Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

HpS - ASA - Paoho and agtylf.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

ASA - !!!
    All glories to Guru parampara.

ASA - ! !      !*

    Hope you are good in health.

HpS - We are immortal but Brother Ass, the Donkey that we ride through this world, IS a disease. Our eyes are failing, two teeth gone, half deaf, short term memory diminished, knees getting weak, respiration shallow, but even though it is an old car it is well maintained. AGTSP, ISKCON, and we look forward to good service until the final collapse (2024).

Personally, we are surprised that we are making spiritual advancement, AGTSP, ISKCON, we are really trying to get ready for life after death and waking up, and developing our eternal service and its application in this world.  Jaya, Sri Hanumatpresaka, Sri Ramacandra Bhagavan.

    Wanted to be good in Kirtan so thinking to start practice from tomorrow.

    So if you can advise anything which can help to pick it fast, would be good for me.
    i would focus on those points while practicing.

    While, i have finalized topics for preaching in Chhattisgarh. Planning to go in
    December first week for 15 days.

    Continuing with 32 rounds, hope to increase 40 rounds after a certain time.

    Hope to keep upgrading spiritually as you expect from me.

    Thank you so much Gurudev for everything.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - We admire your determination. Please write to us when you leave for Chhattisgarh. Then we shall see you at the end of January. Now looks like land 23 January and then head to Govardhana Eco Village GEV. Let's all go. Education symposium. Then back to Pune (BBY) for the same in ISKCON and outside universities.     Then Delhi/Vraja.      Then 15 Feb - 15 Mar (?)   Kolkatta Mayapura.        Then two, three weeks in the North East.

By "Kirtan" do you mean singing and dancing in the Temple and Public, or do you mean direct distribution of books?     In either case, listen. When you chant, lead a Kirtan, listen to the response that the others make. When you approach people to show books, listen to their response. Then from your K.C. nature it will be natural to respond.   1) We must be pure (eg. FMP),  2) Krsna will send innocent people,    3) They must be patient to understand the situation of this material world.

Thank you.   Respects to everyone!

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

Now we are in full layout and design of the magazine SOLARIS No 3, to finish today and then send the sample to Dr. Samaresha. We have just done all the planning of the events, in the next report, which will be in a week, the details of the whole sankirtana from October 17 to 26.

Regarding the event, the program of the Symposium was defined in this way:
International Symposium THE ART AND THE SACRED

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 FROM 6 TO 9 PM
1st SESSION / Theme: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ART AND THE SACRED
Art as a way to transmit sacred knowledge.

1. Speaker: Hanumatpresaka Swami (USA)
Conference: CONTEMPLATIVE DELEITE, MEMORIES AND FEELINGS OF A PILGRIM

2. Speaker: Ramón Mujica (PERÚ)
Conference: LOS SANTOS, ERMITAÑOS AND VIRREYNAL PERUVIAN ART

3. Speaker: Patricia Llosa (PERU)
Conference: FOOTPRINTS OF THE NUMINOUS IN ART AND DREAMS

4. Speaker: Héctor Béjar (PERÚ)
Conference: SACRED ART AND THE EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

5. Speaker: José Luis Valencia (Mexico)
Conference: THE SACRED ART OF PRE-HISPANIC CONCHER DANCES IN MEXICO
 
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 FROM 6 TO 9 PM
2nd SESSION / Theme: THE NATURE OF BEING AND ART
Eternity, knowledge and bliss.

1. Speaker: Ravi Gupta (India)
Conference: SACRED SOUNDS: MUSIC AS A REVELATION IN THE VAIṢṆAVA TRADITION

2. Speaker: Paula Miranda (Chile)
Conference: SACRED WORD AND POETRY: MISTRAL, VIOLETA PARRA AND CHIHUAILAF

3. Speaker: Dolores Chávez (Mexico)
Conference: SPIRITUALITY IN THE SOUND AND MUSICAL DIMENSION

4. Exhibitor: Juan Pedro Egoavil (PERÚ)
Conference: THE CONTEXT OF THE SACRED IN PERUVIAN ART

5. Speaker: Emma Carpio (PERÚ)
Conference: THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SACRED, IN THE FOLCLÓRIC DANCES, QUECHUAS AND AYMARAS DE PUNO

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 FROM 6 TO 9 PM
3rd SESSION, Theme: THE SACRED IN THE ART
Knowing the transcendent and enjoying the transcendence

1. Speaker: Dhruva O'Shea (Australia)
Conference: THE SACRED ART OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA

2. Exhibitor: Nilo Velarde (PERÚ)
Conference: EL AYLA - MUSIC AND THE SACRED IN THE ANDEAN POPULAR TRADITION

3. Speaker: Ananga Malatesta (Italy)
Lecture: THE HINDU CLASSICAL DANCE: A SACRED INVOCATION

4. Speaker: Raúl Zevallos (PERÚ)
Conference: FROM THE NATURE OF ART, TO THE ART OF NATURE

5. Speaker: Carlos Daniel Sánchez (PERÚ)
Conference: THE AYARACHIS: THE DIVINE AREA OF THE INDIGENOUS MUSICAL FORMATIONS OF PERU

Hare Krishna respected GURUDEVA, his insignificant servant, Abhiram Thakur das.

14avo. Informe de EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO.

Ahora estamos en plena diagramación y diseño de la revista SOLARIS No 3, para acabar hoy día y luego enviar la muestra al Dr. Samaresha. Ya acabamos de hacer toda la planificación de los eventos, en el próximo informe, que será en una semana, los detalles de todo el sankirtana del 17 al 26 de octubre.

En cuento al evento el programa del Simposio quedo definido de esta manera:

Simposio internacional EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

MIERCOLES 24 DE OCTUBRE DE 6 A 9 PM

1era SESIÓN / Tema: RELACIONES ENTRE EL ARTE Y LO SAGRADO

El arte como camino para trasmitir conocimientos sagrados.

1.            Expositor: Hanumatpresaka Swami (USA)

                Conferencia: DELEITE CONTEMPLATIVO, RECUERDOS Y SENTIMIENTOS DE UN PEREGRINO

2.            Expositor: Ramón Mujica (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: LOS SANTOS, LOS ERMITAÑOS Y EL ARTE PERUANO VIRREYNAL

3.            Expositora: Patricia Llosa (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: HUELLAS DE LO NUMINOSO EN EL ARTE Y LOS SUEÑOS

4.            Expositor: Héctor Béjar (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: EL ARTE SAGRADO Y LA FILOSOFÍA ORIENTAL

5.            Expositor: José Luis Valencia (México)

                Conferencia: EL ARTE SACRO DE LAS DANZAS CONCHERAS PRE-HISPANICAS EN MEXICO

JUEVES 25 DE OCTUBRE DE 6 A 9 PM

2da SESIÓN / Tema: LA NATURALEZA DEL SER Y EL ARTE

Eternidad, conocimiento y bienaventuranza.

1.            Expositor: Ravi Gupta (India)

                Conferencia: SONIDOS SAGRADOS: LA MÚSICA COMO REVELACIÓN EN LA TRADICIÓN VAIṢṆAVA

2.            Expositora: Paula Miranda (Chile)

                Conferencia: PALABRA SAGRADA Y POESÍA: MISTRAL, VIOLETA PARRA Y CHIHUAILAF

3.            Expositora: Dolores Chávez (México)

                Conferencia: LA ESPIRITUALIDAD EN LA DIMENSIÓN SONORA Y MUSICAL

4.            Expositor: Juan Pedro Egoavil (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: EL CONTEXTO DE LO SAGRADO EN EL ARTE PERUANO

5.            Expositora: Emma Carpio (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: LA MANIFESTACIÓN DE LO SACRO EN LAS DANZAS FOLCLÓRICAS QUECHUAS Y AYMARAS DE PUNO

VIERNES 26 DE OCTUBRE DE 6 A 9 PM

3era. SESIÓN, Tema: LO SAGRADO EN EL ARTE

Conociendo lo trascendente y disfrutando la trascendencia

1.            Expositor: Dhruva O'Shea (Australia)

                Conferencia: EL ARTE SAGRADO DE LA AUSTRALIA INDÍGENA

2.            Expositor: Nilo Velarde (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: EL AYLA – LA MÚSICA Y LO SAGRADO EN LA TRADICIÓN POPULAR ANDINA

3.            Expositora: Ananga Malatesta (Italia)

Conferencia: LA DANZA CLÁSICA HINDÚ: UNA INVOCACIÓN SAGRADA

4.            Expositor: Raúl Zevallos (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: DE LA NATURALEZA DEL ARTE, AL ARTE DE LA NATURALEZA

5.            Expositor: Carlos Daniel Sánchez (PERÚ)

                Conferencia: LOS AYARACHIS: EL ÁMBITO DIVINO DE LAS FORMACIONES MUSICALES INDÍGENAS DEL PERÚ

Hare Krishna respetado GURUDEVA, su insignificante sirviente, Abhiram Thakur das.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please accept my humble obeisances! 

I have not written to you in a while Maharaj.. Sorry about that. I can't say I've been particularly busy with much. 

I am on holidays now. Term 3 of Year 12 is complete - apparently the most important, stressful term. After this week completes, I have another term remaining. This term only has 6 weeks and then I'm free. I'm free from the imprisonating clutches of high school :) But then I have to go to uni, more study yay ;) I've had to put my application in, for which courses I choose to do. For now, the road is business; it is broad and simple. If something I like reveals itself to me, perhaps I may change later on. 

Anyway, regarding our holiday Maharaj, the flights have been booked. We will be departing Australia on the 24th December for Azerbaijan. We will stay there for 3 weeks and then go to India. We will then stay in India for one week (quite short unfortunately). We will arrive back to Australia by the 25th of January. I very much hope that somehow you will grace us with your visit to Australia. 

HpS -  Oooof!    We arrive in India, Bombay, on the 23rd of January. Now it looks like we will not get to Australia, but Dhruva and Dhanesvari and their two kids will be arriving in Peru in one week.

Maharaj, I'm also thinking of taking initation from yourself at some point. I am not, as of yet, chanting 16 rounds a day, but hopefully I will be in the near future. Of course I am the most unqualified person to be taking initiation,

HpS - There are a few people less qualified than you, <img alt="devil" height="23" src="https://hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/devil_smile.png" title="devil" width="23" /> but I think among others it would give some satisfaction to our Sriman Raktaka Das, wherever the devil is now!

. . . but, it is a thought of mine. Time is running out and I need to be as vigilant as possible. Hopefully, as you are doing already, you may impart ever more of your wisdom unto my insignificant self. 

Besides that, as usual, I have some questions :)

1. This may be perhaps a sensitive question.. Sorry for my bluntness... As in ISKCON, killing life is considered wrong, what is the view on abortion? Especially, sometimes people ask, what if the woman was forcefully impregnated, under severe circumstances.. Does she then have the right to abort the baby? Will that be her karma? The baby's karma? 

HpS - ASA --- We tried to write most of our thoughts in: https://hps.monkeywarrior.com/node/9640. O.K.?

2. Should devotees be able to keep pets? What is ISKCON view of keeping pets? Should it be allowed? Or is that enslaving the soul? 

HpS - Krsna has many, many pets. His pet peacock is named Tandavika and he has a house dog and a big tough mean dog who helps to protect the cows. See http://www.jayarama.us/archives/rkgd.pdf. You can have a parrot and take it on Hari-nama Sankirtana and feed it grapes when it chants the Maha-mantra. 

3. What is your view of devotees becoming Vegan? As we know, cow torture is horrendous today.. but also, if we offer the milk of the cow, is it not liberated? How shall we go about this? Sourcing Ahimsa milk is not always convenient and easy...

HpS - Basically if you live in a forest and don't have much brain work then you can live on roots and fruits, but if you have to be counselor of a King then you are going to need the cerebral nutrition that milk gives. Cows were treated worse when Srila Prabhupada was here but he showed that milk was important food for us and that we can take the public milk. Of course, we can do finer and finer things. Like getting Ahimsa milk etc.

4. Also Maharaj, should it be acceptable for devotees to eat from fast food places? For example, sometimes buying milkshakes or chips from outside? Is that okay?

HpS - It is offensive to offer grains GROWN by non-devotees. So we have to be as pure as we can. Of course, the standard for fast food places will not be so great so chips may, and probably are, cooked in non-vegetarian fat. Be a pure as you can. I would say that milkshakes are O.K. but not the chips unless they swear that it is vegetable oil.

Sorry for the overload of questions... :) Please excuse my foolish self.

As always Maharaj, I hope your health is in best condition! I hope to receive your reply soon :) 

Your foolish servant, 

Lakshmi

HpS - We all thank you for your letter. Our health is pretty good. For 70-year old Berkeley graduate it is a miracle.   AGTSP!

We had like three hours of consulting today and some rest from the stress of La Paz (13,333 feet [no oxygen]) so we cannot get to to many letters. Now it is getting dark and in 15-minutes we start and evening program!   Jaya!

Life is fun if you are a devotee.  Our respects to you divine mother and sister and aunts and uncles and The Bhimasena!

Viplavah #5
A Heavy Academic Issue.

HpS - Retires as Acting Editor for Viplavah after issue #4. Then he is asking Jiva Goswami Das in Houston to step up to the plate as Temporary Conditional Acting Editor, but for Viplavah#5, Radhika-ramana Das is going to be Guest Editor and make it  A Rigorous Academic Issue.

At least one fully academic article and then a list of academic programs related to the ISKCON Ministry of Education and plans and opportunity to develop such programs.
One such program is:

https://www.unspecial.org/2018/03/tradition-a-museum-object/

Dr. Luis de la Calle.

We hope he can work with RRD and JGD to do a seminal, annual, academic issue of Viplavah.

You want to get involved?

We want to be involved. Maybe we can be an Emeritus Accting Editor.

Dear Guru Maharaj, 

We put a lot of efforts in to arrange the calendar to inform you, but we couldn't post yesterday, and in our meeting, Arjuna told me that we should write just about Art and the Sacred before. So we are here doing it.

I have attached .png picture with a large mind map with the timings, day by day, is more visual but is 4mb., So here is a .pdf version in the nube with the text used in the mind map also, and at the end of the document is the text. Also here is the .png. (so no image attached)

You always say that people are first and then the other things, so We start with people first:

Art and the Sacred SCL 2018

Name of the speakers and the topic/titles of their talks

Descriptions of the speakers

Raúl Zurita - Not confirmed his specific topic

(description in our post of july: node/9517)

Cecilia Montero - Aesthetic Kidnaping

MONTERO studied sociology and worked as an academic at the Catholic University of Chile until her departure to France. PhD at the University of Paris VII, she began a career as a researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Upon her return to Chile in the nineties, she worked in study centres (ILO, CIEPLAN) and taught at the Catholic University, later becoming a full professor at the University of Chile. Being director of the Department of Public Policies, she decided to change her life and created the Espacio Indigo cultural centre. She is the author of numerous publications in the area of economic sociology. In the last time he has dedicated himself to exploring the relationships between science and spirituality.

Cristian Contreras - The value of the Vedas

Journalist and has a PhD in "Filosofía de la Ciencia" from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. In the last four years, he has become famous due to his appearances on  POTV, speaking about ancient cultures, myths, mysterious energies of the universe, anti-matter and religions.

Claudia Lira - Nature and Beauty: The aesthetic experience of the serenity like experience of the sacred.

"Naturaleza y Belleza: La experiencia estética de la serenidad como experiencia de lo sagrado"

Professor Lira is PhD in Philosophy, mention in Aesthetics and Theory of Art, Universidad de Chile; She is a Master in Theory and History of Art, Universidad de Chile (2002); Degree in Aesthetics PUC (1992) and Professor of Philosophy, U. Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (1991). She also has postgraduate studies in Andean Culture. CBC, Cusco - Peru (1995-97 and 2001); in Sciences of Religion. UHC (1993-94) as well as in Neuroscience and Meditation (2013-2015).

Denis Kolovob - The sacred in Bach

Oringaly from Smolensk, Russian. There he began his violin studies at age 6 at the Special School of Music, with Master Olga Zemliakova and graduated in 1994 with Gold Medal. Then, he studied violin at the Conservatory of Tchaikovsky of Moscú with maximum distinctions. He teaches now at the Universidad Mayor and he's the honoured Director of the Symphony Orchestra of the Cultural Institute of Providencia and other several orchestras in the Chile, Argentina and he has played at Cuba and Russia in the last years also. He's a member of ISKCON also and his name is Devarsi Narada

Paula Miranda - You already know about her. She will present the same topic that in Lima (Violeta Parra)

Hanumatpresaka Swami

Day 1  DELEITE CONTEMPLATIVE, MEMORIES AND FEELINGS OF A PILGRIM

Day 3 The influence of the Bhagavata Purana in the eastern world

PROGRAM

Day 1 - Corporación Cultural de Las Condes

La experiencia poética y la música de la trascendencia

Same place last year. 200 people capacity.

We will have Claudia Lira, Paula Miranda and Denis Kolovob. We are thinking to have your participation with the same conference that you will have in Peru. Our plan is 30 minutes to everyone and 5 minutes for you, considering the translation. What do you think?

Day 2 - Cine Arte Normandie

Un ejemplo de la espiritualidad de oriente en el 7º Arte

Very nice Cinema. We had the  600 people capacity.

"Cine a Luca" Luca is a colloquial way to say 1000 Chilean pesos. Our friend Mildred Doll, manager of this cinema is agreed. She was interested in to have the Hare Krishna movie there. So, we took advantage of the Bhaktibusana Swami and managed an event to relaunching the movie in this new cinema. Almost 300 people go there, paying 2.000 Chilean pesos (3 USD) in the first day. And last week we were invited to participate in the installation of deities there. A lady was there, chanting the maha-mantra, helping. And she met de devotees in this cinema in this event. Mildred is mature lady very close with the cultural scene in Santiago and Chile in general. He likes Krsna a lot.

Prior to the movie, Cristian Contreras would present the value nowadays of the Vedas. He have spoke on TV about this.

The idea is to replicate the program with Bhaktbusana Swami, and is that you answer the question of the journalist or the public directly due your direct connection as a disciple of the main person of the documentary. We are thinking in invite a lot of people because is almost free but is not. Our calling would be more to be more massive than academic.

Day 3 - Teatro iF

La Divina Literatura y la Estética de Oriente

This is the place where I work. A collaborative platform of entrepreneurship and innovation. Cool neighbourhood, a lot of designed and nice stores. 

350 people capacity.

This is the last day, and there is an event at noon at the same place, so we can't star too much early, we put 7pm. This day will be Raúl Zurita, Cecilia Montero and you. The idea is the format here change a little bit in relation to the formal and academic of the Tuesday. The idea is to have a more conversational mood. So, after the talks, the idea is to have a conversation with question promoted by Cristian Contreras or another journalist.

Our original proposal, considering that we thought the triad about ART and THE SACRED: First Day; Theory, Second Day; Analysis of Praxis, Third Day; Live the Art. In this context, we proposed for you, the second day and the topic would be the influence of the Bhagavata Purana in art and culture of the eastern world.  But, we had changes of places and different things, so put this new subtitles in grey. So, you could say now what would be your suggestion in this dilemma, what do you preferer present this day?

And finally, Our idea is to have a big and short concert at the end with several instruments also. And Maha Mantra even at the end. Or just instrumental from the professional devotees. What do you think?  

Thank you so much for letting us serve despite our deficiencies. Arjuna, Rodrigo and Carlos are putting a lot of effort into this program. Now Piero is participating too and the whole spiritual family here is anxious to become part and help. We will mention in another post.

Regards.

Hare Krsna.

= ========== v

 AgtSP We don't have any practical knowledge of the influence of the SB in Asia. Other topic might be … ART AS MEDITATION AND MEDITATION AS RELIGION.

 The list and description of the patients and their contributions seems good, although we could not read It in detail.

 Which books will we have for distribution, TLC? NO IKK 

Hare Krsna Dear Maharaja Hanumatpresaka Swami;

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
HpS - ASA --- Please forgive us for not answering this sooner. We had INTENSE trip back from Madrid and immediately we had intense work with our accountant for the government filings for NIOS and INTENSE local Sankirtan festival with Indradyumna Swami's 40-man troupe visiting and... but this topic is important.

I hope your health is strength,

HpS - Actual our 'energy' is little low and our pitta element is out of balance, but we are fighting to correct it.

. . . I’m writing for ask about a issue thats worries me, some devotees support the abortion law and do public comments in internet stating their approval. Some months ago I ask to Baladeva Prabhu (our communication leader in ISKCON Arg) to elaborate an article which explain our position about the abortion topic, based on Srila Prabhupada speak about that.

I’ve talk with our GBC, H. H. Srila Virabahu Maharaja, about that and he told me “nobody who support the abortion law, can be recommended for initiation” His Hollines supervise personally, to all members of “administrative head” don’t be in favor of abortion.

I want to ask because in the list for formalize the refugee, one devotee from here want to get it, but we cannot recommend if these person continue supporting that law.

How do you explain it to your disciples?

HpS - ASA --  Well if the GBC Secretary has made this rule then we have to follow it, of course it is an administrative rule and if don't agree we can talk with him and then if we still don't agree we can go three othe GBCs then the Executive Committee. I know devotees who have done this and won their case.

On the other had there is the philosophical perspective. I can give my ideas for anyone who wants to look at us as their teacher.

In SB 1.9, Bhismadeva tells Yuddhisthira how to administer th kingdom. In the purport Srila Prabhupada says that the Brahmanas should know Manu samhita and Parasara's dharma sastras in order to give advice to the Kings. I found a copy after hard research and then I heard Srila Prabhupada quoting from it in room conversations.

Parasara gives different atonements for different sins but when he comes to abortion, for that girl who voluntarily aborts her own embryo, he says that for this there is no atonement possible. She should be reject from her  community and what to speak of talking with her, anyone even looks at her becomes sinful.

It seems to be the same as killing cows.

One of our disciples in Mexico's wife's embryo was miscarrying and the doctors were recommending abortion. We talked about it. They said that if the degredation of the embryo advance it could kill the mother also. Our suggestion was that she should wait for as long as she felt secure, because there was a small chance the embryo would recover, and then have the abortion.

So there are different circumstances.

It is killing someone.

If the girl was with her father and three guys knocked him unconscious in a descent place and raped her then maybe it is justified in that situation also, Parasara gives details.

Was she willing, was she protected by her family, what is the charater of the father?

That is all we know. Besides Parasara I think the same idea is there in Srila Prabhupada's direct books.  Of course, Brahmana means that we are always ready to learn something new.

Do they consult you?

HpS - Sometimes. On this topic, no.

I hope I do not take much time from you and I am very grateful to you Maharaja.

Hare Krsna

Your servant Nitai Gaurananda das

initiation committee

ISKCON Buenos Aires.

HpS - Thank you for you work!!!!