GBC has agreed to active participation in cow protection

[Guest guest]

Prabhus,

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

 

Just reading the communications going back and forth, I am astounded to see

the 'Leaders' as being a collective of position holding members of the GBC.

I agree that there has been mistakes, difficulties etc. However, does this

mean that we are discounting ourselves as Leaders? I think that we are all

Leaders and potential leaders, so it is as much up to us to develop this in

our everyday service, in our communications and in our preaching.

 

For many years now, I have watched young devotees becomming fired up to

become brahmanas, and I have wished them well. I think it needs to be

pointed out that it takes more than a thread over the shoulder to make one a

brahmana, and that devotees should try to admit to themselves that we are

what we are. This means taking our varna and ashrama into consideration and

continuing to preach in a realistic manner. This does not cast doubt on the

sincerity of those devotees, but I feel that ISKCON as an organisation is

becomming aware of this more and more. There is nothing wrong with any of

the varnas or ashramas and one can become pure if he follows the directions

Srila Prabhupada gave us. So we are slowly coming to realise more and more

that it's not bad to be a sudra. In Kali yuga we are born less than that, so

we should be grateful that we have this system to adhere to, but not become

slack thinking that it can be an excuse to perform spiritual life at a

lesser level. We must be true. Realistically, sudras, or those we consider

sudras, are honourable as are all the sections of this VAD system. Our

problem is that through years of material contamination, we don't like to

think of ourselves as one of the lower, or perceived lower, varnas or

ashramas. This is our illusion, as any place serving Krsna is the topmost,

the collective of many millions of births to arrive at this point.

 

Yes we should have taken to it with more energy and belief and commitment

when Srila Prabhupada first told us. But as an organisation and as devotees

we were inmature and reckless. Now we are growing up, but as with any child,

there are growing pains, problems and difficulties. Are we to be so harsh

as to think that the members of the GBC did not nor do not have them? Very

often we forget that most localised absolute powers were, at least in my

younger days, the temple presidents who were not GBC's. For whatever

reasons, it was perceived to be a lesser glory to work the land and take

care of the cows. It often didn't produce financial rewards, didn't have the

glamour of book distribution, and meant hard physical donkey work in the

fields. So there are a lot of people accountable for the problem, but we are

all responsible for the solution.

 

If we all look honestly at ourselves in the mirror, I think we can see two

things. One is to see the potential of leadership and do something about the

crisis in a positive way which will kindle the right kind of spirit amongst

devotees, and the other is to see the reality of ourselves. We are not all

individually without blame or history and in the end of the day, we are

ISKCON itself. So we must accept that we were not strong enough or mature

enough or spiritually enlightened enough as a society to always get things

right. It is an admission of a failure to grasp Srila Prabhupada mercy. We

are paying the price, but if sincere, we will grow from this providing we

stick to this new course of action and keep Srila Prabhupada teachings

central, Krsna's service central and ourselves in our rightful positions as

individually being insignificant unless serving Krsna. By carrying out our

service in a responsible manner (as many have done) and by continuing to

keep the profile of cow protection and farm production high on the agenda,

we can change things and help change happen. Although anger and frustration

are results of these years of difficulty, we can best solve it by placing a

positive energy into our actions and being steadfast and diligent. This will

be an example to all members of ISKCON and in the end of the day, change is

not a quick thing. Planning change is often the quickest part of the

proceedure, whereas real change of heart and priorities takes time, no

matter how much we wish or demand it. But this doesn't mean that we take the

emphasis off it.

 

We here are taking the issue to the masses and are not just waiting to be

visited. There is nearly ten years of work to be made up, and we are doing

it, and what's more we are making sure that everyone knows we are doing it.

This may have many effects, but the most inspiring is that the cows and land

are big on the localised agenda, and as such will be national and then will

be part of the ISKCON agenda in this area, without fail. If actions are not

forthcoming from others, at the end of the day we will continue our service

and have faith that Krsna will assist us. Govinda is the instigator of this

change, because He will not suffer inaction on this level. But please don't

disregard our own position as leaders, as we will educate and re-educate

locally in order to change globally.

 

On a positive note, our GBC took action when notified of a 'complaint' made

about our area. The GBC assistant had to immediately look into it. He isn't

here much, but is expected in July, when my husband will meet with him and

discuss our situation. We are also making sure that our files (which were

in a bad way) and our problems, and our plans are put in a very plain and

presentable way so that he will be kept notified. When we have it up to

date, it will be sent bi-monthly, as we had decided this prior to ever

seeing the new recommendations. So we are making sure that he knows what is

happening. It may mean less sleep etc. to do so, but this is our chosen

service to Krsna, so this is what it takes. I have no doubts that it will be

our GBC assistant who will make most visits, but it is the GBC who will know

what's happening, as too will the ministry, when we get a chance to catch up

with everything. I use a phrase that I've encountered in my karmi field work

and that is consistant, persistant lobbying, but I think it needs to be done

with a clear head. We have to guard ourselves from the energy drain of

frustration and anger, no matter how must they may arise.