Gurus on Parade!

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Re: SUMMER CAMP 1999 PULA - CROATIA

 

"COM: Dinanatha (das) KKD (Pula - HR)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2379585 from COM]

>

> > VISIT THE TRADITIONAL VAISNAVA - SUMMER CAMP IN PULA IN A BEATIFUL COVE

> > > NEAR PULA - CROATIA , FROM 23.08. - 29.08. 1999.g.

> > >

> > > Dear Devotees Hare Krsna!

> > > Please accept our humble obeisances.

> > > All glories to Srila Prabhupada !

> > > All glories to all devotees of the Lord !

> > >

> > > -After short consultations , it has been decided that this Year

> > > traditional Summer camp would take place in same place as last Year. It

> > > would be organized by Vaisnava community of devotees from the Nava

> > > Nilacala farm - Pula , with the hearty help of all devotees from

> > > Croatia , Bosnia and Slovenia...

>

> > > -The second Vaisnava which should be giving seminar is not know yet but

> > > he

> > > be amongs theese Gurus:

> > > Trivikrama Maharaja Bhakti Balabh Puri Goswami

> > > Bhakti Bhusana Swami

> > > Bhakti Tirtha Swami

> > > Bir Krsna Goswami

> > > Kadamba Kanana Swami

> > > Param gati Swami

> > > Prahladananda Swami

> > > Vipramukhya Swami

> > >

> > > Beside them , Sri Rohini suta prabhu , Sridhar swami ,Bhakti Vikas Swami

> > > have announced they arrival. We will try to get to agreement the comming

> > > of Jayapataka Maharaja. All others are also welcome.

 

Hare Krsna dasi comments:

 

There are certainly some admirable devotees on this list, but in light of our

recent discussion of how ISKCON needs to spend more effort in training bhaktas

on how to select a guru, this jumped out at me as exactly the approach which

ends up causing problems.

 

Intentionally or unintentionally, the message to bhaktas is: Here are the

ISKCON gurus -- take your pick!

 

So, this is the wrong message. To list someone as an advanced devotee is

understandable. But why list them as "gurus"? What is the relevance? What is

the value of this approach? And more important: Has anyone considered the

hazards of this approach?

 

Another thing to notice with this kind of promotion is that there will not be

any women gurus, because there are no women on the list. The implication is

that there are no spiritually advanced women in ISKCON. (If that is the case,

it

would make sense to encourage women to join some other group, because the

further implication is that they won't become spiritually advanced in ISKCON.)

For all practical purposes (notwithstanding any little-known GBC provisions for

something else) the real way to get a guru in ISKCON is to pick someone from a

list. And the way to do it is just like you do for movies stars or rock stars

-- go with your feelings!

 

Once again, I want to emphasize that in criticizing this approach to guru

selection, I'm not criticizing the devotees who are listed here. It's just

that

this strikes me as an undignified and misguided way to go about the process of

guru selection. I imagine some of these devotees are embarrassed to be listed

this way.

 

Anyway, hopefully, we'll see some guidance from the GBC in the future that will

provide a more philosophically sound way of selecting one's guru than just

picking from a menu.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi