Day 4 of the GBC meetings

[Guest guest]

2 March 2005

Day 4 of the GBC meetings

Open Door Day

 

In line with the Vedic cultural tradition of the king opening his court to

anyone, and in line with our modern tradition of openness and transparency,

the GBC this year invited any devotees to express their concerns in person

to the GBC body.

 

First, Priti Vardhana Dasa spoke about reviving in Mayapur the

Nitai-Pada-Kamala boat party, which once preached to villagers along the

Ganges, beginning in 1976. The Bhaktivedanta Academy now is renovating the

dilapidated boat and hopes to take gurukula boys to Gaudiya-Vaisnava places

and preach. Gauri Dasa expressed caution about small boys travelling around

India.

 

Jayadvaita Swami distributed a handout about ISKCON philanthropy. He said

that we are shifting from preaching pure devotional service to rendering

humanitarian service for worldly reward (Food for Life, Tsunami Relief).

But, he asked, are we pleasing Srila Prabhupada and Krishna? (See

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15, chapter summary, for a view taken by Srila

Prabhupada, which he quoted.) Sivarama Swami asked that Jayadvaita Swami

make a proposal at next year's meeting.

 

Janmastami Dasa spoke about the need for senior leaders to teach the Bhakti

Sastri and Bhakti-Vaibhava courses and thereby transform young devotees.

Recently, MIHE graduated forty-seven Bhakti-sastri students, and it now runs

two semesters of these courses. Education, he said, will help stop the

attrition rate in ISKCON.

 

Ananda Tirtha Dasa spoke about the lack of an official ISKCON news outlet

for devotees and thus a lack of dissemination of positive news. A news

outlet could include lectures by leaders on the observations of regular

Vaisnava calendar celebrations. Bir Krishna Goswami said that such a Web

site is being developed by Devi Deva Dasa in the USA and it will be a portal

for the worldwide ISKCON community. Anuttama said that ISKCON communications

sees this as important but lacks a budget for it.

 

Gita-nagari Dasa spoke about being a disciple who did not take second

initiation because he had seen too many second initiates fall down and he

wanted to wait until he was older. Now his guru (SDG) is not giving further

initiations, so he has had to look elsewhere in ISKCON, but he has not found

someone to accept him. He asked the GBC body to be extra merciful to all

devotees left behind when their gurus falter. Sivarama Swami then asked

Lilasuka, the secretary, to note any needs being expressed that should be

followed-up, and he asked the GBCs who are sympathetic to particular

concerns to submit notes to the secretary.

 

Candra-sekhara Acarya read a letter from Gopaswami Prabhu, who made two

requests: (1) to make the theme of the next Mayapur festival "A Gathering of

Vanaprastas," at which a yajna could be held to mark their stepping into

this asrama; and (2) that the New Mayapur yatra in France be given temporary

support: two pujaris and a temple commander.

 

Nandkishore Dasa (from the Mira Road temple) spoke about developing an

ISKCON human resources department. He cited his professional business

experience, then talked about how ISKCON needs this department. Recruiting,

training, and placing devotees would be the result. Devotees in positions

could be moved around by the GBC and thus be enlivened, just as some

companies move around their managers. "Who is going to staff the new

facilities in the Bombay project?" he asked, as an example of the need.

 

Vidvan Gauranga Dasa spoke about unacceptable beliefs and values coming from

the academic world and undermining ISKCON. He asked the GBC to moniter

ISKCON educational initiatives that are now affiliated with universities, to

ensure that all the conditions stipulated by Srila Prabhupada are met (see

the conversation of June 1975 about ISKCON and the |Graduate Theological

Union). He asked the GBC to moniter courses on psychology offered in ISKCON.

He called for a refutation of certain articles in The Hare Krishna Movement.

Praghosa then invited Vidvan to sit in on a subcommittee meeting that would

dealing with this last issue. And Devamrta Swami mentioned that some of

these issues are dealt with on the Vaisnava scholars conference (VAST) on

PAMHO.

 

Grahila Dasa spoke about the need for security in Mayapur. His flat was

broken into, and he was robbed during one mangal-arati. The local criminal

investigation department, he said, has declared ISKCON Mayapur a soft

target. Thieves go uncaught. The management seems unconcerned. Workers pass

information to thieves. Flat owners pay security fees, but the project

administration has not taken much action. Security guards are untrained,

underpaid, and may be bribed. He asked the GBC to force the issue with the

local management.

 

Bhakta Philip spoke about encouraging preaching in the USA. He has

distributed books for eight years and is a top distributor. Only a couple of

dozen devotees actively go out, despite the hunger that Americans have for

spiritual life, he said. Instead devotees tend to their conditioned natures

and temple maintenance, and this is often encouraged by the preaching of

senior devotees.

 

Purnamasi Dasi spoke about the need for distributing books and chanting in

public. She cited the overwhelming response to chanting parties and

Ratha-yatras, and the value that this preaching has in the training of new

devotees.

 

Bhakta Priya Dasi and Vrajisvari Dasi spoke about making the ISKCON laws

more approachable by devotees. Lawbooks are not widely distributed. The laws

on ISKCON membership, for example, are not all relevant. They recommended

that the laws should be broadly proclaimed and published. The lawbooks

should be sold in ISKCON bookshops. They should be taught in educational

formats, both to leaders and devotees in general. Counseling about the laws

should be available. All these approaches will make ISKCON laws applicable.

Malati Prabhu said that an ISKCON Lawbook revision committee is at work.

 

Drutakarma Dasa gave a report on his preaching against Darwinism in

Bulgaria. His books are now translated into Bulgarian, and he signed three

hundred of them during a recent tour. His slide presentation included some

funny photos of stuffed-toy monkeys holding bananas and reading the

Bulgarian editions of his books. He met anthropologists in Sofia and other

cities. He spoke to teachers, students, and people in general at schools,

bookshops, on radio and TV, and through the newspapers. His report ended the

Open Door Day session.

 

Next on the agenda was the issue of Candramukha Swami (HDG), from Brazil,

becoming a diksa guru. Previously, there were three objections by GBC

members, so the issue had to come to a plenary session. Jagajivan Prabhu

read a report by Parama Gati Swami citing Candramukha Swami's credits as a

devotee, as a leader, and as a preacher. He has published thirteen books and

several CDs. His brother is a sannyasi. HDG wrote to the chairman that he

himself gave the impetus for this idea, so it is in accord with the GBC's

resolution on this matter. One of those who objected, Virabahu Prabhu, said

that the GBC resolution about to making new diksa gurus in this way was

passed for very exceptional circumstances. Guru Prasad Swami (absent from

the meeting) was another GBC member who objected. One procedural objection,

by Bir Krishna Goswami, has now been withdrawn, so the impediment raised by

there members having objections was reduced and automatically withdrawn.

 

Braja Bihari Prabhu presented a Ministry of Education report. He focused

first on Bhaktivedanta College, which is now in partnership with the

University of Wales, Lampeter (see bhaktivedantacollege.com and the

March/April issue of BTG for an article about the College). He next

presented the news that today's devotee-children know less about Krishna

consciousness than previous generations. We are neglecting education.

Alachua has four schools, which is one reason so many devotees are there. If

a devotee community does not have a school, it tends to suffer or

disintegrate. You can have successful schools without abuse. MED supplies

literature on how to start a school. He asked the GBC to help give direction

to ISKCON schooling.

MED takes the position that there should be no schools on ISKCON property

because ISKCON does not have the resources for them; rather, schools should

be projects encouraged by local GBCs. Anuttama commented that the

anti-cultists condemn groups who put more stress on making members than on

educating their children. Gauri Prabhu asked a question about the VIHE

course offerings, which are no longer all about sastra; Braja Bihari said

that the multifarious offerings (psychology, leadership, and so on) attract

devotees to the sastric courses, such as the Bhakti-sastri and

Bhakti-vaibhava courses.

 

A proposal was considered to form the Sri Mayapur Project Society,

consisting of the voting GBC members (36), to gain proper legal ownership of

the project. Braja Bihari made the subcommittee's presentation about the

options and legal considerations involved, and Praghosa answered questions.

This Society will empower a board of directors to run the already existing

Sri Mayapur Project Development Committee. A straw vote was taken.

 

A proposal was heard concerning the listing of membership in GBC standing

committees and so on. The idea is to keep the records up to date by

instituting a system in which the deputies will update the records. Bhakta

Rupa answered questions.

 

A proposal was considered regarding the use of the name Bhaktivedanta

College. Questions were answered by Braja Bihari. This is an internal

matter, meant to clear up confusion over the use of the name within ISKCON.

 

Finally a recommendation was heard regarding how devotees deal with dying:

making one's wishes known regarding senility, medications, do-not-resucitate

orders, and so on.