What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC?

[Guest guest]

Letter to: All ISKCON Temple Presidents

--

Sydney

8 April, 1972

MEMO TO ALL ISKCON TEMPLE PRESIDENTS:

My dear ___

Please accept my blessings. I beg to inform you that recently some of the

Governing Body Commission members held a meeting at New York on 25th through

28th March, 1972, and they have sent me a big big minutes, duplicated, for my

consideration and approval, but in the meantime they have decided some

appointments without consulting me. One of the items which struck me very much

is as follows:

"Atreya Rsi das was selected to be the Secretary for GBC and receive all

correspondence including monthly reports." I never appointed Atreya Rsi member

of the GBC, and I do not know how he can be appointed Secretary to GBC without

my sanction. "He was also appointed to be on the Management Committee. with

Karandhara for the purpose of supervising ISKCON business and implementing the

decisions reached by GBC." This has very much disturbed me.

Sriman Atreya Rsi das may be very expert, but without my say he has been given

so much power and this has upset my brain.

I also understand that immediate actions are going to take place even prior to

my permission, and that, also, "without divulging to the devotees(!)"

I do not follow exactly what is the motive of the so-called GBC meeting,

therefore I have sent the telegram which you will find attached herewith, and I

have received the replies as well.

Under these circumstances, I AUTHORIZE YOU TO DISREGARD FOR THE TIME BEING ANY

DECISION FROM THE GBC MEN UNTIL MY FURTHER INSTRUCTION.

You manage your affairs peacefully and independently, and try to improve the

spiritual atmosphere of the centers more carefully.

I shall be very glad to know the names of your assistants such as Secretary,

Treasurer and Accountant. Finally, I beg to repeat that ALL GBC ORDERS ARE

SUSPENDED HEREWITH BY ME UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

You may reply me at ISKCON Tokyo. Hoping this meets you in very good health and

advanced spiritual mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS.sda

72-04-10. Letter: Satsvarupa

But I have been very much disturbed recently by the meeting which you all have

had in New York, wherein you have passed so many resolutions and elected Atreya

Rsi to GBC Secretary, and made so many other changes. I am very much puzzled by

the whole business. Therefore I have not approved of it, and you may by now

have received my letter why I have temporarily suspended the GBC. Let us not

revive this old matter, but I want to know from you what is your opinion of the

matter, and how is it that Hamsaduta and Atreya Rsi were able to persuade you

all senior leaders of the Society to follow their foolish activities? Kindly

inform.

>From now on, the temples will operate independently and try to improve their

spiritual life more carefully, so there is no more need for such financial

arrangement of centralization, as you have proposed.

72-04-11. Letter: Hamsaduta

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated

April 7th, 1972, and I have noted the contents. The meeting of the GBC appeared

to be very unconstitutional, because all the men were not informed or invited.

Syamasundara. was not invited, Sudama was not invited, Krishna das was not

invited, Tamala Krishna was not invited, neither I was informed. Why? You

cannot hold meeting of 8 persons without inviting the others. Seven may be a

quorum, that's all right, but you cannot convene without a general announcement

to all the members and myself, giving a proposed agenda, like that, the topics

to be discussed, why the meeting is being called, etc. Then there is

correspondence for deciding these things, and if there is great necessity, then

meeting may be called, but not whimsically, only after much thought is given and

there is clear intimation of all the members plus myself. Anything whatever is

done is done, but the whole thing appeared to be giving all power to Atreya

Rsi. I cannot understand why, instead of one GBC man, a person outside the

Commission was given so much power, and there was to be immediate action

without divulging the matter to the devotees. And I am surprised that none of

the GBC members detected the defects in the procedure. It was detected only

when it came to me. What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be

spoiled by GBC? So for the time being, let the GBC activities be suspended

until I thoroughly revise the whole procedure. In the meantime, you do your

duty as president of Hamburg Temple, and try to improve spiritually. Our

spiritual way should strictly observe the following points especially: (1).

Neatness and cleanliness of all personal bodies. (I still see those who are

initiated as Brahmins, they do not wash their hand after eating even; of

course, there may be so many defects due to your births in non-Brahmin

families, but how long it shall go on? It is very easy thing.); (2). Chanting

16 rounds daily. (I don't think everyone is following these principles.); (3)

Temple worship, which should be performed rigidly between four and ten a.m.)

I find that the devotees are still sleeping up to six, seven o'clock. So in the

GBC Agenda I do not find any such programs for reforming our past bad habits.

So kindly as President of Hamburg center you try to observe yourself all the

regulative principles and see all the members are following.

Recently I have received from one Sannyasi complaint about another Sannyasi who

is not chanting regularly. So our view is that we shall be strictly following

the rules and regulations. Monetary matters are secondary. On principle, we

should better starve than neglect our rules and regulations. We are trying to

present an ideal Society to the world, so although we are very rigidly

following these principles, still, we are very liberal to everyone. For this

reason we are being appreciated everywhere. So anyway, I am not at all

dissatisfied with you, but it is my duty to point out the mistakes. You are in

charge of the Germany organization. Please do it nicely there, not very much on

the material side, more on the spiritual side. Example is better than precept.

Every one of you must be the perfect examples, then everyone will follow.