News

Associates of NIOS, North American Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, traveled to South America from September to November. Participants included Professors Harold Resnick and Huber Robinson, Master Aruna Gupta, Srimati Aruddha devi Dasi, Gopal Gupta.

Educational, cultural programs were presented in Peru, Bolivia, during the months of September and October, and in Chile and Argentina during November. Venues included six different Universities, the Indian Embassies in Chile and Argentina, five different Municipal Cultural Centers and programs in over one dozen Indian Temples and Cultural centers, households and three Jagannatha Rathyatras.

-Gopal Gupta, who is finishing his PhD in science and religion at Oxford University, presented several times on, "The Second Apple, the Theology of Sri Isaac Newton". A typical program was organized by the Peruvian National Science and Technology Counsel, at one of the premier science universities in Peru. Many of the professors were polite but agnostic. By the end, however, they were so enthused that one commented that even though he was religiously an agnostic, he had never heard such an interesting discussion of this boundary ground between science and religion. Forty of the best high school students of Peru were also present to receive awards and asked many questions also.

-Gopal’s good Mother, Srimati Arrudha Devi Dasi, did a slide presentation on home schooling in the ISKCON tradition. It was so popular, that in Lima for example, she was forced to repeat it twice within three days.

-Father and husband, Arun Gupta, who recently retired from a successful career in the marketing division of Hewlett-Packard, presented on "Ethics in Business". He and his family started, and provided central force, for the construction and growth of the only Hindu temple in the state of Idaho, USA.  Thus he also had an excellent slide-show on the history of the Temple’s development. All of these we so popular that he was contacted by the Indian Embassy in Chile before he left Argentina asking if he could make his presentation on "Business Ethics" during his two night stopover in Chile.

-Professor Robinson presented a very dramatic comparison and contrast of Hamlet and Arjuna, also Light of the Bhagavata, and Minding Monkey, Oriental Psychology and Personal Meditation. He as well as Dr. Resnick were made official professors at Ricardo Palma University, one of the premier universities in Peru.

-In two university Professor Resnick presented on a variety of fine topics such as “The Religious Roots of our Ecological Disaster". Two universities have requested NIOS to make systematic presentations of Light of the Bhagavata with the art, topical workshops and movie at their combined 35-campuses. Typically, at one presentation at La Recoleta, a very fine cultural center in Buenos Aires, $250 worth of literature, DVDs, were sold after the Light of the Bhagavata symposium.

Well lauded, very, very tired but very satisfied, all the participants returned to USA, England, Oxford and Idaho. After a little rest off they go again.

"You have discovered that preaching is good in Berkeley (California) because you have made the endeavor there. Wherever you make the endeavor you will find that preaching is good."  Letter from Srila Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, to Jayatirtha Das, 1975

• Hanumatpresaka Swami, Professor H. H. Robinson and NIOS will continue to focus on developing the popular presentations in "Bhagavata Psychology and Meditation". Also in development is a third movie with the renown director Oscar Natars and Rodrigo Otero and Oscar’s artist wife, Anna, Bhagavad-gita the Universal Form. Movie is aimed at intuitive appreciation of nature by children.
• Substantial progress has been made on the NIOS annual Cultivation of the Human Spirit Symposium. Dr. Vivek Narain in the Director. The date has been fixed as the first weekend after USA Labor Day and the topic is, Divorce, Curing the Disease.
• Excellent programs continue in Nashville at the spectacular Ganesha Temple.
• Hp Swami will be traveling to Houston, Mexico City, Nashville, Tennessee until January 4^th.  Then he will travel to India and Europe until April 4^th. In India he will have excellent opportunity to meet with Professor Bandhyopadhay in Calcutta and discuss the Parasara dharma sastra work etc. 

Hanumatpresaka Swami

(Huber Hutchin Robinson)

General Secretary NIOS