Why are we attempting to restructure our leadership?

[Guest guest]

Bhaktarupa wrote previously:

We should see our reform efforts as simply

> service to Srila Prabhupada and the vaisnavas, not as an opportunity for

> us to develop some niche for ourselves which we don't have in the current

> regime -- keeping in the back of our mind that if such a niche is not

> forthcoming then we will strike out on our independent program in the not

> too distant future. (Or even worse still, seeing reform as an opportunity

> to settle a few scores with those leaders who have hurt us in the past.)

 

Thank you, Prabhu, for sharing with us your realizations on issues.

 

I am personally wondering who you have in mind when you are writing about

reformers looking for a 'niche' for themselves?

 

I have previously asked several devotees, in these conferences and

privately, if they would agree to take up the service of GBC if needed, and

have not received even one favorable answer, and you know that I am not in

favor of women being GBC either. So, to whom are you alluding exactly?

 

In my humble opinion, these are very unjust suspicions to the members of

these conferences and I can't tolerate them.

 

I do not think you are being fair in writing the two last sentences quoted

above. Moreover, as it is not the first time you are doing that, I must ask

you to please stop making such allegations in these conferences. I find them

personally too destructive to create a positive mood in our attempt to

restructure ISKCON leadership. If you do not trust the devotees' motives in

GBC restructure, it is certainly your right, but in such a case, do you have

to take their association? Thank you in advance for your answer.

 

However, if you kindly agree to give us your association, please at least,

give the members of these conferences the benefit of the doubt and stop

sending such allusions as the one mentioned in the sentences quoted above. I

do not find these statements very constructive personally.

 

If I am ready to resort to compulsion ultimately, it is simply to implement

Srila Prabhupada's instructions, finally, and after 25 years of talks; and

not to put a bomb under such and such GBC members' cars.

 

I personally think you have completely mistaken the members' motives. I felt

very disheartened when I read your sentences quoted above and would need

some genuine clarification if I have misunderstood you.

 

> Taking up the banner of reform is a very heavy responsibility. It is a

> struggle in itself, with so many setbacks to be encountered -- and then if

> it is successful it is even more of a struggle to actually implement the

> promises of reform.

 

We do agree with that, but it may also be that words are not sufficient to

implement 'promises of reform' as you said above. Words, unfortunately, are

not all powerful in setting a Varnasram project in every center. Srila

Prabhupada have mentioned repeatedly in 74 and 77 these words, and we have

heard them again in the Varnasram Development conference these last years.

(Powerful words were certainly there, but due to one reason or another they

have not yet been taken seriously).

 

Thus, I am not ready anymore to rely on words only. These powerful

vibrations have been good enough to kill king Venu in the past, right!, and

to cause some leaders' fall down, certainly! (Brahmanas's words may be very

powerful, indeed!), but that may not be sufficient to move the GBC body

along the lines of a genuine Daivi Varnasram, as the past and present have

unfortunately shown.

 

So, I will not reject anything favorable to implement our Founder-Acarya's

instructions, including different strategies, if this humble attempt is not

successful. For me, this is the true meaning of the word disciple.

 

I accept that you may have a different understanding of the word 'disciple',

but we have tried different senses of the word 'disciple' during the last 23

years and as a result ISKCON is now in the most embarrassing situation it

has ever been. So thanks! We don't wish to hear these other meanings

anylonger.

 

When Krsna saw Bhismadeva playing havoc on the battlefield, He sent Amba

before Arjuna, in front of the great Mahajana and that was the end of his

weak management.

 

When Krsna saw that Bhima could never get rid of Duryodhana in the last

fight, He asked him to hit Duryodhana under the belt.

 

When Dronacarya was destroying the Pandavas'army, Krsna asked Yudhisthira to

announce loudly that Asvatthama was dead and now, He is kindly inspiring

different devotees to act in different way. Do you really know His motives?

 

Krsna gives Himself to His devotees. So, on this month of Kartika, we are

begging Srimati Radharani to teach us the secret of binding Krsna with our

love, so that He can present during next Mayapura meeting and give a last

warning to ISKCON's leadership:

 

1) To make peace with their godbrothers not only with letters but with acts,

2) To implement daivi varnasram in ISKCON starting with the head now, before

the unavoidable court of inquiry denunces, all over the world through the

mass media, all the horrible stories the leaders have tried desperately to

hide from their disciples and from society at large for years.

 

Please rest assured that we have no personal interest in our struggle except

the integrity of ISKCON leadership for the benefit of the society.

 

We are simply trying to avoid them the embarrassing situation of coming up

again to Mayapura in 2001 with only bad news to discuss, and nothing

constructive to improve the situation at ISKCON's head and in ISKCON ranks.

 

I am presently under my parents' protection in the French National

Education. I am still following Srila Prabhupada's instructions seriously

outside ISKCON temples and do not need any position in ISKCON to go back to

my original position in the other world. I feel much more safe in the

environment and with the facilities Krsna has kindly provide for me, than in

an ISKCON center. Many thanks for your concern.

 

If we are so determined it is neither for our own benefits, nor to strike

back at any specific persons, as alleged above, but only for the sake of

True Dharma. Even though Lord Krsna and Bhima supported the chastisement of

Asvatthama by Arjuna, Draupadi was not in favor of it (SB 1.7.33 to 58 ).

Please kindly remember also, that she was always under Krsna's personal

protection, ultimately.

 

May I also recall Bhima's killing of the chief of the army in Virata

kingdom, in the night, against Yudhisthira's advice, and done only to

protect Draupadi from a lusty leader. This is the Ksatriya Dharma.

 

When will ISKCON have such devoted leaders ready to protect Srila

Prabhupada's Movement and His followers including the cows, at the risk of

their own life? This is my question and I will use everything in my power to

restore Srila Prabhupada's full programme of action, and not only his

instruction: "chant Hare Krsna!".

 

I have surrendered to Sri Rama, Ajamila and Vaiyasaki prabhus' arguments to

be patient a little longer and sit still, but they have not yet asked me to

be prepared to come back next life time, in case ISKCON leadership sit tight

until their death. So please, allow me to consider other options without

judging us too quickly. Many thanks in advance for your understanding.

 

If we have to be a little strong at times, It is only:

-to prevent the next generations from having to suffer the same abuse we,

ladies, cows, children, and aspiring brahmanas... had to endure to get the

little knowledge and realizations we have obtained, and

-to restore faith in ISKCON, in society at large, where we have distributed

thousands of Srila Prabhupada's books during so many years.

 

Thus, we do agree with Janesvara Prabhu and Krsna-krti Prabhu regularly, as

they emphasize the part that has been missing the most in ISKCON, until now.

For us, these texts and instructions are the biggest part of The solution to

clean the mess the leaders have done in ISKCON. So we have to help implement

them one way or another.

 

We do appreciate your participation in these conferences and hope you will

not be turned off by our straight-forward comments.

 

We are now looking for the full picture, Prabhu, and we do welcome any help

in this attempt. We are not yet convinced that ISKCON devotees' karma is

worst than the karma of the members of some other interesting society

outside. So, it will be nice if the leaders would at least acknowledge their

50% share of responsibility in our Society's failure and finally agree to

follow Srila Prabhupada's full programme from now on. That is our main

concern.

 

Adopting a repentent behavior on the part of the leadership is always much

more efficient, in our humble opinion, than being suspicious to those

devotees who have genuinely tried to understand Srila Prabhupada's

instructions over the years and following them in their life as much as

possible, having or not any position inside or outside ISKCON temples, and

for most of them, remaining dedicated to Srila Prabhupada in opposition to

the leadership's poor example and immature instructions.

 

These devotees should be respected and listened to even though their style

may not be as refined as some famous ISKCON writers.

 

Please kindly give us the benefit of the doubt even though you may not

always agree with our comments. I find Sri Rama's behavior most exemplary in

this regard, as he is always careful in his personal dealings with others

even though he may not share their viewpoints whole-heartedly.

This is a very inspiring and positive behavior for me to follow and I do

learn a lot from him personally. Thank you for your sincere attention.

 

I apologize if you have been hurt by my direct answers in our previous

exchanges or in the present one. I like to praise good things but I can also

react when I think certain sentences are not proper. I mean no harm by that.

 

Generally I value your comments and personal answers beyong what you may

have concluded. But such sentences from you as the ones quoted above have

put some doubts in my mind concerning your objectivity.

 

> But I am very encouraged by the mutual respect and cooperative mood, in

> general, of the participants in these conferences. It has given some hope.

> Let's keep moving forward.

 

Please, Bhaktarupa Prabhu, kindly keep in mind these last positive sentences

written by you, when you want to write such negative statements as the ones

in the first paragraph at the top of this letter. If you mercifully agree to

do that, you will help us remain peaceful and confident, (even though you

may be skeptical personally), and we'll always be grateful to have your

valuable association.

 

By the way, I have always asked first for your permission, before using your

texts on com, so I would also expect such a treat from you, before you

decide to delete my text, in this GBC unmoderated conference for whatever

valid reasons you have.

 

Thank you to help me improve my style and give me an opportunity to work on

self-control. You are a very good teacher indeed.

 

Your servant in Srila Prabhupada's mission,

Krsna-kirtana dasi.