Should the GBC resign? A good question.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sumithra Krishna Prabhu, PAMHO. AGTSP!

 

I appreciate that these are very trying times and that sometimes emotions

become very strong, but we should try to in any case keep a clear head. If

you hear some public criticism being spoken that is distasteful to you, and

then you publicly criticize the speaker for doing that, then do not think

that you are immune from sadhu ninda aparadha on the grounds that you are

speaking the "truth", or that you want to "help" the speaker to understand

the error of his ways. Criticism of others should be avoided at all times.

 

I see a very sharp wedge being driven by Kali into our Indian yatra, not in

the shape of ritvikvada but in the shape of controversy over how the

movement should respond to the ritvikvada. The GBC has taken a very strong

stand on certain aspects of the issue, which is certainly their right, but I

am completely amazed about how many very well-meaning and responsible

devotees become so emotional and complain so bitterly when other

well-meaning and responsible devotees raise their doubts about the wisdom of

the GBC position and attempt to convince others that the GBC stand should be

modified. Such a huge chorus of, "Down with the GBC-haters!Anyone who

doesn't agree with the GBC is just as bad as the ritviks.He's in the

anti-GBC box." Really! This is not our vaishnava culture. Controversies are

supposed to make us thoughtful, to make us try to stretch our intellectual

ability to try to grasp just what it is that the other side has stored up

deep down inside, not just what they are expressing on a superficial level.

Inquisitiveness is the foundation of spiritual life, but if we are prone to

judge others too quickly then this inquisitiveness atrophies and we become

fanatical religious robots. All spiritual growth stops.

 

> Why only the GBC is responsible? Every devotee in whatever capacity he is

> serving be it sanyasi, TP, Managers, Secretary, Temple commander, new

> bhakta, congregation etc. serving this movement is responsible for what

> is happening to our movement. It is our joint responsibility to lift up

> the movement. Not blame each other. Did Prabhupada build a large house for

> us to enjoy the facility and fight with each other? Where is our love for

> Prabhupada if we do not co-operate?

 

But cooperation is not just a matter of spouting some particular party line.

Disagreement is also part of cooperation. Need I explain this more?

 

> Now the non-GBC's are criticising the present GBC's. What is the guarantee

> that a new set of GBc's will also not be criticised?

 

Administration work is always subject to criticism. A culture where

criticism of the top management is discouraged is a very sick culture. It is

quite natural for young devotees to think of the GBC Body as infallible,

much like the pope in Rome. And this kind of belief is often encouraged by

the leadership as a way to keep order in the house. But fortunately we have

a system of spiritual authority, sadhu-sastra-guru, which is beyond

criticism. Don't be concerned about criticism of the GBC body, if done

responsibly. Cast your anchor in sadhu-sastra-guru and not in the GBC body.

With this basis you can truly cooperate.

 

> From the reports we

> get of some temple authorities who engage in activities against the

> regulative principles, I really fear what a new set of GBC will mean.

 

This is pure scare tactics. An insult to the intelligence of the receivers.

Are you so convinced that ISKCON is so rotten (except, of course, for the

GBC body)? If this were actually true then why are so many GBC members

enthusiastically supporting the concept of GBC reform?

 

> The

> present GBC are crores of time better. They have done/are doing immense

> service to Srila Prabhupada and are very dear to him. If it hadn't been

> for the original devotees of the movement, where would we be?

 

> When we ask a GBC to resign, that too the whole GBC body to resign we are

> directly going against the instructions of Srila Prabhupada as shown

> below:

 

Are you really serious in bringing up this quote? Are you saying this with a

straight face? Do you think it is genuinely progressive that whatever idea

you have you can just search the folio for a statement that appears to go

along with it and declare it as the revealed instruction of Srila Prabhupada

which everyone must follow. Just like the ritviks have their July 9 letter,

now the anti-reformers have their May 28 conversation as the maha vakya

which proves that anyone who does not agree that all the GBC's should remain

in their post until the last breath leaves their body IS DIRECTLY GOING

AGAINST THE INSTRUCTIONS OF SRILA PRABHUPADA!!!!! Now all you have to do is

hire someone to write a paper called "The REAL Final Order" to spell out the

logic behind your bold claim and you have a great recipe for success!

 

Hoping this finds you well.

 

Your servant, Bhaktarupa Das