Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaj PAMHO AGTSP I received this mail and I am very happy and exciting to meet you soon. I was thinking for long time for my second initiation but was shy to ask you about it.

I don't know what are you decide about initiation of Sahil,nephew of Raktak Dasa,maybe we can be initiated together

I'm surrender toYour and Krishna's mercy and praying Lord Krishna and Balaram to be initiated in Vrindavan.

Your servant and disciple

Indradyumna das

Hare Krishna

HpS-ASA -- Let us discuss it here with all the devotees. Do you have any Brahmana association?

Since our last report we have sought to gain insights from our committee of distinguished members on what topics and questions to ask about ART AND THE SACRED for their interviews in India and Australia on their journey from September to November.

Looking for a conceptual consensus among our members (which is art and which is sacred are controversial issues) we can say briefly that Art is an activity entirely linked to the spirit, the emotions and the conscience and the Sacred is what brings us back to our original existence, which connects us with the transcendent, with the spiritual. On this basis these are the contributions:

HÉCTOR BÉJAR / THEME: THE IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT IN ART AND THE SACRED
Questions: 1. In what way do you believe that works of art regardless of their EXPLICIT purpose can express a sacred message. 2. Who are the most representative authors for you who express EXPLICITLY a transcendent, artistic and sacred message in the plastic arts, literature, theater, cinema,  etc.

WALTER LEÓN / THEME: LINK AND EVOLUTION BETWEEN ART AND SACRED
Questions: 1.- What is the link between art and the sacred, 2.- How has the thinking of art and the sacred EVOLVED. 3. Art and the sacred is a response to the yearnings of being, or is a hope for a better world, or both.

WALTER OJEDA / THEME: INTEGRATION AND CONNECTION BETWEEN NEUROSCIENCES, ART AND SACRED
Questions: 1.- The  mandalas  can be a means of INTEGRATION between art and the sacred and 2.- What are the CONNECTIONS between neurosciences, art and the sacred. 3 .- on what basis is the artistic experience and the experience of the Sacred.

Abhiram Thakur  das / THEME: THE NATURE AND ESSENCE OF ART AND THE SACRED
Questions: 1.- It is the CREATION of the universe an artistic and sacred act. 2. Art and the sacred are ESSENTIALLY experiential experiences, what is the role of consciousness in this experience. 3. - What is the relationship between soul, art and sacred.

We also talked extensively with Ambarisa  prabhu from Argentina and agreed that this documentary has, mainly, three ingredients: 1.- your interviews with personalities from the academic and cultural community. 2. - The event to be held in Lima-Peru and 3.- THE PROGRESS OF A PEREGRINE, that is, the journey or the journey of his sankirtana loyal and determined to Srila Prabhupada, one of whose characteristics is to connect the intellectuals with the books of Srila Prabhupada.

For the following report we hope to have the contributions of Ramón Mujica, Miguel Polo and Gandharva, we also have an interview with the Director of the National Library,
to see the calendar and sponsorship.

That's all for now. Hare Krishna GURUDEVA, his useless servant, Abhiram Thakur das.

URGENTE: 2do informe EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

Hare Krishna Gurudeva, por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias

¡Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!

¡Todas las Glorias a Hanumatpresaka Swami!!

Desde nuestro último informe hemos tratado de obtener las perspectivas de nuestro comité de miembros distinguidos acerca de que temas y que preguntas hacer sobre EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO para sus entrevistas en la India y Australia, en su viaje de setiembre a noviembre.

Buscando un consenso conceptual entre nuestros miembros (que es arte y que es sagrado son temas controversiales) podemos decir brevemente que el Arte es una actividad enteramente ligada al espíritu, a las emociones y a la conciencia y lo Sagrado es aquello que nos lleva nuevamente a nuestra existencia original, lo que nos conecta con lo trascendente, con lo espiritual. Sobre esta base estos son los aportes:

HÉCTOR BÉJAR / TEMA: LO IMPLICITO Y LO EXPLICITO EN EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

Preguntas: 1.- De qué manera cree usted que las obras de arte independientemente de su propósito EXPLICITO pueden expresar un mensaje sagrado. 2.- Quienes son, para usted, los autores más representativos que expresan de manera EXPLÍCITA un mensaje trascendente, artístico y sagrado en las plásticas, la literatura, el teatro, el cine, etc.

WALTER LEÓN / TEMA: VINCULO Y EVOLUCIÓN ENTRE EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

Preguntas: 1.- Cual es el VÍNCULO entre el arte y lo sagrado, 2.- Cómo ha EVOLUCIONADO el pensamiento del arte y lo sagrado. 3.- El arte y lo sagrado es una respuesta a los anhelos del ser, o es una esperanza para lograr un mundo mejor, o ambas.

WALTER OJEDA / TEMA: INTEGRACIÓN Y CONEXIÓN ENTRE LAS NEUROCIENCIAS, EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

Preguntas: 1.- Pueden las mándalas ser un medio de INTEGRACIÓN entre el arte y lo sagrado y 2.- Cuales son las CONEXIONES entre las neurociencias, el arte y lo sagrado. 3.- sobre qué bases se da la experiencia artística y la experiencia de lo Sagrado.

Abhiram Thakur das / TEMA: LA NATURALEZA Y LA ESENCIA DEL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

Preguntas: 1.- Es la CREACIÓN del universo un acto artístico y sagrado. 2.- El arte y lo sagrado son experiencias ESENCIALMENTE vivenciales, cual es el papel de la conciencia en esta experiencia. 3.- Cual es la relación que existe entre alma, arte y sagrado.

También dialogamos ampliamente con prabhu Ambarisa de Argentina y coincidíamos en que este documental tiene, principalmente, tres ingredientes: 1.- las entrevistas de usted con personalidades de la comunidad académica y cultural. 2.- El evento a realizarse en Lima-Perú y 3.- EL PROGRESO DE UN PEREGRINO, es decir, el viaje o el camino recorrido de su sankirtana leal y determinado a Srila Prabhupada, una de cuyas características es conectar a los intelectuales con los libros de Srila Prabhupada.

Para el siguiente informe esperamos tener los aportes de Ramón Mujica, Miguel Polo y Gandharva, también tenemos una entrevista con el Director de la Biblioteca Nacional para ver el calendario 2018 y su auspicio.

HpS - ASA --- Hare Krsna!   AGTSP.

1. Most of the translations are good. Some mistakes. Yours is not so good.

2. From these we would take:
   a) HISTORY: Has the relationship of art and the sacred improved, evolved, to the present time? How have the relationship between art and the sacred been at different times and in different cultrures. Can we see things that historically and culturally that make for a healthy relationship between Art and the Sacred.

   c) What is "Sacred".? What is "Art"?

   d) Is some art sacred in itself and other leading us to the sacred?

   e) Who are some of the artists whose work is most sacred for you?

   f) What is your relationship with Art and the Sacred?

Eso es todo por ahora, Hare Krishna GURUDEVA, su inútil sirviente, Abhiram Thakur das.

Why Solochana das would have been killed ...

HpS - ASA --- Hare Krsna. Nanuk Ji.      Srila Prabhupada is with us. We are doing Sankirtan with his living direction.    We see many problems in ISKCON, but we see so many positive possibilities directly with Srila Prabhupada and with our friends in ISKCON and even with the Insititution, which we don't expect to be much more than and insititution, Varna-ashrama-dharma, which is not going to be perfect in Kali - yuga.

Are you a disciple of Prabhupada. I mean do you follow his discipline?   Up early, Mangala-arati-kirtan, SB, Sankirtan, 16-rounds, four principles?

Then we want to associate with you.  If there is only fault finding and not glorification it is Mayavada view, not this, not this.

Not Mayavada, not Sahajiya.  Isopanisad, both seeing faults in material world, Institutional ISKCON, and good qualilties.

We personally talked with the Pulitzer Prize candidate who wrote 'Monkey on a Stick' after serious investigation of this stuff. Other very serious journalist. There conclusion was not that Cakradhari and Tirtha presented a bad case for ISKCON. It presented a bad case for the Navy Seals in not being able to integrate their trained assasins back into normal life.
 

Our experience does not paint the Insitituion or its Institutional leaders anywhere as black as you present. Maybe we are wrong, but we only seriously listen to critics who are living a popular alternative. Who are involved in book distribution according to their nature and ability.

So, many problems but complete possibility to associate with Srila Prabhupada and get his opinion on anything.

Just one specific example. A personal friend is Akruranatha Das. He was lawyer when Hansadutta sued for copyrights to the BBT publications. Also, Vedaguhya Das.  From them we understand that Hansadutta won copyrights for all pre-1977 books, but then sold them to Vedaguhya, who has been publishing them. The BBT International was the legal name for the BBT as Prabhupada wanted it.

Yes, if they dropped "fairies" out of later editions we think that is probably wrong.

Many things wrong. We are just tying to get our little area right and see the wrongs deleted almost automatically in our area.

O.K.?

Chanting rounds and following principles??

. . . Bhakti Vidyapurna Swami, . . . report shows . . . abuse. . .

ASA - We edited about 97% of this. I personally talk with Gurukula boys who are now very smart, educated, young married men who were educated by Maharaja from childhood in the Ashrama and who are now very dedicated to carry on his work and working with him in the Ashrama.

To me Maharaja has some attachments. I hear strong critics saying that his fault was that he did not know what was going on in the Gurukula huts. He should have known. I see GBC whose service is Child Protection Office taking direct sanctions for Maharaja, but in other aspects judging that he should go on with his projects.

It's a big institution, but I have been in contact with Nityananda Dasa who made happen the first tests of Srila Prabhupada's hair samples, conducted by Dr. Morris at Missouri University Research Reactor. And it clearly shows 250 times cadmium level and little arsenic...... no-one ever has had this kind of levels for 8 months. So this is a REAL MIRACLE! This is science, this is how science develops, and heart's science too, or maybe it's the only one: http://killgurubecomeguru.org/2017/06/hair-analysis-is-a-reliable-indicator/.

HpS - We looked at it. 

And only the audio tapes about Tamal Krishna Goswami (how these names can be still-he is not a Goswami in any way, not a one characteristic)

HpS - From reports from close associates who we know he was always chanting enormous quantity of Japa on Ekadasi. Never any hint of improper association with ladies. Following basic standard and always engaged in managing for ISKCON. Very direct evidence that one time he had to have a root-canal and the dentist wanted to administer anesthetic, but he said he didn't need it. Just put headphones on with Prabhupada's bhajan and it would be O.K.  Dentist laughed and started and was amazed that Maharaja never called for anesthetic.

One time he was asked during Gita class in New York if he had any material desires and he said, as we have heard, "Yes, I guess so. I guess I want to have my opinion respected, but they are under controla and diminising".

and Bhavananda and company, have been studied with big money in 7 sound enhancing studios and audio forensics. So this is a fact that ISKCON have to take soon.....  what it makes to the ISKCON , to the power there, is another thing. But we with Nityaananda, we love Srila Prabhupada and we also have developed a personal thing to him. And I can say, everything is wrong, ha, when Prabhupada doesn't smile. Really wrong. You know it's not 70's anymore. no, there is no poetry in this time. Like there was before they killed Prabhupada and started using his disciples and their children, for their own tamasic purposes. Maybe Prabhupada meant Tamas Krishna Goswami and not Tamal?? this is one video, but there is longer one too, I like Nityaananda Dasa's style, and I think he is a resident of Vrindavana for me and my money, or maybe Prabhupada's money, I have to say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLeHjRhZMc&t=100s

HpS - We started watching it, but again. It is prefaced with a basic assumption that was very different from our experience. There was motive for people to kill Srila Prabhupada, and we never saw that in these people and we were with them under many circumstances.
If these devotees who are proposing this love Srila Prabhupada so much, then why weren't they present when he was in this condition? Srila Prabhupada was incompetent to surround himself with nice people?   Amogha-lila Das who was very educated but not materially elevated in ISKCON institution personally tells us his experiences of that time. Srila Prabhupada was very much in control of the situation and selecting who he wanted around him.

Hare Krishna, now I finally start to really feel again that Lord Caitanya is not a fairy tale, nor Krishna. Who feels it, knows it Lord

p.s. yes those were pictures of me yes:)

HpS - Is this the Nityananda Das who ran Vedic River devotional and drug paraphernalia supply company. He impressed me as very strict in some ways, but one friend who was directly working in his shipping business told us that the drug paraphernalia was direct part of the income.

Like this it start so become complicated and again one may kill Srila Prabhupada's external body but his Vani, instructions live on and can be practically applied to judge the people we chose for friends and the institution we join. Right now I don't see any poisoners, nor is the evidence from what I was trained to accept in graduate science laboratories in U.C. Davis, that compelling.

Maharaj,

It's been a long while since I last wrote to you, I still occasionally think back to when I last saw you and declared I was going to enlist into the U.S. Army and you wanted me to send you a letter sometime about it.

I graduate my final training here at Ft. Sam in San Antonio, TX here in just 6 days as a medic/health care specialist. It's been a bit of a ride and I'm definitely happy I decided to join because all the benefits, education and opportunity for funding for more education in the future makes sense, but regretful because I had many opportunities to stay a vegeterian but neglected it in hopes I'd just bounce back to it after I leave the Army. But I see now that the lord has given me many, many opportunities to stay vegeterian that I've neglected. Yes.. I can feel that Karma coming to hit me later on.

HpS - ASA --- Yesssss....  those poor creatures have been murdered with aims at satisfying your demands for consumption.    It is terrible. .....-[;[[ _____

Sometimes I still question if I made the right choice, but It also seems like all roads led to this at my life. It really isn't so bad in comparison to the comforts of a civilian lifestyle. Everyone has good and bad days. My biggest regret is not signing up 4 years ago at age 17 instead of waiting until now, I feel like I made a big error not doing so. Alongside the present I feel like theres a seperate/multiple timelines of Reilly Grindles that made different, better choices than the Reilly typing this letter out to you now.

I have to ask a question though Maharaj, it seems that at many/sometimes I often have ill luck fall on me in terms of my actions and character affecting others. The most painful thing for me is always coming up negatively on the radar among my peers, being the one that sticks out because of a small error or forgetting something no matter how hard I might attempt to lay-low. Is this my sinful karma manifesting? However since It's been so bad I've been bowing my head to lord Narayana daily to ask for assistance in this and even making the attempt to go to Catholic church every Sunday just to give respect and thanks to the Lord. Bowing my head to the lord gives me a good sense of calm and hope and often has helped me. In some ways I feel this is a gentle reminder not to forget the lord, even if I signed off to submit to the army life.

I've been assigned to an aviation airbase outside of Seoul in South Korea as my first duty station for 12 months with the 2nd Infantry Division. I was pretty surprised when I found out I was heading to Korea, let alone an aviation unit. Pretty fortunate luck and a chance to travel again for a while, I'll do my best to make the best of it, especially education wise.  I definitely don't have plans for any troublemaking! I will miss being able to visit Boise and family for that year though. Hopefully I'll have a few days after graduation to stay in Boise and maybe even come by and say hello to everyone at the Temple before I go. The future seems uncertain, but I pray that all my actions somehow lead me closer down the road to being a better servant of the lord's servants by all the experience, education and learned lessons, (however painful). Prayer and medicine go hand-in-hand like water and sunshine. I also hope your health is well and again want to say thanks for all your mercy, tolerance and wisdom.

Your Servant,

(Pvt.) Reilly G.

HpS - ASA -- Go to strict vegetarian diet. Don't cause the death and suffering of these creatures.  Teach others to do the same so that Krsna does not suffer seeing these people suffer. https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/1/7/37