Vote #1

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakta rupa Prabhu,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. all glories to Srila Prabhupada and his

pure followers!

 

I have been greatly impressed by your brillant answer to Krsna Dharma

Prabhu. Your comments are very valuable, in my humble opinion.

 

May I ask you why you didn't join the GBC Restructure conference?

 

Your servant, Krsna-kirtana dasi.

[Guest guest]

> I think there is no choice but to have a group with responsibility for

> settling theological disputes.

 

I am not convinced we need an institutionalized group. I would prefer to see

a GBC with enough insight to determine whether a philosophical issue really

needs to be settled and then commission a group specifically for that

purpose. Such a group would conduct thorough research into the issue and

produce documents containing their conclusions. The GBC could then release

these on their own merits.

 

I would like to see the GBC create an atmosphere in which independent,

qualified brahmanas are able to flourish without financial and managerial

constraints.

 

Your servant,

Pancaratna das

[Guest guest]

> > I think there is no choice but to have a group with responsibility

> > for

> > settling theological disputes.

>

> I am not convinced we need an institutionalized group. I would prefer to

> see a GBC with enough insight to determine whether a philosophical issue

> really needs to be settled and then commission a group specifically for

> that purpose. Such a group would conduct thorough research into the issue

> and produce documents containing their conclusions. The GBC could then

> release these on their own merits.

>

> I would like to see the GBC create an atmosphere in which independent,

> qualified brahmanas are able to flourish without financial and managerial

> constraints.

 

Sadhu! Sadhu! And I would hope that the GBC Body's insight would be enough

to realize that they are best keeping out of the theology department as a

group. Only in extreme cases would they have to convene such a study group

(maybe every three or four generations). Not that any idea some powerful

person doesn't happen to like would be a cause for the next edition of the

Mayapur (Spanish) Inquisition. Philosophical debate is healthy. But debates

do need rules, and that is where the GBC should put their energy -- figuring

out how to have a healthy debate which does not disrupt the faith of the

younger devotees. After all, we are primarily a preaching mission and

naturally there will be younger devotees around who will not understand so

many philosophical subtleties. They will need protection. It will be a

balancing act, protecting the right of open discussion amongst seniors on

one hand and simultaneously protecting the juniors, but that's what managers

are for. So far, in all the guru-tattva discussions and the jiva-tattva ones

as well, the GBC has acted for the most part with an exclusive motive to

protect the juniors without much consideration of the need for healthy

debate. This is not surprising, considering how ISKCON is a relatively new

movement which necessarily has had to place an emphasis on recruiting. But

it seems that the time is now ripe for tempering this valid concern with the

need for theological depth. Many top leaders are nervous about this because

it is uncharted waters where they will have to learn a new swimming stroke

or two. They have my sympathies. But so do the loyal ISKCON-ites who have

toughed it our for years and now need a little breathing room to deepen

their understandings without being told they are now persona non grata.

 

Your servant, Bhaktarupa Das