Tattva-viveka
IAHR Conference
Gopakumara Das - July 13, 2010 1:20 am
Hi everyone...I will be the presiding panelist on a panel concerning Religious Identities and Personality. This conference only happens every 5 years and has hundreds of amazing papers being presented...including some on Gaudiya Vaisnavism! It is in Toronto Canada this year August 15-22. I know it is unlikely that anyone will be able to go to this... but if you can or live in Toronto I would love to see you.
Tuesday August 17th. Afternoon 2:30 – 4:30pm
Psychological Profiles and Psychoanalytic Theories of Religious Identity
Presiding: Dr. Alberto Varona (that's me!), California Institute of Integral Studies
Alberto Varona, California Institute of Integral Studies: YHWH: A structural personality assessment of the god depicted in the bible
Clare McGrath-Merkle, the Catholic University of America: Negative Identity Formation in US Roman Catholic Bishops
Takashi Okinaga, Teikyo University: Is Religious experience a matter of brain?
Ilona Rashkow, New York University: Psychology and the bible: what hath Freud wrought?
Vrindavandas - July 13, 2010 3:49 am
Sounds like an amazing conference. Congratulations! Is there any possiblility of it being video recorded and possibly uploaded to you tube or something like that so we can all enjoy the presentation?
Madan Gopal Das - July 13, 2010 2:33 pm
YHWH: A structural personality assessment of the god depicted in the bible
Sounds muy interesante'
btw: how do you do a presentation about a person without speaking his name? 
Gopakumara Das - July 13, 2010 3:16 pm
Sounds muy interesante'
btw: how do you do a presentation about a person without speaking his name?
You just say it and hope for the best.
Babhru Das - July 13, 2010 4:53 pm
And be ready to duck the lightning?
Nice work. Sounds like fun.
Babhru Das - July 14, 2010 1:55 am
And I'd love to see a copy of your paper when it's done. (And, of course any others you find interesting.)
Tharshan - July 14, 2010 2:50 pm
Hari Bol,
I do live in Toronto, so I can try to make it at least for a little while depending upon my work. Will I still be allowed in if I come a little late?
Gaurasundara Das - July 15, 2010 1:05 am
Ill probably be in Ontario near Toronto at that time as well. I don't think I've ever met either of you so it would be nice to hook up.
Bhrigu - July 31, 2010 1:22 pm
Many of my collegues from here are going to the conference, but I decided not to. Which I now regret!
Gopakumara Das - August 14, 2010 11:15 pm
Well Bhrigu and Babhru... to have either of you interested in what I do is more than I should ask for!!!! I am here in toronto now... wish me well! The link to the paper is on albertovarona.com (YHWH research) However, it is not favorable to YHWH. That is not my fault!!! I conducted the study,...I didn't write the book!
Bijaya Kumara Das - August 20, 2010 6:46 pm
It would be nice to see and update as to out come.
You may have opened a great pathway to resolve their (most religionists)anistakati ways.
At least we have His address and hope for a chance to visit.
Gopakumara Das - August 20, 2010 8:48 pm
It would be nice to see and update as to out come.
The technical response (skip to the MOST IMPORTANTLY part below unless you are interested in empirical work): The conference went well and as an outcome I learned ways that I could improve my research. I am thinking now of ways that the core personality traits expected in particular relationships with other subjects such as with friends, lovers, authority figures, enemies, gods, demons, masters, and mentors, can be empirically assessed creating prototypes of the personalities of these relationships. This can also be compared to particular depictions of deities and assess for favorability between desired relationships (you can say rasa) to another and the individuals (object of those affections) with whom these relationships are desired.
For example, we can have a prototype of the qualities expected from a friend and compare this to the particular depictions of Jesus Christ in a scripture to assess whether there is compatibility between the figure being approached and the relationship being desired. It is an interesting way to assess personality traits in a depicted individual and understanding the types of relationships those are most compatible with. This can also be used in relation to other individuals, not just deities. Just some brainstorming.
MOST IMPORTANTLY::::: The MOST important outcome of this week has been spending time with many devotees, some scholars, some ISKCONers, and some Godbrothers. I met Pranava das (AKA Dr. Ferdinando Sardella) who wrote a book on Bhaktisiddhanta's contribution, significance and life, and with whom we had great discussions about his work in ISKCON and the reintroduction of Kirtananda Swami into ISKCON with the help of Radhanatha Swami. We also spoke of the future possibilities of unity in GV. I met another scholar who wrote an interesting paper on the use of the term 'Hindu' in Chaitanya Bhagavat vs. Chaitanya Caritamrta. At ISKCON San Diego I met Dravida Das Prabhu (BBT editor) and had nice discussions of Bhakti-Rasamrta Sindhu, I met Madhavendra Puri das prabhu & Haridas Thakur das Prabhu who both spoke nicely of Gurumaharaja (especially Haridas Thakur Das). I met up with Vaisesika das prabhu who embraced me and said it must have been Krsna's arrangement that we have met in 2 parts of the world (San Diego and Toronto) in the same week. It was pretty amazing. I met Devadatta das who I have not spoken to in 10 years since the beginning of GALVA. AND MOST SIGNIFICANT...I met and spent time with Tharshan who I talked into coming to Audarya this week despite feeling unqualified (my comment was: "How do you think qualification happens? If I waited for qualification I would never go"). Wonderful and sweet man who is very enraptured by GM's teachings. I also got to re-meet Gaurasundara das prabhu... who again proved to be an utter pleasure and a tower of humility and kindness. We walked all over town discussing all GV matters and GM for 6 hours! For these experiences I am MOST grateful..
Madan Gopal Das - August 20, 2010 10:57 pm
aww, that was sweet. glad you had some nice experiences and are feeling enlivened.
Bijaya Kumara Das - August 22, 2010 11:00 pm
The technical response (skip to the MOST IMPORTANTLY part below unless you are interested in empirical work): The conference went well and as an outcome I learned ways that I could improve my research. I am thinking now of ways that the core personality traits expected in particular relationships with other subjects such as with friends, lovers, authority figures, enemies, gods, demons, masters, and mentors, can be empirically assessed creating prototypes of the personalities of these relationships. This can also be compared to particular depictions of deities and assess for favorability between desired relationships (you can say rasa) to another and the individuals (object of those affections) with whom these relationships are desired.
Just some brainstorming.
GALVA.
Wow.
Great brainstorming and it has great merit.
Have no idea what GALVA is but it must be important.
With all your talents it looks like Krsna has set it up for you to bridge the gap and mesh GV. It was nice to hear that ISKCONites are favorable to our Guru Maharaja, if only they could bring that favor-ability out when the pressure is on them form the other ISKCONites less favorable. Guru Maharaja had great insight today on the conference call and pretty much hit a home run as to what you are speaking of here.
Thanks for your insights.
Babhru Das - August 22, 2010 11:35 pm
At ISKCON San Diego I met Dravida Das Prabhu (BBT editor) and had nice discussions of Bhakti-Rasamrta Sindhu, I met Madhavendra Puri das prabhu & Haridas Thakur das Prabhu who both spoke nicely of Gurumaharaja (especially Haridas Thakur Das).
It's possible to have a nice time with Dravida as long as you know what to talk about (and what to avoid, I guess). If this Madhavendra Puri is the one I'm thinking of (been with BI for a long time), he can come off as a little earnest, but I came to like him quite well. I haven't met Haridas Thakur das. It sounds as though you've had some interesting association lately. And was that our Gaurski? He was home?
Gopakumara Das - August 24, 2010 3:26 am
It's possible to have a nice time with Dravida as long as you know what to talk about (and what to avoid, I guess). If this Madhavendra Puri is the one I'm thinking of (been with BI for a long time), he can come off as a little earnest, but I came to like him quite well. I haven't met Haridas Thakur das. It sounds as though you've had some interesting association lately. And was that our Gaurski? He was home?
It was our Gaurasundara..! He is amazing. He let me buy a few things for Dauji Gopala!