Should the GBC resign?

[Guest guest]

To,

Senior devotees of ISKCON,

 

Dear Vaisnavas,

Hare Krsna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila

Prabhupada.

 

I have reading some messages posted by different devotees on the present

situation in ISKCON.

Among them is a message I received from "David Bruce Hughes"

<dbhughes (AT) mindspring (DOT) com>

entitled 'GBC should resign' and signed by Dasanudas. Also I read HH Bhakti

Vikasa Swami messages in this regard. I also read messages from Raghunatha

Anudasa & Rocana dasa. I am posting the relevant extracts from all these

messages below.

 

Frankly speaking, after reading the messages (which I have posted below) I am

quite confused. I do not know what can be the answers to the points raised by

these devotees or whether they are right or wrong. I beg at the lotus feet of

all the senior assembled devotees to kindly read these messages and enlighten

me and remove my confusion. As a neophyte devotee in this movement, my only way

of solving my confusion is to seek the guidance of senior devotees. And that is

what I am doing. I feel this confusion may also be there in the minds of many

devotees in ISKCON. But they may not be able to ask for clarification. So

replies to this message will not only help in solving my confusion but also of

many others. This is my humble opinion.

 

Vaisnava dasabhas

Nayana-ranjana das

 

_____________________________

____

 

GBC should resign

by Dasanudas

 

(I have taken the liberty to omit some things which I felt were a little

offensive)

 

Dear devotees of ISKCON,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances; all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Now a great public accusation has been made against the principal members of

the ISKCON GBC. We all know the sordid details of this great court case. The

reputation of ISKCON and even of Srila Prabhupada has come under a shadow of

suspicion. The topmost leaders of the Society stand accused of neglect and

abuse of children. According to Srila Prabhupada, a leader who is under

suspicion for wrongdoing is duty-bound to resign:

 

Srila Prabhupada: "...Yad yad acarati sresthah lokas tad anuvartate. If

the leaders are perfect, then the citizens will be perfect. If the leaders

are rascals... Just like in your country, now your president is caught up.

Just see. Such an exalted post is occupied by a person who is subjected to

so many criticisms. Why? 'The Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.' There

is a... The king or the president, why he should be under suspicion? And if

he is under suspicion, then immediately he should resign, 'Oh, people are

now suspecting.' But this these rascals will not resign. You see? Just see

how much our leaders are polluted. He has been charged with so many things.

Why he? Everyone is. He is weak; therefore he has been caught up. That's

all. He is not so perfect diplomat. Otherwise he would have not been caught

up." [Lecture 12/15/73 LA]

 

This instruction directly applies to the current situation. The principal

GBC members, many of whom are early disciples of Srila Prabhupada, 'Caesar's

wives,' are already under suspicion for many mistakes. They are thereby

disgraced and must therefore resign. Otherwise, how can they continue to

pretend to represent Srila Prabhupada? Srila Prabhupada's clear instruction

is that leaders who are under suspicion have lost the respectability they

require to perform their duty; therefore, unless and until they can clear

themselves of the charges in court, to maintain the reputation of the

society and of their spiritual master they must resign.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "So the leaders must be perfect. Therefore, according to

Vedic civilization, at least three persons in the society... The first: the

priest or the spiritual master, who are engaged in teaching people about

religiosity, he must be perfect, above suspicion. Similarly, public leader,

he must be also above suspicion. A brahmana... Brahmana means priest also.

He must be above suspicion. And the king must be above suspicion. Then

things will go on."

 

Only one whose reputation is above suspicion can hold such a responsible

post as guru, brahmana, teacher or king. Otherwise, according to Srila

Prabhupada, merely by the suspicion of wrongdoing he becomes unqualified.

Srila Prabhupada implies that if the responsible leader comes under

suspicion, they cannot go on with their duties. Therefore the GBCs who stand

accused in the child-abuse court case must resign.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "But there is no such restriction. Nowadays it is the

days of vote. Any rascal, if he gets vote somehow or other, then he acquires

the exalted post. That is also written in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the

Kali-yuga there will be no consideration who is fit to occupy the exalted

post of presidentship or royal throne. Simply somehow or other, by hook and

crook, he'll occupy the seat. Therefore people are suffering. It is not...

Nowadays, in democratic days, the government by the people, government for

the people. So if the government is by the people, yes, you select your

representative. If you are a fool, then you will select another fool."

 

So many representatives have been elected to the GBC by vote, and similarly

the GBC has elected gurus by vote, without actual consideration of

qualifications. And so many fell down or deviated from Srila Prabhupada's

order. Now many if not most of these leaders are under suspicion, therefore the

people they are supposed to serve are suffering.

 

Who would want to be a member of ISKCON these days? How embarrassing!

Therefore the members of the ISKCON temples should organize themselves and

vote against these GBCs, or be exposed by Srila Prabhupada as

fools. Lord Ramachandra banished Sita because of the suspicion by the people

that She had become unchaste. Even this suspicion was incorrect, but there

was no way to remove it from the people's minds. So to serve the people

under his administration He had to banish Her from the palace. Therefore it

is the duty of ISKCON to also ask these leaders to resign.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "So Bhagavata says, sva-vid-varaha ustra-kharaih

samstutah purusah pasuh. Anyone who is not a devotee, Krsna conscious

devotee of God, then he may be in a exalted post, but he is praised by some

people who are exactly like sva. Sva means dog, and vid-varaha means pigs

who eat stool. Sva-vid-varaha. Vid-varaha. And ustra, ustra means camel. And

ustra-kharaih. Khara means ass. Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih. If a person who

is not a devotee, he is praised or he is exalted, then the praisers, the

persons who is praising him, he must be among these animals: dog, camel, pig

and ass.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "So the whole population is like that, like dog, like

camel, like ass and like vid-varaha, pig, the stool-eater, the whole

population, at the present moment. So he must elect another big animal who

is also in this category. Because he has no knowledge. If you take votes

from the camels, to whom he will vote? Another big camel, that's all. If you

take votes from the dog, then whom he will elect? Another big dog.

Therefore, anyone who is not a devotee of God, Krsna, he is either of these

animals. And if he is praised, it is to be understood that he is being

praised by the similar type of animals. So if we remain

sva-vid-varahostra-khara, then we must elect another big

sva-vid-varahostra-khara. So how there can be good situation of the state?

It is not possible. Therefore the public must be educated so that they may

not elect another big dog or big camel or big ass to the exalted post. It is

the public's fault. Nowadays it is democratic days. So why should you

complain against such-and-such person or president? You have elected him,

and now you find fault with him. So it was your fault that you selected such

a rascal, sva-vid-varahostra. It is very right conclusion."

 

The devotees who live in ISKCON temples should be educated so that they

understand the full extent of their constitutional powers. By the

constitution of the ISKCON temple corporations, the members have the legal

right to elect the leadership. This is a little-known fact, but it is a law.

They also have the right to vote to impeach that leadership if they lose

their qualification as leaders. Legally, they have voted to accept the

disappointed leaders by failing to vote them out. That is, unless the members

assert their right to vote it is assumed they wish to follow the appointed

system.

 

Now it is proven without a doubt that the GBC did not follow Srila

Prabhupada's orders regarding the management of the Gurukulas, and on top of

that they failed to remedy the situation for over twenty years, bringing

themselves, ISKCON and even Srila Prabhupada under the public disgrace of

suspicion and trial by the legal system. If furthermore they fail to do the

honorable thing for the society and resign from their exalted posts, we can

understand they are still not able to follow Srila Prabhupada's clear

instructions. Therefore they deserve to be impeached.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. This was the system, that one must retire. Just

like at the present moment, although people are asking the

president that 'You retire, you resign,' he is not resigning,

obstinate. Because he knows, 'This is the first and last chance. I

am not going to be elected again. So stick to the post and take as

much money as possible.' That's all." [Lecture, 12/17/73 LA]

 

The GBC will not resign, they will stick to their posts as long as they

possibly can. Now the

consequences of their actions threaten to destroy the entire ISKCON society.

Therefore the only chance to protect Srila Prabhupada's reputation is a

general rebellion by vote of the members of ISKCON against the GBC. They

have frustrated Srila Prabhupada's orders in management and failed to maintain

his institution. Now they deserve to be removed.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "...And without God consciousness, there cannot be any

good qualities. Just like President Nixon. He's exalted. He is

occupying such exalted position, but public is criticizing like

anything. Hm? And he's still not leaving that post. Unless he's

forced. So harav abhaktasya... Is that a very good quality? He's

publicly elected president. If public (is) accusing him in so many

ways, he should have (said), 'All right, if you don't like, I

resign.' But no. So where is the good quality? There is no good

quality. Because he has no sense of God consciousness. So without

sense of God consciousness, nobody can possess any good quality.

That is impossible." [Lecture, 7/23/73, London]

 

The GBCs cannot hide anymore behind the old excuse that Srila Prabhupada

appointed them, therefore whatever they do is perfect. Here Srila

Prabhupada clearly states that if a leader who has been accused does not

resign, he is devoid of all good qualities, and even devoid of God

consciousness.

 

The devotees should assert their rights under the law, at least in the

United States, and immediately hold elections to force the GBC to resign as

managers and trustees of all ISKCON properties. This is the only chance to

save Srila Prabhupada's legacy from total destruction. If after the

prosecution and defense presentations in the court, where all the details of

the GBCs' intransigence will become public knowledge, the jury finds the

defendants culpable, and if they did not resign when the case first began,

this arrogant attitude will influence the judge and jury to increase the

penalty. A similar thing happened in the case the Turley firm recently won

against the Catholic Church. None of the church leaders who covered up the

abuse resigned, and partly because of this insolence the damages were in the

tens of millions of dollars for only two victims. The ISKCON case may

ultimately have over 1,000 victims. The GBC resignations will save ISKCON

millions of dollars and win support from the court and all right-thinking

people.

 

I personally stand to gain nothing from the GBCs' resignations, since I came

to the conclusion long ago that ISKCON was finished because the management

no longer represented Srila Prabhupada. Therefore I am already involved with

another sanga and have preaching activities totally unconnected to ISKCON.

But as a loyal disciple of Srila Prabhupada I would like to see his honor

saved by his devotees doing the right thing in the current crisis. The right

thing is to use the constitutional power of member's vote to cast out the

false leaders who cannot follow their spiritual master's instructions, and

change the management system in ISKCON back to what Srila Prabhupada wanted,

with independent temples owned and managed independently, and a GBC that

oversees spiritual standards by traveling, preaching and encouraging without

draconian centralized managerial powers. At this moment the chance exists to

right many wrongs. What a regret it will be in the future if we fail to

grasp this great opportunity to please Srila Prabhupada!

 

Your servant,

 

Dasanudas

_____________________________

____

 

>From HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami

 

The status of the GBC in the eyes of the general devotees is rock bottom and

could hardly go lower. A far cry from the Prabhupada days, when GBC men were

practically worshipped. Those who are responsible for this demise should

kindly accept moral responsibility, or be forced to do so. Unless punishment

for abuse is extended beyond that of child abusers, injustice will be done

in the name of justice and reform will not go to the roots.

 

At present, deviations by GBC members are simply not taken seriously enough.

I was told by a GBC member that another GBC man recently slept in a van with

a brahmacarini, and regularly bought flowers for her. But no action is

taken. There is no accountability for the GBC, and thus they can do whatever

they like and get away with it. In extreme cases, they may get a temporary

suspension from initiating, which they don't follow anyway. This is abuse.

The lack of character and moral responsibility in our top leaders created an

atmosphere in which child abuse flourished and was allowed to continue

unabated until some ex-abusees got vocal about it.

 

Child abuse is the tip of an iceberg of improper behavior that has led to

massive lack of confidence in Iskcon and its leaders, and mass desertions.

If Iskcon leaders are serious to truly restore the good name and missionary

dynamism of the society, the first step is that they must have enough

courage and character to own up to their mistakes and be prepared to take

the consequences for them.

 

I am not in favor of punishing devotees, but if at all there is to be

punishment, then it is unfair that xxxxxxxxx and a few

others are punished for past sins, while the leaders who presided over the

whole catastrophe and whose policies have caused untold distress to

thousands of devotees, not only go scot-free, but continue to enjoy the

honor and position of great saints.

 

Does not big position bring with it big responsibility? Should not the

xxxxxxxx GBCs accept responsibility concomitant to the unparalleled honor,

facilities and personal finances that have been bestowed on them for so many

years?

 

Even in karmi corporations and governments, it is not uncommon for top

leaders to resign when subordinates make major blunders, especially blunders

that are injurious to people's lives and well-being. Even if the leaders

were unaware of their subordinates' malpractices, they take moral

responsibility for it.

 

The logical extension of this should be a sincere desire to make amends, to

reform and to start a new era of zero tolerance for all forms of abuse,

especially that perpetrated by leaders, whose moral responsibility is

greatest and who are therefore more guilty for any crimes they have

committed.

 

Several top leaders in Iskcon have abused their positions and scorned the

faith placed in them, by deviating from the high standard desired by Srila

Prabhupada. It is therefore in order to also take retroactive action against

Iskcon leaders who propagated erroneous and highly damaging speculations

such as zonal acarya-ism, premature gopi-bhava etc. Those who deviated from

their initiation vows by failing to regularly chant 16 rounds, or who

engaged in grossly sinful activities after initiation, should also have

punitive action taken against them. Child abusers are banned from giving

class, leading kirtan, initiating, or holding any leadership position, and

the same measures should be taken against those who have abused their

leadership roles.

 

We are informed that child abusees often feel placated if they see real

measures being taken against abusers, and if abusers express genuine

remorse. Conversely, they feel disgusted and reject Iskcon if they see gross

offenders carrying on as if nothing had happened. The same applies in the

case of abusers and abusees of all types.

 

If we accept the concept of psychological abuse, then there is hardly a

devotee outside the top ranks of this movement who was not abused --

especially in the zonal acarya era. Thousands of devotees who came to ISKCON

with hope, later left or were driven away in bitterness. Excesses by leaders

even led to cases of murder and suicide.

 

The grossest manifestations of abuse mostly fell on the weaker sections of

the society, namely the women and children. The leaders of ISKCON are surely

responsible for the ethos of abuse they created and presided over. Child

abusers in ISKCON may be victims of misguidance by leaders more than they

are criminals.

 

If we were really remorseful about abuse, we would not punish only child

abusers,

but abused of all categories. We show no interest in coming to terms with, for

instance, the

shattering abuse that has been perpetrated in the name of guruship. In light

of the profound, all-pervasive abuse that took place throughout our society,

to target only child abusers is biased and hypocritical. Thus, while

campaigning against abuse, we perpetrate more abuse, all in the name of

justice.

 

Reports of child abuse investigations take much care to persuade us of the

fairness of the proceedings. Yet there is inherent unfairness in pinpointing

only child abusers. If there is to be justice and retribution, let it be at

all levels.

 

Why are only child abusers being punished? It is illogical to think that we

can contain the legal effects of abuse by punishing a few individuals. The

child abuse storm may seem like a big problem, but it is only a warning of

worse things to come. Today the ex-gurukulis are threatening legal action,

but tomorrow there may be thousands of devotees suing for psychological

abuse. We will be as incompetent to rebut their accusations as we are with

the ex-gurukulis, because their claims are true. Our movement has a horrible

history of abuse.

 

Srila Prabhupada made a house for the whole world to live in, but we have made

it uncomfortable for anyone to live in, including ourselves. We are all

collectively

responsible, and the leaders more so.

 

We needed a mass catharsis years ago, and it may not still be too late if we

dare to look into our hearts and be honest before Krsna about our massive

failure. But will it happen? Unlikely. The GBC are the perpetrators. How

then, are they going to put themselves on trial? They have already been

judged and tried by thousands of devotees, who have voted with their feet by

walking out.

 

But the GBC goes on with its mutual lauding and platitudes, assuring each

other that everything is basically all right, and that we're really doing a

good job of cleaning up the house. Dear GBC men: is it possible that you

open your eyes? The house is in worse shape than anyone could have imagined.

There are many angry people both inside and outside it, and they can no

longer be easily fooled or appeased.

 

Unless and until there is a real change of heart, and a genuine attempt to

overcome the terrible mistakes of the past, those angry people are not going

to let us go. We will be smashed again and again until the name of Srila

Prabhupada's Iskcon will be universally shamed and scorned.

 

In the absence of sincere apologies from anyone for the horrendous and

massive abuse of the past, let's get on the case of all abusers, not only

child abusers. (BTW the same thing is going on today--devotees known to be

spiritually sick are allowed to go on initiating. Is this not abuse of the

prospective disciples?)

 

However, I maintain that if we are really serious about cleaning out abuse,

we should do so at all levels. It is imbalanced, at best, to come down heavy

on child abusers while neglecting the widescale abuse that pervaded our

whole society.

 

If I am cynical, I am not alone in my cynicism. Everywhere, devotees are

expressing discontent with the way things have been going on for the last so

many years. Many senior leaders, including temple presidents, sannyasis, and

even GBC men, have expressed to me their discontent with the state of the

movement and with the policies and attitudes of the GBC. I am not one to go

looking for tales of discontent, but nevertheless hear enough of them to

understand that there is something basically out of sync in our movement.

 

Many devotees have resigned themselves to living and working in an

organization in which they feel uncomfortable, but feel helpless to change.

My personal experiences in trying to communicate matters to the GBC have

been most discouraging.

 

In response to my recent postings, a senior and respected devotee wrote to

me:

 

> I very much enjoyed and appreciated reading this from you, Maharaja. I

> share your anger. My specific service is ****, but I completely agree that

> there is deep corruption and hypocrisy in ISKCON leadership, and

> practically the ISKCON so-called leaders are the only ones who don't see

> it, and thus devotees more and more do not try to take shelter in the GBC,

> as the GBC body does not command respect, and in fact has become a

laughingstock, at best, and perhaps an abject tragedy. Hare Krsna.

 

_____________________________

_____

 

From

The Inevitable Gurukula Lawsuit

by Rocana dasa

 

Until the child abuse issue -- and this one is likely to bring focus to many of

the seemingly less serious activities. The leadership of ISKCON obviously never

considered the future devastation that could be wrought by the gurukula abuse

issue. We're now well past the point of safe return, and are left to consider

what it is that Krsna himself is now teaching all those who care to learn.

 

If they were honest, they would simply have admitted a long time ago that

ISKCON was immediately divided into various different guru-doms. These factions

had a loose alliance with one another, and saw the advantage of flying the

ISKCON flag. Consequently, the legal system can now use this facade to prove

that legal links existed between many of the temples, and they can thus attack

the whole organization. The GBC's futile passing of a multitude of

unenforceable laws can now be shown as legal proof that it was all one

organization, ruled by an entrenched oligarchy.

 

ISKCON's leaders did not do as Srila Prabhupada mandated. The GBC were

instructed to become saintly persons, preaching and traveling from temple to

temple to see that spiritual standards were maintained. Instead, they immersed

themselves in creating a complex system of government that served no real

purpose. They were simply a group of individuals pretending to be in control.

They passed laws and issued dictates, and gave the legal perception that they

were in control of the entire movement, which wasn't at all true. For this

reason, I believe that they deserve much of the blame for what we're about to

see unfold. Srila Prabhupada's original plan was to set-up individual temples,

overseen by non-administrative GBC. He knew that we were likely to make

mistakes, and wanted the ramifications to be localized, so that each temple got

the results of their own activities, rather than all the temples having to bear

a collective burden. The situation we now face is a perfect example of the risk

that should have been avoided.

_____________________________

_____

 

From

Why I'm Joining the Lawsuit

By Raghunatha Anudasa

 

I have a dozen letters asking how and why guru-kuli's are blaming Prabhupada.

The answer is obvious, the GBC and the devotees at large have failed to

properly address this issue much as they have the other concerns of guru-kulis.

 

The best lawsuit preparation is to make a chronology of Prabhupada on

guru-kula. Let there be at least one voice to represent Prabhupada.

 

For us, a chronological account of Prabhupada on guru-kula would be a great way

to prepare for this lawsuit and media barrage. Don't waste time condemning

guru-kulis. Let's put our energies into this Prabhupada - guru - kula,

chronology. A chronology will reveal such issues as the progression from

Prabhupada's "instructions" as "show the stick," to the stick becoming a 2 by

10 bat for whipping us. To do a good job will take the help of devotees like

Dayananda, Hirinyagarbha aka Jagadananda and Dhanurdhara. It will also require

some resources.

 

_____________________________

_____

 

Dhira Govinda Prabhu, CPO:

 

I'm in agreement with all the points made by Bhakti Vikas Maharaja. The

ISKCON society should show intolerance for all sorts of abuse. Parents are

certainly culpable to a large extent for the child abuse that went on, and

many parents have expressed understanding of this and deep regret, and many

gurukulis are very angry at their parents.

 

Many Vaisnavas are very angry at many ISKCON leaders because of mistreatment

in various forms, and thus increasingly Vaisnavas are choosing to serve

Srila Prabhupada ouside of the organization. Hare Krsna.

 

_____________________________

__

 

Prabhupada Centennial Survey

The Rochford Report

A Summary of the Final Report

by E. Burke Rochford, Jr.

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT, USA

 

As the GBC concluded at its 1996 special meeting in Abentheur, "ISKCON's

house is on fire." The movement faces serious social problems. Devotees are

dissatisfied, confused about their responsibilities and hampered in

achieving their full potentials. Everyone is suffering, leaders as well as

rank-and-file. Women, children and cows are unprotected and abused. Many who

for years dedicated themselves to preaching and devotional service are now

outsiders. Others are "hanging on" with diminishing hope of finding a

secure, decent life in ISKCON. Others who should be free to be models of

renunciation and spiritual leadership are perceived to be entangled with

money and power.

 

(Social Development Report, ISKCON Commission For Social Development

February 1998)

 

Summary of Major Findings

 

[...]

The following represents a summary of the major findings presented in the

Prabhupada Centennial Report. Interested readers should consult the final

report for a detailed presentation of the findings - including both

qualitative and statistical data.

 

( There is a striking lack of trust between ISKCON members and the

movement's leadership, as well as between devotees themselves. Survey

respondents across regions expressed the view that there is a lack of honest

and open communication between devotees; that impersonalism has been allowed

to dominate devotee relations in place of friendship, respect, and caring.

The findings presented also demonstrate that a lack of authority (and a

related lack of trust) attributed to the gurus and/or the GBC institution

has had major consequences for devotees' commitments to ISKCON (full-time,

congregational, and former ISKCON members alike).

 

( Many devotee respondents expressed the view that ISKCON suffers from poor

management and that leaders are not always responsive to those they serve.

There is reason to suspect that this only breeds mistrust and a sense that

local as well as regional leaders are out of touch with the needs and lives

of the average member.

 

[...]

( Related to the demise of religious authority has been the apparent decline

of GBC authority among some portions of ISKCON's membership. Many

congregational members for example expressed the belief that they have been

left with little input in how ISKCON is governed. As a result many felt that

the GBC had little real relevance to their lives as devotees. This is

perhaps most pronounced in the area of the GBC's failure to address the

needs of householders and their children. A sizeable percentage of ISKCON's

congregational members believed that a representational form of government

would help broaden the variety of viewpoints found on the GBC. Full-time

members, congregational members and former ISKCON devotees alike expressed

the view that the GBC had not gone far enough in its efforts to control the

gurus and the guru institution.

 

(a) The lack of employment opportunities within ISKCON. As the findings

demonstrate, a large portion of ISKCON's worldwide membership is working in

conventional jobs.

 

(b) Inadequate educational alternatives within ISKCON. Findings from the

survey suggest that children, like their parents, are spending a good

portion of their daily lives associating with non-devotees while attending

schools outside of ISKCON's communities. As the evidence presented suggests,

parents report that their children often grow up having few commitments to

ISKCON and, more often than not, remain more or less uninvolved in the

practice of sadhana-bhakti. While such a finding is hardly unusual, as many

young people become estranged from their religious faith in adolescence, it

still raises questions about ISKCON's future given the paucity of new adult

recruits to the movement in at least some parts of the world.

 

( Of critical importance to the stability of ISKCON has been the erosion of

traditional religious authority in the face of scandal and controversy

involving ISKCON's gurus and sannyasis (see Rochford 1985,1998b; Tamal Krsna

Goswami 1997). These very scandals have served to promote ritvik ideas, both

within ISKCON's communities and among dissidents outside ISKCON's ranks. But

even among devotees who reject the ritvik philosophy there still has been an

effort to further elevate Prabhupada as the primary source of religious

authority within ISKCON. In sum, the authority of the present gurus has been

openly questioned and Srila Prabhupada has become the source of legitimate

religious authority within ISKCON and the broader movement.

 

Because of continuing scandal involving gurus, survey respondents expressed

a desire to place strong bureaucratic controls on qualifications for

becoming an ISKCON guru, and on the behavior and lifestyle of the gurus.

Many respondents offered the view that the reform movement of the mid-1980s

did not go far enough in placing adequate controls on the independent

authority and power of ISKCON's gurus.

_____________________________

_____

 

Dear Jayadvaita Maharaja,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Your

decision was wise and exemplary. I hope many others will follow your

example, and let a younger generation take the helm of ISKCON. We old folks

can be emeritus advisors. Traditionally, when a new administration takes

over a government, senior officials appointed by the last administration

submit resignations, to allow the new executive to put together a new team.

So in that spirit, I will submit my resignation from the editorial board of

BTG. If Nagaraja desires, I would be happy to continue in my previous

capacity. But that decision should be his to make.

 

Your servant,

Drutakarma Dasa

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