krsna Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 GBC POWER Brokers:smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 In fact, the GBC men were actually more powerful than sannyasis, unless the GBC happened to be a sannyasi.The GBC had ritvik power back then and a non-GBC usually did NOT. The GBC men chanted on beads for initiation. So, the GBC had a measure of spiritual authority as well as managerial authority. As far as societal authority and clout, the GBC was more powerful than the sannyasis. But how and by whom new GBC members are appointed or in case someone deviated - by whose vote a GBC man is replaced? What about when the whole GBC board is not any more following the precise ISKCON constitution, who is supposed to correct that situation? How can it be that the GBC board has whatsoever no implemented control-instance? If this is actually the case this is a quite questionable system which can be clearly labeled as totalitarian dictatorship and such a system should be brought to the attention of human rights orgs as highly susceptible to corruption and be changed so that GBC members have to be elected/re-elected approx. every third year by the temple presidents who themselves are elected by the temple members. Wasnt this the man reason for inventing the election systems because in kali-yuga 99% of totalitarian leaders are unqualified and cheat their own people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 In a footnote to my last post I also see an irrational hatred by some of Srila Goura Govinda Maharaja. Although he appeared to be in Post Manifest Lila ISKCON he was very, very different. The irony is that some of this negativity comes from those who are alleged followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and Sri Guru and His Grace. Gaur Govinda Swami openly attacked Srila Sridhar Maharaj and his disciples. Even in the lead quote in this piece, he talks in a negative way about people leaving ISKCON to go to "Gaudiya Matha". He many times criticized people who went to take shelter of Srila Sridhar Maharaj and if you do a google you will find lots of articles on the net where he is saying this. So if some of the followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaj have negative feelings towards him, it is understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhakta Harry Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Quotes from Prabhupada: "I wish that, in my absence, all my disciples become the bona fide spiritual master.":pray: "They are helping me in this missionary work. At the same time, I shall request them all to become spiritual master. Every one of you should be spiritual master, next.":pray: "Every student is expected to become acharya . . . I have given you sannyasa with the great hope, that, in my absence, you will preach the cult.":pray: "Just adhere yourself to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then you become spiritual master. That's all. So, I hope that all of you men, women, boys, and girls become spiritual master and follow this principle.":pray: " . . . it is distinct that, although he was a conditioned soul in his previous life, there was no impediment of his becoming the spiritual master. This law is applicable not only to the spiritual master, but to every living entity.":pray: "Maybe, by 1975, all of my disciples will be allowed to initiate and increase the number of generations. That is my program.":pray: "By 1975, all of those who have passed all of the above examinations will be specifically empowered to initiate and increase the number of the Krishna conscious population.":pray: " . . . just like I have got my disciples, so, in the future, these many disciples may have many branches of disciplic succession . . .":pray: "I am very much hopeful that my disciples, who are now participating today--even if I die--my movement will not stop. I am very much hopeful. Yes. All these nice boys and girls who have taken so seriously . . . You have to become spiritual masters." I think that you forgot this “This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”(Letter to Madhudvisa, 4/8/75) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beggar Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Gaur Govinda Swami openly attacked Srila Sridhar Maharaj and his disciples. Even in the lead quote in this piece, he talks in a negative way about people leaving ISKCON to go to "Gaudiya Matha". He many times criticized people who went to take shelter of Srila Sridhar Maharaj and if you do a google you will find lots of articles on the net where he is saying this. So if some of the followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaj have negative feelings towards him, it is understandable. Also Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada wrote in a letter that, "Sridhar Maharaja and another gentleman were responsible for the breakup of the Gaudiya Math". When this was brought to Srila Sridhar Maharaja's attention he remark, "oh for preaching purposes he is even abusing me" and then chuckled about it. This is the riddle, that in the midst of so many pretenders there was a real Vaisnava in ISKCON who was in fact quite senior in age and advancement in bhakti. He used the same tact as Srila Prabhupada and this is going on in the various preaching movements in the line of Srila Sarasvati Thakur until this very day. Even if we are struggling to maintain the behaviour of a madhyama adhikari we should at least learn to think like one. If fact this is the advice of Srila Sridhar Maharaja himself. Sometimes we need to retreat to the neutral position and view guru in the light of guru tattva. Of course if we stay neutral then there will be no guru bhakti for bhakti can never be neutral. The challenge is to maintain the balance and that according to the Upanisads if the famous "razors edge". The irony is that many of Srila Sridhar Maharaja's followers are unable or unwilling to view the tattva of the plurality of guru. The best explanation for this is found in Srila Sridhar Maharaja's "Sri Guru and His Grace". I can't see that followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaja who are detemined, in fact hell bent on maintaining a kanistha adhikari conception are really his followers. If they are then it is in name only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guruvani Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Anyway, I don't see what the issue of Gaura Govinda Maharaja has got to do with anything. He was a saintly person and a sincere devotee of Krishna. But, nothing about the issue concerning him really has any importance for rebuilding ISKCON to be the great, important humanitarian mission of love of God that it has to be to please and serve Srila Prabhupada. Let's face it folks, when it comes to international humanitarian missions of Gaudiya Vaishnavism ISKCON IS IT! No other Matha or mission can be any comparison to either the success or the potential of ISKCON. ISKCON remains the most important Gaudiya mission in the world for spreading the mission of Mahaprabhu all over the world, but it is a house divided. The spiritual family of Srila Prabhupada has serious issues that must be addressed and resolved if it is to meet the very high demands of Srila Prabhupada. ISKCON has to come to address the issue of disunity and sectarianism within the Krishna consciousness movement. The ritvik system should be revived along with the traditional system and followers of Narayana Maharaja and everyone has to be embraced in ISKCON. First thing we have to remember is that ISKCON temples are not really ISKCON temples THEY ARE KRISHNA'S TEMPLES. Over and above being ISKCON temples, ISKCON is the Sankirtan movement of Mahaprabhu, temples of Krishna and the sectarian politics of making Krishna's temples the political tools of a particular sect has to be stopped. GIVE KRISHNA"S TEMPLE BACK TO KRISHNA! TAKE THEM OUT OF THE HANDS OF SECTARIAN THINKERS! ISKCON has to become all-inclusive and knock down the walls of petty sectarianism that tries to reduce ISKCON down to a small sect of the Sankirtan movement rather than the universal Gaudiya sanctuary it must become to meet the needs of the growing movement of Mahaprabhu. The cult status of ISKCON must be changed to a universal platform for spreading the movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Corperate ISKCON must break out of it's shackles and become spiritual ISKCON. We have had enough of corperate ISKCON. Let's move on now to spiritual ISKCON and leave behind the corperate thinking. Otherwise, ISKCON just becomes another ruthless corperation serving the interests of the few instead of the many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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