statement by the GBC executive committee

[Guest guest]

Haribol,

Pamho. AgtSP! I thought the following statement would be of interest to

the members of these conferences.

Ys,

Madhusudani dasi

 

 

When Srila Prabhupada Is At The Center

--------------------

BY THE GBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

USA, Dec 20 Message From the ISKCON GBC

Executive Committee

 

WHEN SRILA PRABHUPADA IS AT THE CENTER THERE IS NO

ROOM FOR MAYA IN ISKCON:

 

A Statement of the GBC Executive Committee

concerning the effects of bodily identification in

ISKCON.

 

No doubt everyone associated with the International

Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) loves

Srila Prabhupada and wants to see him at the center

of their lives and ISKCON. But keeping Srila

Prabhupada in the center of ISKCON must be more than

a sentimental expression. Practical action is

required. Srila Prabhupada taught us that love for

the Supreme Lord Krishna is shown by our obeidence

and service to Him. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada told

us that our love for him, as our Founder-acarya will

be shown by how we cooperate to keep his institution

together. If we truly want Srila Prabhupada to

remain the center of ISKCON, we are going to have to

work hard to keep his mood prevalent in ISKCON.

 

Perhaps the biggest challenge in this regard is the

endeavor to remain faithful to Srila Prabhupada's

teachings and preaching mood. How many times did we

hear Srila Prabhupada say, "you are not the body?"

This basic point of the philosophy of Krishna

consciousness is also emphasized over and over in

his books. However over the past several years we

have witnessed an increasing tendency within Srila

Prabhupada's ISKCON to allow bodily identification

divide us. Talks and actions based on the dualities

of western versus eastern gurus, my guru versus your

guru, black versus white versus Indian, man versus

woman, friends versus enemies are symptoms that

maya, illusion, has entered our camp and is ready to

consume us. Given our fallen nature, resisting these

tendencies is hard work, but such hard work is a

measure of our love for Srila Prabhupada, and our

protection from the ignorance of maya.

 

Our resistance to prejudice, sexism, racism and

other forms of bigotry in ISKCON will be found in

the example and words Srila Prabhupada gave us.

 

During a Bombay morning walk in February 1994 Srila

Prabhupada used himself as an example of how a

devotee approaches material differences:

 

"Just see the example. I am not becoming proud, but

because I have got little taste for it, therefore I

am preaching all over the world. I don't say I am

perfect. I have got little taste of Krishna-bhakti.

So I have no distinction that "This is Indian. This

is American. This is African." Everyone, I am giving

this harinama. This is sarva-bhuta-hite ratah, no

distinction. We are trying to give protection to the

cows, to animals, to the trees. This is

sarva-bhuta-hite ratah. Unless one is...Harav

abhaktasya kuto mahad... If one is not devoted to

Krishna, he cannot become sarva-bhuta-hite ratah."

 

In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.12 Srila

Prabhupada discusses the difference between how the

devotee and non devotee approach material

differences:

 

"Demons think of everyone as a friend or enemy, but

Vaisnavas say that since everyone is a servant of

the Lord, everyone is on the same platform.

Therefore a Vaisnava treats other living entities

neither as friends nor as enemies, but instead tries

to spread Krishna consciousness, teaching everyone

that we are all one as servants of the Supreme Lord

but are uselessly wasting our valuable lives by

creating nations, communities and other groups of

friends and enemies. Everyone should come to the

platform of Krishna consciousness and thus feel

oneness as a servant of the Lord."

 

All of us must renew our efforts to keep Srila

Prabhupada in the center of both ISKCON and our

individual lives.

 

Sesa Dasa

On Behalf of the GBC Executive Committee.

 

The Executive Committee supports the recent

statement made by the North American Executive

Officers, and incorporates it into this statement:

 

STATEMENT BY THE NORTH AMERICAN EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

 

The North American GBC/Temple President Executive

Officers wish to voice our strong disapproval of,

and our protest against, the demeaning and ill

intended statements made by some members of the GHQ

com conference that were recently brought to public

attention.

 

It is our firm position that Srila Prabhupada, the

Founder-acarya of ISKCON, intended his Hare Krishna

Movement to be free from all prejudice, sexism,

racism and other forms of bigotry.

 

We affirm that the first and foremost principle of

our society is that all people (indeed all sentient

beings) are eternal, sacred parts and parcels of the

Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, and as such should be

respected and affirmed in their individual

relationship with the Lord, as well as their service

to guru and Krishna.

 

Multiple statements made by members of this Internet

conference ridicule, berate and vilify women, other

minorities, and individual Vaishnava devotees. They

document an organized attempt to prevent women from

their God-given rights of self expression and

service to Srila Prabhupada. We denounce such views.

They are opposed to the core values and principles

of Vaishnava culture which uphold the devotional

offerings of all souls as sacred and worthy of our

respect and protection.

 

While we endorse open debate and dialogue within our

Krishna Consciousness movement, we must speak out

against any discussion that crosses the line of

decency, morality, and Vaishnava etiquette and

supports an agenda to exploit or minimize a section

of our society.

 

Bir Krishna Goswami, Chairperson

Anuttama Dasa

Sudharma Dasi

Vraja Lila Dasi

 

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