Krsna consciouss Leadership

[Guest guest]

> > When someone tells me that because I have some temporary designation--

> > "ISKCON leader" for example, but it might as well be "man" or "woman"--

> > therefore I am obliged by his abstract political conception to

> > relinquish my freedom from the kind of unnecessary talks and fighting

> > that are so prominent on COM these days...and therefore I am obliged to

> > stay in tune with every new controversy coming down the cathode ray

> > tube...and to get all worked up over those phosphorescent letters

> > dancing across my display screen...and to TAKE A STAND...and to MARCH

> > BEHIND THE BANNER...and to SHOUT SLOGANS...and to DO IT FOR ISKCON...and

> > FOR PRABHUPADA...and all that bla bla bla...well, I consider that an

> > attack on my own natural right of human liberty, which I am by God's law

> > supposed to exercise toward liberation by keeping my hearing, reading

> > and speaking fixed upon transcendental topics.

>

> There is much truth in what you are saying, still I might ask what is the

> duty of a ISKCON leader when such kind of controversies about social

> affairs and problems apear in our society, to just stay out of it and

> exersize ones natural right of human liberty, which one is by God's law

> suppose to exercise toward liberation by keeping ones hearing, reading and

> speaking fixed upon transcendental topics, or also get involved in it and

> try to solve the problems?

> What is the right understanding of Krsna conscious leadership?

>

> ys, Harsi das

 

 

Very good question, Harsi Prabhu.

 

We must always accept the right of a devotee leader to retire from

responsibilities provided they have prepared their citizens with proper

means of protection.

 

The leaders of ISKCON have not done so for its citizens according to

scripture:

 

"The word praja-sarga is very important in this verse. When the saintly King

Pracinabarhi was induced by the great sage Narada to leave home and take to

devotional service of the Lord, his sons had not yet returned from their

austrities in the water. However, he did not wait for their return but

simply left messages to the effect that his sons were to protect the mass of

citizens. According to Viraraghava Acarya, such protection means organizing

the citizens into the specific divisions of the four varnas and four

asramas. It was the responsibility of the royal order to tsee that the

citizens were following the regulative principles of the four varnas (namely

the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras) and the asramas (brahmacarya,

etc.). it is very difficult to rule the citizens in a kingdom without

organizing this varnasrama-dharma. To rule the mass of citizens in a state

and keepthem in a complete progressive order is not possible simply by

passing laws every year in a legislative assembly. The varnasrama-dharma is

essential in a good government. One class of men (the brahmanas) must be

intelligent and brahminically qualified, another class must be trained in

administrative work (ksatriya) another in mercantile business (vaisya) and

another simply in labor (sudras). These four classes of men are already

there according to nature, but it is the governments duty to see that all

four of these classes follow the principles of their varnas methodically.

This is called abhiraksana, or protection." SB 4.29.81.

 

Perhaps if the leaders would finally take up the hard work and tasks of

implementing Srila Prabhupada's countless recommendations regarding

varnasrama-dharma for the citizens of ISKCON the chaos found on COM and in

the temples would begin to gradually diminish and finally end.

 

They won't be able to wave a magic wand to do this. It will take hard work

and starting with taking small methodical baby steps to commence the

cleansing process. Big egos and quick fixes must be set aside.

 

Starting varnasrama-dharma counseling rooms in EVERY center for varna

teaching EVERYDAY for EVERY devotee is the very least first step that they

must take.

 

If they commence this most auspicious work we will see bright days ahead. If

not we can only expect more of the chaos to continue... and worse.