Letter of Intent for the Academy of Art University: Art, the Modern Day Veda

      While preparing for this scholarship, I wondered about the original ideas that might have motivated the creation of such a school and I found an evocative quote. Richard A. Stephens, Chairman Emeritus of the Academy of Art University said: "We are in the pursuit of truth in this World of Education...instructors instruct the things they know and practice. Artists teaching artists. Instructors instructing the truth. That's honesty and integrity, and the Academy of Art University stands for these principles."

      These ideals resonate with me not only for attending this school but are synonymous with my goals in life. I believe art should not only stand for the principles of honesty, integrity, and truth, but it should take consciousness to a higher state of perception. Art is a powerful medium in this world and through art one can become an instrument of expression and beauty.

      My inspiration and interests in the field of art are instinctive, but the meaning of this inspiration and the function of these interests became clear and purposeful throughout my continuous visits to India. Under the auspices of a saint and in the association of hundreds of pilgrims from all over the world I experienced that the search for truth is real and universal.

      After reading, studying, and experiencing in my everyday life the teachings of the essence of Vedic wisdom, and the value of this wisdom, I found that all mediums of art are instruments for uplifting human consciousness; art can be like the new "Veda" of modern civilization. My current residence in India has prompted me to finally make these interests and realizations the very purpose of my life. I have therefore developed an interest in the art of presentation whether it be film, the performing arts, broadcast journalism, or in general, multimedia communications.

      My aspiration is to learn how to master the method of artistic multimedia presentation at the Academy of Art and therefore manifest this desire to serve humanity in a way that is most natural to me– through the creative process in the association of artists and those who live for art. I also want to inspire, and become part of, a creative artistic culture that can benefit the world, an ideal similar to a comment made by Elisa Stephens, president of the Academy of Art: "Experts and futurists tell us that the future will be driven by the 'creative class'...We consider ourselves the stewards of a learning institution dedicated to teaching the truth in the artistic and creative process."

      The work I am presenting is a result of assignments I have been asked to complete during my residency in India and abroad. As the writer, editor, camera operator, and presenter of these various works it is not quite my ideal artistic presentation, but the creation of these various works has helped me realize my inner taste for artistic expression. My specific goal is to make short thought provoking films, to participate in film festivals internationally, and showcase this artwork in exhibitions worldwide. Please click on the video links to your right titled: "Samples of My Work".

The Moving Train

The Kalkamel train is a steady vein of adventure that pulses with life through the vast villages and grasslands of Bengal. Individuals from all walks of life looking to reach their desired goals and destinations sit next to strangers that will soon become family during the twenty-two hour trip to Delhi. Almost all trains in India provide general class seating, second-class seating, and for the overnighters, a second-class three tier sleeper, or a second-class A.C. sleeper. The second-class sleeper seems to be where all the bustling unfurls with the many beggars, musicians, and hijras (men dressed as women) that parade through asking, and sometimes demanding for donations.
Each stop the train makes welcomes a cash opportunity for the dozens of roaming snack stands that anxiously await for the train to pull up to their platform. With all enthusiasm they heave themselves up the stairs and down the aisles calling out the names of their goods. “Cha! Cha!” says the little man with the deep nasally voice. “Chips! Chips!” yells the rounded belly man. “Pani, bottle! Pani, bottle!” shouts the middle-aged mustached man. The bobbing heads wrapped in colorful Indian blankets peek out of their sleepers to call out the name of their designated snack as they reach for their money. In the next compartment a group of Muslims elegantly sip Chai and comb their pointy beards.
As the train chucks along, the windows become displays of a landscape beautifully polluted by dusty trees, hay stacks, faded skies, multifariously shaped houses, and the colorful figures of people passing stool in the fields. Soon, a congregation of middle-aged Bengali men erupt in folk songs, clapping and harmonizing to the fluctuating tunes of their songs. The day seems to go by slowly yet there isn’t lack of stimulation, nor a deficiency of snacks for the passenger of the Kalkamel train.

How Short Is Life?

How short is life? Did you ever stop to think about? To wonder how short is my life going to be and how am I spending it? What will happen when I die?...

Wherever our spiritual teacher is there is a group of people from all parts of the world who have traveled the globe just to get his association. Amongst the international group now there is Sripad Bhakti Achintya Madhav Maharaj who is a priest from Russia. He is very unique and always has ideas and examples for presenting spiritual concepts. He is a big strong man with a sweet yet stern looking face. He looks a little intimidating because of his extremely focused personality but once you get to know him and he gives you his surprise smile and random outbursts of jokes you see how sweet he is. He does a lot of preaching in Russia and always has some new presentations and ideas to share. He is especially unique because he uses video clips and other types of media presentations from different places like youtube etc., and transforms their meaning into spiritual concepts based on the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga. Today he showed us a movie clip about life and how short it is. It is made for an Xbox commercial I think. Have a look. But, if life is so short? What are you going to do? Play video games?

A Panorama of Kolkata

The city of Kolkata, apart from having a population of more than 4 million people, 16 different official languages, and a variety of different religions and spiritual practices, is quite the stimulus for getting into documentary filmmaker mode.

Every outing presents a colorful palette of life varying form the brightest to darkest shades of existence. The people of Kolkata, as embodiments of the richness of their culture, eat, sleep, bathe, groom, and even die in public, boldly and openly displaying all aspects of life and Indian culture in such a way that will surely change the tourist’s vision of existence. Kolkata is known to be the city of the artsy, the quaint, the intellectual — indeed, anyone with a zest for life and its mysteries. It is also well known for its diverse spiritual practices and demigod worship amongst which the worship of Durga is most popular. As a radio-television-film major from San Jose State University, I am stationed at a yoga center, which is the destination of hundreds of international pilgrims that travel afar to join in daily spiritual practices under the guidance of a spiritual teacher. With camera and tripod in hand I roam about amidst this picturesque world looking to expose the essence of my surroundings and creatively broadcast it to the world.

Limbo

There are times of transition when one feels like she is in some sort of limbo. I have just made a big move, I have decided to leave my official enrollment at school to go live in India and make spiritually educational films for the public. I have been editing video to give to my Guru and have been somewhat progressing but I do have a feeling like I’m in a limbo. Like I do not know what I am doing, who for, and what is my result.

Actually, if I could for once feel like I am not expecting the result, it would be so much easier. Yet that is not exactly the feeling that I have. There is a deeper question,: who am I, what am I doing? Everything must begin from this type of inquiry. If one sincerely inquires and hankers to know the truth, then it will surely come and reveal itself.
If I stop expecting position, name, fame, etc. from the things that I do and clearly identify these tendencies within myself, then maybe I can change….I must be willing to accept that these things are within me, otherwise there is no room for change. I remember doing network chiropractic care in Santa Cruz and S.R.I. which is a type of breathing exercise in which you identify your weaknesses and try to nourish them through breath and the acceptance and acknowledgment of their existence. Once I was able to accept my situations and feelings etc., and therefore identify them, I could heal. My body would actually heal. All of these things originate from the subtlest part of our existence and can make physical changes. So my limbo situation, it is temporary but if I can use this distress to take more shelter of prayer and divine guidance, that will be my utmost benefit and in that regard, that negativity will become positive. It will become a positive event for me if I can take more shelter of prayer.

Prisoner

This morning I went to listen to a reading of the Chaitanya Bhagavat, which consists of pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, written by Srila Vrndavan Das Thakur. Nyskinchan Maharaj, who is oneo f the leaders of the Kolkatta temple was reading in Bengali and then translating. He was talking about how we are prisoners. We are prisoners of the five Indriyas, (the five senses) the five karma Indriyas, (the working senses: legs, voice, arms, anus, genitals) and the mind. Then there is the false ego, which can be compared to a knot of matter and spirit, or a “black-box” for the body; a collection of all past experiences and impressions and therefore, who you identify yourself to be. He was describing these elements and how when we have separate interest were are put in these bodies. We want to enjoy as masters, rather than as servants of the Lord. We want to be superior but we will never be superior to the Lord so we must enjoy a lower type of energy which is this material world. We rule here but only to suffer for that later down the line. If we can enjoy spiritually, for the pleasure of his Divine Grace, if we can learn to find happiness in service, or selfless action, we will find everything we need and it is purifying if offered to a bonafide spiritual master who is connected with the transcendental plane. Otherwise, we are prisoners of our anger, lust, greed, and these things take us towards a lower form of enjoyment and a lower more temporary form of happiness.

Kolkata Vibes

A day in Kolkata consists of morning worship, which is called mangal aroti, the darshan, or associaiton of His Divine Grace, our spiritual reacher and then a reading from one of the scriptures, bhajans, or devotional songs or prayers, and then prasad, blessed food. For me personally, there is also a lot of introspection and moments where I am the observer watching all things unfold and how I react to them.

I have been observing also the way the Bengali devotees behave. Humility seems to be inherent within their nature. It is that feeling of having nothing more than the mercy of the Lord or living according to what is given to you or what comes your way. They are not proud of their false identity because they do not have much but their own body to represent themselves; not their car, or their house, or their money, or their muscles…They live an austere life with a good amount of suffering and hardship.

It makes me think about why it is so dangerous to have position or think that you have one. The minute you do, you take your position for granted, consider yourself above everyone, and begin looking for disciples and acting harshly. Pride blinds one from beauty. Pride is a symptom of: “I think I am the center of the universe” therefore you see yourself only and others are according to your needs and how they can serve you. And then, because it is a gross thing and naturally you become unhappy, you begin finding fault in others and treating others so rude as to make them as unhappy as you are.

I pray to be satisfied with any connection to a higher plane of existence and not for the search of position, name, and fame. It is like that song: “Avatara sara” that we sing in the morning; we are surrounded by an ocean yet we deny ourselves a drink. We take that which is nectar to be poison, and that which is poison to be nectar. Name, fame, pride, and material wealth is like poison because it habituates you to think that you are this false identity which is so temporary.