Tread #7 Proposal by Kunti-Devi dasi (w/ conceptual clarification

[Guest guest]

The following proposal is submitted by Kunti-Devi dasi

 

-- Background assumptions --

[1] What Srila Prabhupada meant by "managerial/management" whenever

he referred to the GBC is not necessarily the same the word(s) denote

in the media or business schools around the world.

[2] ISKCON is supposed to be (and always become more of) a "spiritual" society.

I define a "spiritual" society as one in which all members, from

uninitiated devotee to guru, strive daily, both individually and

collectively, to live by Rupa Gosvami's description of the Krsna

conscious jivan mukta -- karmana, manasa, gira: with their actions,

with their minds (thoughts, feelings, desires), with their words.

[3] Authority = legitimate power; Sanskrit adhikara.

[4] Krsna consciousness relies on self-awareness

(ceto-darpana-marjanam). In a Krsna conscious environment, moreover,

the person is empowered to function as a subject. This is opposed to

alienation, objectivism ("poor thing"), victimhood.

[5] Consciousness vs entropy -- a daily conscious effort, both

individual and collective, is needed to overcome the entropic effects

of historical time.

[5] Spiritual personalism vs karma -- a personal relationship with

Guru and Krsna (divine grace) is needed to face the obstacles

resulting from individual and institutional karma.

[6] No real person in a historical society fits 100% in one varna.

Varnas, rather, are like the doshas in ayurveda -- no one's

constitution is 100% vata, pitta, or kapha.

 

-- The GBC --

SP wanted the GBC to be the ultimate authority in ISKCON and wanted

ISKCON to be a spiritual society whose core would be brahmanical.

According to the Upanishads brahmanas study and teach, engage in

religious practices for their own sake and the sake of others, accept

and give donations. Without a brahmanical core the institution is

affected by entropic decay in the course of time -- brahmana promotes

abheda (oneness), ksatriya & vaisya promote bheda (diversity).

 

Thus the GBC is a highly brahmanical council, which performs its

functions in both proactive and reactive ways. Proactive: to inspire,

show the way, empower others, promote, push forward, facilitate,

etc.; reactive: to protect, shield, guard, define boundaries, defend,

etc.

The continuous conscious search for a spiritual balance is needed --

excessive or misdirected protection leads to overdependence,

alienation, stagnation, apathy; excessive or misdirected pushing

forward leads to burning of the mind and the body, neglect or abuse

of the weak, splitting, violence. An institution (or individual) that

is out of balance, in an opaque state of consciousness, will tend to

bounce back and forth between stagnation and violence and will become

the easy prey of manipulators claiming to be the source of freedom

and liberation (during stagnation periods) or guardians claiming to

be the source of peace and protection (during violence periods).

 

The GBC is composed of 7-21 members (the number may vary from year to

year). The GBC members are sponsored by ISKCON temples and ISKCON

projects *every year*. They take their brahmanical oath at the

Mayapur festival committing themselves in front of the Deities and

the assemmbled devotees to perform the austerity of setting aside

their ksatriya and vaisya propensities for the sake of SP's movement..

The GBC issues resolutions, which are not "laws" but "spiritual"

realizations, recommendations, proposals, brahmanical advice,

insight, etc. Their purity makes them attractive. The GBC has the

"spiritual" and institutional power to object to anything any

individual member, temple, or project is doing or plans to do. The

GBC has the authority to determine what persons, temples, projects

are to be considered part of ISKCON. The GBC has the authority to

determine what diksa-gurus are ISKCON gurus.

The GBC members monitor ISKCON members (persons, temples, projects)

and become involved in resolving issues that are not local or

transient but "ISKCON-level" issues.

 

--Diksa-gurus --

Diksa-gurus, whether GBC members or not, are expected to be highly

brahmanical -- i.e. to limit and subordinate their ksatriya and

vaisya dealings and propensities as much as possible. Their mission

is to spread Krsna consciousness and to introduce devotees to Srila

Prabhupada, to the disciplic succession, to Lord Caitanya, to Radha

and Krsna ("let me introduce you NN das/dasi").

 

--Siksa-gurus --

All ISKCON devotees, and especially those who hold institutional

positions such as TP or project director, are encouraged to become

siksa-gurus. In a "spiritual" society managers are expected to become

"spiritual" authorities. Diksa-gurus encourage their disciples to see

their institutional managers (in good standing) as siksa-gurus and to

themselves become siksa-gurus.

 

-- Sannyasis --

Sannyasis who choose to be TP or project director are not to be GBC

members or diksa-gurus.

 

-- Federative institutional management --

ISKCON temples are encouraged to organize themselves in local,

national, continental, global federations. Temples and projects --

schools; Mayapur developments; communications; protection of

children, devotee health, cows, etc. -- are financed by their

congregations and their own fundraising strategies. They may use

ISKCON name and logo as long as the GBC does not object.

 

ISKCON institutional managers (individuals, federations, projects)

perform their functions in both proactive and reactive ways.

Proactive: to inspire, show the way, empower others, promote, push

forward, facilitate, etc.; reactive: to protect, shield, guard,

define boundaries, defend, etc.

The continuous conscious search for a spiritual balance is needed --

excessive or misdirected protection leads to overdependence,

alienation, stagnation, apathy; excessive or misdirected pushing

forward leads to burning of the mind and the body, neglect or abuse

of the weak, splitting, violence. An institution (or individual) that

is out of balance, in an opaque state of consciousness, will tend to

bounce back and forth between stagnation and violence and will become

the easy prey of manipulators claiming to be the source of freedom

and liberation (during stagnation periods) or guardians claiming to

be the source of peace and protection (during violence periods).

 

Grievances are handled by temples and federations and projects,

unless they reach the "ISKCON level" thus becoming a GBC matter.

All TP's and project directors take their "ISKCON manager" oath

*annually* at the Mayapur festival, a sine-qua-non part of which is

the commitment to curb power lust by agreeing to cooperate with

institutional checks and balances.

 

-- Additional comments --

The mere replacement of the current GBC incumbency by outfitting it

with non-sannyasi institutional managers would amount to another

instance of "the circulation of the elites" -- French revolution,

Russian revolution, rotating the Republican and Democratic parties in

the US, etc.

 

Now articulating the above proposal in terms of Srirama Prabhu's

leadership list, we get the following chart. (Numbered items quoted

from Srirama Prabhu's "sample proposal"; my headlines and editing.)

 

GBC

1. Preserving and fostering the vision and legacy of the Founder-Acharya.

2. Setting excellent standards in:

a) sadhana.

b) preaching.

c) personal dealings.

3. Spiritual caring for and guiding devotees:

a) as diksa guru (optional)

b) as siksa guru (optional)

c) through recommending and overseeing formal training programs.

5. Preaching and expanding the Krishna consciousness movement, through:

a) personal preaching.

b) inspiring preaching of all varieties.

7. Defining what is ISKCON and who is a member of ISKCON.

8. Establishing "ISKCON-level" rules for managing ISKCON and its members.

9. Setting "ISKCON-level" standards of behavior and organization.

11. Dealing with deviations from the standards for:

a) institutional leadership (complaints against institutional

management members or the federative body as a whole)

b) spiritual guidance (sannyasis).

14. Deciding theological issues.

15. Establishing and maintaining appropriate communication with other

ISKCON entities and individuals.

16. Researching and developing issues which affect the long-term

welfare and vision of the future of the Sankirtan movement and its

society and culture.

 

Sannyasis

1. Preserving and fostering the vision and legacy of the Founder-Acharya.

2. Setting excellent standards in:

a) sadhana.

b) preaching.

3. Spiritual caring for and guiding devotees:

a) as diksa guru (optional)

b) as siksa guru (optional)

5. Preaching and expanding the Krishna consciousness movement, through:

a) personal preaching (primary responsibility).

b) inspiring preaching of all varieties (optional).

 

Federative institutional management

1. Preserving and fostering the vision and legacy of the Founder-Acharya.

2. Setting excellent standards in:

a) sadhana.

b) personal dealings.

3. Spiritual caring for and guiding devotees:

a) as siksa guru (optional)

b) by facilitating devotional service.

4. Seeing to the temporal well-being and protection of dependants in

all categories.

5. Preaching and expanding the Krishna consciousness movement, through:

a) personal preaching.

b) inspiring preaching of all varieties.

c) practical organization.

6. Encouraging and facilitating programs for, and institutions of,

training and instruction for:

a) children.

b) adult education in keeping with varnashrama principles.

8. Establishing rules for managing ISKCON and its members (shared

legislative responsibility)

9. Setting standards of behavior and organization (shared legislative

responsibility).

10. "Seeing that the management is going on nicely" at the

temple/project level.

11. Dealing with deviations from the standards for:

a) management (temples and projects)

b) spiritual guidance (complaints against GBC members or the GBC

body as a whole).

12. Organizing and performing actions which cannot be effectively

carried out at a different level or by different individuals or

groups.

13. Settling managerial disputes.

 

Temple/Project Leadership

1. Preserving and fostering the vision and legacy of the Founder-Acharya.

2. Setting excellent standards in:

a) sadhana.

b) personal dealings.

3. Spiritual caring for and guiding devotees:

a) as siksa guru (optional)

b) by facilitating devotional service.

4. Seeing to the temporal well-being and protection of dependants in

all categories.

5. Preaching and expanding the Krishna consciousness movement, through:

a) personal preaching. (optional)

b) inspiring preaching of all varieties.

c) practical organization.

6. Encouraging and facilitating programs for, and institutions of,

training and instruction for:

a) children.

b) adult education in keeping with varnashrama principles.

--

 

your servant,

Kunti-Devi dasi

http://www.vaach.com

[Guest guest]

Comment on the above proposal.

 

This proposal is very thoroughgoing in its consideration of underlying

principles, which I think is important and have not so far seen.

 

I prefer the idea that ISKCON's highest body, which I doubt can be named as

anything other than the name given by Srila Prabhupada -- i.e. GBC, should

be brahmanas rather than kshatriyas. Kshatriyas are generally not the most

intelligent people in society. I would like to see us looking for the

qualities described in the Gita 18.42 -- samo damas tapah saucham... -- when

selecting candidates for the GBC, rather than those described in 18.43 --

sauryam tejo dhriti dakshyam.... Of course, these latter qualities are also

needed in society, but I think we need the most intelligent and spiritually

qualified devotees right at the top, as far as it can be possibly achieved.

 

Perhaps the term 'Federative Institutional Management' needs more specific

definition. I would see this in terms of GBC assistants, GBC national

secretaries and GBC regional secretaries. I would also like to see

somewhere a list of objective criteria, qualifications etc (e.g. Bhakti

Sastri/Vedanta diplomas), required for the various institutional posts,

beginning with the GBC. Maybe that could come in a separate document such

as a constitution, in which case implementing the constitution should be

listed as one of the GBC duties.

 

I am especially glad to see that this proposal begins by stating that ISKCON

is a spiritual organisation and its managerial authority should be seen in

spiritual terms. This is my main concern. I am however, worried that the

proposal seems to refer to diksha guru as if it were some kind of post. In

my view if we are allowing that any ISKCON authority can be seen as a siksha

guru, then there is no need to mention diksha, which should be a natural

consequence of siksha anyway.

 

I would also like to see it made more clear that the GBC are the spiritual

head of ISKCON, the beginning of an ISKCON siksha parampara. And also that

their first duty is to regualrly come together to thoroughly understand

Srila Prabhupada's books, which after all is theirs and ISKCON's one solid

link to the 'vision and legacy' of our Founder Acharya.

 

I find that, in common with all the proposals so far presented, this does

not fully connect with the day to day, real issues that I am trying to

tackle as a 'front-line' ISKCON preacher. The question of spiritual

empowerment, although alluded to here, is for me the all important issue in

ISKCON, and it is not made explicit enough for my liking in any proposal I

have seen to date.

 

On the whole though, I think I like this proposal the best so far.

 

ys

KDd

[Guest guest]

>On the whole though, I think I like this one the best so far. Thank you

>Kunti-Devi prabhu (was this an independent effort, or was your guru maharaja

>involved?).

 

Many thanks for your positive feedback, Krishna Dharma Prabhu.

 

Mine is certainly an "independent" proposal -- as much as a living

entity can be considered to be independent.

As far as Hridayananda Maharaja's involvement in the proposal, none

directly. I sent him a copy just like I sent it to the discussion

list and have not received any e-mail back from him. Indirectly, yes,

Hridayananda Maharaja taught some of us the Bhagavad-gita back in the

80's. In 1993 he decided I should go back to (grad) school. Thus I

came in contact with the Rg Veda. You can see that my background

assumptions stem from (my reading of) the Bg and the RV.

--

 

your servant,

Kunti-Devi dasi

http://www.vaach.com