F.A.T.E. Comes to America

After returning from India, Baradraja, Adi-deva, and many other devotees (some who received training in India and others who simply felt attracted to F.A.T.E.) met at ISKCON's Western world-headquarters, in Los Angeles. Here they began the second phase in the development of theistic exhibitions in America.

"Before we constructed the present exhibit in Los Angeles," Baradraja explains, "we presented the whole idea to Srila Prabhupada, with models of all the dioramas. We marked off a corridor in the exhibit hall and set up models of the proposed dioramas all along the way. Srila Prabhupada toured the whole display and approved all our proposed exhibits. 'Very good,' he said, 'This is buddhi-yoga: you are utilizing your intelligence to preach Krsna consciousness. This is very nice.' "

"F.A.T.E. is a far-reaching project," says Baradraja. "Making dioramas incorporates every facet of the arts and crafts. Someone is a potter; someone is a jeweler; someone a carpenter, an architect, an engineer. We are engaging tailors, painters, photographers, stained-glass artisans. There is no field of art that the diorama construction doesn't touch. It opens up a whole new scope of activities for people in every field."

Devotees make the dolls at F.A.T.E.'s Los Angeles studio, using methods essentially the same as those used in India. The basic materials-bamboo, rice straw, various clays, and rice husk-are the same, as are the processes of finishing, painting, and dressing the dolls. But if you closely observe the doll makers at their daily work, you'll find many arts, crafts, and sciences-and a lot of paraphernalia and equipment-that definitely are not imported from India. For example, to make lighter, stronger, more portable exhibits, the devotees have developed a system of making rubber molds of the original dolls. From each mold a devotee can cast dozens of replicas much quicker than he could construct another clay doll. The cast forms are made of polyester resin, a light, strong material that can hold up under frequent shipping and handling.

F.A.T.E. even has its own electronics department, a vital part of the multifaceted project. At the new museum in Los Angeles, one specially designed computer synchronizes the entire exhibition, including varieties of lighting, a sixteen-track sound system, numerous film and slide projectors, and special visual effects. "We built our own computer," says F.A.T.E.'s electronics engineer Ameyatma dasa, "because we just couldn't find anything on the market that could handle such sophisticated programming."

The development of F.A.T.E. points up the essence of Krsna conscious philosophy: we achieve our natural and happy condition when we employ our intelligence, our talents, our possessions-everything-in the service of Lord Krsna, the source and proprietor of all that is. Thus, Srila Prabhupada has taught his disciples how to become expert in using everything in the service of the Lord. Cars, printing presses, electronics, the technical and fine arts-all can help spread Krsna consciousness, and devotees should use them. Actually, these things are meant solely for serving Krsna. But unfortunately our technological society does not know the eternal science of devotional service to Lord Krsna and therefore misuses everything for temporary sense gratification. Srila Prabhupada explains that without dedicating everything to Krsna, we waste our opulence and our technological advancement, and they become so many worthless zeros. Only by adding "one"-Krsna-can we turn all our zeros into millions and billions.

To give everyone a chance to add Krsna to his life is Srila Prabhupada's mission-a mission given him by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and the mission of a long line of spiritual masters dating back five hundred years to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. The First American Theistic Exhibition is an important step toward fulfilling that mission. Srila Prabhupada explains that people in this age aren't interested in reading philosophical books, and those who do read hardly understand. People aren't patient. They want to use their eyes and ears; they want an experience. So for such people, seeing a diorama that makes a profound, clear philosophical statement is equivalent to many weeks of reading. Even if they see these dioramas only once, they will never forget the experience.

Says Baradraja, "Srila Prabhupada told me that these dioramas are 'living books.' People say that pictures are worth a thousand words. Well, we have another saying: 'A diorama is worth a thousand pictures.' "