prabhupada presents it in the SB section and then made our natural comments in terms of Jung's lectures in 1932. Commenting on our presentation Dr. Eduardo G., President of the Peruvian Freudian Society, made a few by precise comments. He first commented that Freudian psychology dictated a bottom up idea. Matter is evolving to produce the self as opposed to the Bhagavata model that the Soul and Super-soul decend to generate the body. Second he commented that he has never seen any evidence that would justify the idea that the self exists after the death of the body and thus reincarnates.

We gave him the reference for Prof. Ian Stevenson and his book, "Children Who Remember". Later we looked at the Wikipedia article on Dr. Stevenson and the authorities cited seemed to be 70% opposed and 30% in favor of the Dr's. work.

Prof. Hector Behar, former freedom fighter with Che Guevara and now with UNESCO and on the faculty of several Peruvian universities, gave a very erudite and little bit extended presentation on the general theme of the Symposium. He commented that societies need paradigms to be healthy, and more specifically the paradigm must come to a Great Father whose image, archetype, can inspire people. He commented that according to the UN report 800,000 people a year are committing suicide. This is more than all those killed in all the active wars in the world at the present moment. Society is sick. Society is suffering from great mental illness. Specifically Peru is not suffering from the presence of a sick paradigm, but rather from a void of any paradigm.

Several times the idea of another Symposium next year was discussed including bringing scholars such as Prof. Dr. Bandyopadhyay and his good wife.

This is our little ASA sumary of the event.

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After SB class yesterday morning we met with Vrsabanu-nandini and Ambarisa Das, her esteemed husband, and Nandanandana and Jagat guru Das, all very professional cinematagraphers, journalists and preachers. We discussed with great alacrity the basic principles of organizing a second Latin American Congress on Education with ISKCON in Chile end of January 2016. Then we went out into the bustling, hazardous, ancient streets of central Lima and found the Claro store and after 40-minutes in lines we got a local chip for our phone and now have the number 51[Peru] 99 12 98 205.

We then met with the local Temple Council and had a very intense discussion concerning Second Initiations here in Peru. The basic goal is that ISKCON must become a premier entity in guiding Peru with its Brahmnical culture. Many administrative points concerning ISKCON Peru we clarified and the path ahead for the Yatra also more iluminated. The Evening Program with Gaura Arati and BG class for about 25-devotees with a focus on Srila Prabhupada and the necessity to live like th Gopis at three levels.

1. Good citizens of ISKCON (Goloka)
2. Associate with our personal, like-minded friends (other Gopis)
3. Have our own real, personal, living relationship with Srila Prabhupada (Murli-mano-har)

Read a little for the book Prof. Polo gave us, Discovering Spirit in Sound: Chanting by Robert Gass. Sleep at 9.45PM and up at 1.45AM.

O.K. 2.48 AM - Post this, send a copy to Dr. Samaresh and Radhika-rama Das et al and chant eight more rounds before bath, puja, arati ... 

Hare Krsna,

AGTSP

Paoho & bw.

We we are in Lima, Peru, in the preaching center/temple in the middle of Lima, Wilson. It's a little bit tough area. Even during the daytime if you park on a side street there is a chance of getting your side mirrors stolen, but it is across from the National Art Gallery. It is always cold and overcast here. During the day it gets about 65-degrees Farenheit, but the devotees are very helpful, very eager to hear classes on the 'Bhagavata' and we are doing programs nightly with the National Museum.

We came here Monday after an extremely successful weekend in Chosika with the international Regional Educational Encounter for Education with ISKCON. At 7AM we bundle down the Central Highway with two more devotees in a taxi. Dropped off our things here in Wilson then went out and met the new Ambassador to Peru, His Excellency, Dr., Sandeep Chakraborty. He is an extremely intelligent, young, friendly person with a PhD in Physics. He could appreciate very readily our efforts to create  a cultural exchange between India and Peru. He is ready to help in every way. He arrived less than one month ago and will be posted here for three years. His sister-in-law is closely involved with ISKCON in Geneva. We left with him asking us how to join the Janmastami celebration in Chosika, September 5th.

Next to the home of Dr. Dora Bazan and Vaidya Ruben Devoto. They are both participants in the Bharata Sanskriti book and four of us there again had excellent discussion of the work. She was very attached to the book and will also participate in the Release Ceremony at the National Library tomorrow and they want a program at their university, Ricardo Palma, on Thursday the 3rd, after we return form Tarapoto. She is currently Dean of Modern Languages at Ricardo Palma University, a corresponding scholar for UNESCO and he is the foremost promoter of Ayurvedic study and pracrtice in Peru, giving accredited classes at Ricardo Palma and supporting a robust therapy practice.

Back in the car after an excellent Ayurvedic lunch and quick Darshan of the new member of the family, Daniela, 5-months old. Through traffic, security, and arrived at the six story, three acre, National Library. The Director, Dr. Ramon Mujica, received us and Alejandro (Abhirama Thakura Das) commented that he had seen him make cordial, formal receptions before, but this time he was very animated in the discussions of Jung's thought and the entire Symposium being organized in the Museum for the following four evenings.

Downstairs to the auditorium and the first night of Peter Brook's epic film, The Maha-bharata. Our constant working associate, Oscar Natars, who was honored as  Director of the Year by one of the biggest international film academys this year, was there. Also, Dr. Mariano Querol, 90-years and a nationally know psychiatrist and writer.

In bed by 9.45 p.m. and up by 1.45 a. m. for the full morning program in the Temple with Srimad Bhagavatam class on verses 2.2.18-21, which strangely deal with Kundalini Yoga, the topic of the Library Symposium tonight!

Tuesday similar and now is Wednesday 1.48pm - cold, dark, depressing, 67-years old.    Ha! Ha! Ha!     Yoga makes you happy inside with a bright future and with your association we would rather die than be anywhere else.

Tonight is the first night of the academic sessions, starting with Chinese classical literature and reflections on the Peruvian archetypical self. Principal correspondent with be Prof. Miguel Polo from San Marcos University. We obtained with great adeventure one of the last remaing copies of the excellent, scholarly translation of Journey to the West in Spanish for him while we were in Madrid in June. Already the Ambassador, Museum, ISKCON Devotees are asking for copies.

Our hope is to participate with all of you as NIOS, Hp. Swami, in producing a cultural revolution in the lives of this currently, enormously mis-directed, impious civilization by bringing the perspective of the best of the world's classical cultural assets to the foreground of public attention.

All help needed!!!

For any Urgent work call us through Laksmana-agraja Das - 51 (Peru) 98 467 7968 or Gandharva Das 51 99 275 3391. Both are excellent, intelligent English, Spanish speakers.

AGTSP!      Paoho & Bw.     We arrive in Lima at 10.15PM on Lan 2629.      We will call Abhirama Thakura about transport and accomodations, but expect to be in Lima tomorrow for organizational work for the forthcoming Symposium with the National Library.

Now we have three rounds done. Good nights rest. All the mail uptodate.  Cloth washed an dry.  Excellent Mangala arati with about 17-devotees.

We will pack and go to the airport, to fly Mexico City, and after five hours of transit, fly to Peru.

Yare dekhe, tare kaha...    Wherever you go, whomever you meet, tell them about Krsna, and on Lord Caitanya's order, become Guru and deliver your circle of acquaintances.

Hare Krsna!!!!

Hare Krsna, Bwanas and Bwanis!
AGTSP!!!!!  Paoho...    Follows our letter to the Jung, Kundalini Yoga, Peru Symposium, circle:

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!

Esteemed Psychologists, Philosophers, Psychiatrists, Historians et al.
We salute you from Monterrey, Mexico. We came here for a traditional boat festival, Jala-yatra, and we are leaving for a mountain excursion with about 45-members in 1-1/2 hours. It is 6.310AM.

We were contemplating Dr. Eduardo's comments after the 1st Jung lecture, about the necessity of not dumping our human habits such as smoking and becoming too spiritual.

Then we did our regulated reading, this 2nd lecture on Kundalini Yoga, and it seems to address very much Dr. Eduardo's concern.

We have to translate some of the terms that Jung uses, such as impersonal consciousness, free from ego, to match our Bhagavata model, but he seems to be talking about the same levels of evolution of consciousness.

Earlier he was talking about sthula, suksma and para bodies, and said the sthula and suksma were understandable to him, but the para was a 'mist'. We would feel that by a little effort in this Bhagavata tradition, yoga, under able guidance we can have some experience of these higher chakras and the mist would begin to disappear. Of course this para plane can be experienced by so many methods.

Who agrees with Dr. Jung's realization of what is happening as described in the evolution of Kundalini to different levels?

As I said above, his realization seems to be pretty much direct experience of what he is describing so far if looked at from the Bhagavata description.

I would try to give a simple response to Dr. Eduardo's comments that seem to be discussed here by Dr. Jung's also, that we should not artificially try to jump up, but experience properly why we smoke at our level, but as we evolve, then the smoking is seen in it's subtle, more pure, more delightful, less contaminating form.

What are contaminations? The first I would say is death. Death is an unnatural thing for us. We should not lose consciousness when we are in the state between bodies, and in the next physical body we should have access to previous projects, knowledge, associates.

I would say that the Kundalini Yoga Sutras that Jung was dealing with, were probably not practical for Europeans at that time and neither now, but it is possible to develop a Yoga or Religion which would allow the Nation of Peru to progressively rise up, for the 'gods' to again become active.

Of course, we write this with a lot of smiles and hope for responses from a lot of people.

We are humbly including Prof. Dr. Samaresh Bandyopadhyay in this dialog. He is our old friend, adviser and very senior professor from Calcutta University. I would also suggest that at some point we can try to get in contact with Shonu Shyamdasani. He has such a ton of Jung's letters, writings etc. like these Kundalini lectures and related documents, that can each be researched and published. Specifically, for us Jung's trip to India seems of the most value for our efforts to create a bridge between the Orient and the Occident, and so I would hope to influence him to turn his considerable academic attention those days rather than many other topics.

Thank you.

See you in a few days.