Suggestions on how to improve ISKCON requested from SSPT

[Guest guest]

The Truth will set 'em free.

[AncientMariner]

That seems to be the problem with many churches in the Kali-yuga. If you ask the tough questions to the church authorities you are banned a vile sinner and no respect is given to you at all or you are even physically threatened. I can't believe how prevalent it is, its almost beyond mind boggling to me anymore. I have been reading stuff on the internet about Ex-Mormons and some of the stuff they have gone through to escape from corrupt church leadership.

Ay Govinda How long till the Kalki Avatar arrives?

[krsna]

THE TEST OF OUR DEDICATION

 

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

<font color="blue"> Now we have by Krishna’s grace built up something significant in the shape of this ISKCON, and

we are all one family.

 

Sometimes there may be disagreement and quarrel, but we should not go away.

 

These inebrieties can be adjusted by cooperative spirit, tolerance, and maturity.

 

So I request you to kindly remain in the association of our devotees and work together.

 

The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the spiritual master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this movement and not make factions and deviate. </font color>

 

— Letter to Babhru.das(aka stonehearted) 9 December 1973.

[Kulapavana]

from a recent Sanga mailer (Tripurari Maharaja answers a similar question):

 

 

"Q. Wasn't Srila Prabhupada's siksa to "never leave Iskcon" and doesn't

this instruction apply for his disciples as well as their disciples?

 

A. Where exactly, and in what context, does the siksa to "never leave

Iskcon" appear? Srila Prabhupada might have said something similar to

this, but I could not find anywhere where he actually wrote or said

"never leave Iskcon." I did find an instance in a letter written in

1976 where an unhappy devotee was told by Srila Prabhupada not to go

outside the shelter of Iskcon. Considering its contents one should note

that Srila Prabhupada was still personally in charge of Iskcon at that

time and that until 1981 his society was the only Gaudiya Vaisnava

organization in the West. Now there are many Gaudiya organizations

preaching outside of India.

 

Even if the so-called siksa "never leave Iskcon" does appear somewhere,

how can one justify making those words the pivotal instructions around

which all other siksa from Srila Prabhupada must revolve? Especially

considering everything that has happened in Iskcon during the past

twenty-seven years since his disappearance?

 

For example, what if one is faced with a choice between an instruction

such as "never leave Iskcon" and the instruction to never offend a pure

devotee? Certainly the instruction to never offend a pure devotee is

more prominent in Srila Prabhupada's books. Therefore, which

instruction is more important? What if the so-called mandate to never

leave Iskcon implicates one in offenses to pure devotees because Iskcon

administrators instituted a policy of Vaisnava aparadha shortly after

Srila Prabhupada's departure? Note that many of the original architects

of this policy are no longer in Iskcon themselves, including seven of

the eleven Iskcon gurus that came to power almost immediately after

Srila Prabhupada departed.

 

Of course, I recognize that to many devotees the virtues of choosing

between remaining in Iskcon and leaving Iskcon are not so clear. But in

my case Iskcon's governing body made the choice perfectly clear. They

ordered me to reject Sridhara Maharaja as my siksa guru or leave

Iskcon. They ordered me to reject the guru that Srila Prabhupada said

was a pure devotee and his siksa guru.

 

Srila Prabhupada said, "I had the opportunity of associating with

Sridhara Maharaja for several years. Krsna and Prabhupada (Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura) liked him to prepare me. Sridhara

Maharaja lived in my house for many years, so naturally we had very

intimate talks and he was my good advisor. I took his advice and

instructions very seriously, because from the very beginning I knew he

was a pure Vaisnava, a pure devotee, and I wanted to associate with

him, and I tried to help him also. Our relationship is very intimate."

(Room conversation March 17, 1973)

 

Srila Prabhupada wrote, "If you are actually serious to take

instructions from a siksa guru, I can refer you to the one who is the

most highly competent of all my godbrothers. This is B. R. Sridhara

Maharaja, whom I consider to be even my siksa guru, so what to speak of

the benefit that you can have by his association. So, if you are

serious about the advancement of your spiritual life, I will advise you

to go to Sridhara Maharaja. It will be very good for your spiritual

benefit, and I will feel that you are safe. When I was in India with

the others, we lived with Sridhara Maharaja. You can also make

arrangements for your other godbrothers to go there in the future."

(Letter January 31, 1969)

 

[Editor's note: further information on the relationship between Srila

Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada can be found in the book called

Our Affectionate Guardians:

 

http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/srila_sridhara_mj/affection/oag_1.html

 

However, rather than continue this endless debate regarding "never

leave Iskcon," I propose that we adjust to the present, forget the

contentious past, forgive one another, and work cooperatively to preach

the essential teachings of Sri Caitanya. To agree to do this, I

believe, would please Srila Prabhupada infinitely more than further

argumentation on the subject of leaving Iskcon. The following letter

illustrates that cooperation between Iskcon and other Gaudiya societies

is what Srila Prabhupada had ultimately hoped for.

 

My dear B.S. Bodhayana Maharaja,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter

dated 2/11/76 for which I thank you very much. The Bengali letter

delivered with my letter has been delivered to Kamal Narayana. My

thanks are also to Santo Maharaja. I'm very much obliged to you that

you write to say, "It is clear to me that you are great powerful Acarya

in the Vaisnava world at present." Sometimes Sridhara Maharaja also

says like that. So, actually if you are feeling like that let us work

conjointly. There is great prospect for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's

message all over the world and in India also. At least in India we can

preach very vigorously if we combine together. It is already tested in

many cases. Whenever we held some festival in big, big cities like

Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Delhi, etc., thousands of men

gather and they request regularly to continue the program. Recently we

held a similar program in Candigargh and the devotees of Sri Caitanya

Gaudiya Math also participated. They invited me in the local center of

Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math and many thousands of people came to hear me.

So there is great prospect if we work conjointly at least in India. So

you can consult Sridhara Maharaja also. He's also of that opinion you

have opined and if in this old age we can do something combinedly it

will be a great triumph. I thank you very much once more.

 

Yours affectionately, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

[theist]

Someone told me a nice example on the never leave Iskcon business.

 

When a parent has a very small child they may tell them at some point "Never leave the backyard" Don't go into the street" etc. But it is understood that that is an instruction that they will outgrow. As the child matures his is able to navigate safely in all kinds of situations and may travel the world on his own.

 

You can do anything with words. Here are two common phrases. "Never leave Iskcon" and "I am Iskcon". Now the context is that by leaving the organization Iskcon you would be rejecting Prabhupada.

 

But someone else may say "Never leave Iskcon" and "I am Iskcon" means that by sticking to Prabhupada in the form of his instructions you remain in Iskcon even if that entails you having to leave the formal organization.

 

You decide.

[krsna]

http://www.iskcon.com/new/050303gbc.htm

[theist]

thanks vijay

 

 

Regarding incorporation of our ISKCON centers, we want to run all our centers as nonprofit religious organizations; that is the main point. Keeping this point in view too much official control is not good in spiritual life. The centers should remain spiritually fit and independent. Some control must be there as is now. Too much control means so many vouchers. Gradually it will become a mundane institution. All our managers should be spiritually advanced simple and honest in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master and Krsna. That will be a nice standard. Democracy in spiritual affairs is not at all good but breeds power politics. We should be careful about power politics. Our only aim should be that each and every devotee is full dedicated to Krsna, then things will go on nicely. As it states in the Vedas:

 

 

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

 

[theist]

Is that like Picnic with the Pope Day?

Just curious.

 

One bhakta suggested more preaching should be done in North America. But I am thinking the answer is not to tell the GBC about it on Open Door Day but to just go out and do it.

[vijay]

I agree thiest prabhu, whether others are preaching or not is not our business if we see a gap we should try and fill it. Mahaprabhu gave us all the order to preach not just a few select leaders. We should all become guru that is the order and in that way our example will inspire others to preach. I sence we have beome like a communist state where we sit and point fingers about why things arent going well. Prabhupada wanted indepently thoughtful devotess who are always thinking of ways to reach out through practical action.

 

 

 

 

[stonehearted]

That's it? That's what the GBC members were confronted with? That's hardly as challenging as the open-door matters that Krishna had to deal with in Dvaraka. I guess it shouldn't be surprising, since their "Open Door Day" was a whopping two hours and fifteen minutes. It would be interesting to know just how many (and which) GBC members were actually there for the entire two hours, and weren't called away by "more pressing" matters.

[Guest guest]

Renewal process itself is flawed

by Niscala d.d.

 

Posted March 4, 2005

 

The initiative to reform ISKCON, to make the leaders accountable and to achieve other similarly laudable resolves, is now the appointed responsibility of an initiative committee and its handpicked teams, but will the process of bureacracy itself come under scrutiny? Speaking unpleasant, necessary facts to "senior vaisnavas" is never offensive. When will rank and file devotees be encouraged to speak up when something is amiss, and such action be acclaimed as courageous, rather than branded offensive? When Duryodhana criticized Vidura for his birth, that was offensive, but Dhrtarastra appreciated and acted on the criticism of Vidura. Honest leaders appreciate critical feedback; they do not try to protect position by manipulating philosophy.

 

Whether the problem is abuse of philosophy, people, children, cows or finances, the witnesses are the everyday rank and file -- the potwashers, the sweepers, the cleaners of bathrooms, the very fresh newcomers. Everyone has a conscience and a wish to protect what is right and reject what is wrong. This inborn sense is the Supersoul within, guiding us. Srila Prabhupada advised us to keep conscience paramount: if someone observed a leader transgressing vaisnava principles, he was to complain directly and, if that was ineffective, to complain to the leader's superiors. Never did he request that the individual be silenced because he might commit aparadha. He wanted change from the bottom up.

 

The pyramid on the strategic committee's website seems based on marketing strategy instead of spiritual values. It is upside down: it is not our strategy that supports our values but vice versa. Truthfulness in all circumstances is brahminical -- an indicator of an independently thoughtful person -- and therefore qualifies one as a leader or reformer. On the other hand, one who is affected by power, either to worship or possess it, is not in the category of brahmana. For him, profit, control or comfort are more important and, accordingly, one is vaisya, ksatriya or sudra, respectively. A brahmana will be in no one's pay or favour, even if it is offered.

 

When leaders are recognized by their guna and karma and when our powerful mundane executive heads listen to them and go to them for advice, we will have some sattva-guna in our society -- purity, steadiness and integrity. Srila Prabhupada instructed us to introduce varnasrama within ISKCON specifically for this purpose: "to bring our members to the mode of goodness". We have ignored this instruction, ignored his warning against bureaucracy, and are using this disregard for his instruction as a means to achieve his mission. Thus we have no faith in the process itself, but hope to spread it all over the world. This problem cannot be solved by a committee.

 

[vijay]

"The initiative to reform ISKCON, to make the leaders accountable and to achieve other similarly laudable resolves, is now the appointed responsibility of an initiative committee and its handpicked teams, but will the process of bureacracy itself come under scrutiny? "

 

By whom should the process be scrutinised by? if its memebers of the gbc then it will be accused of being handpicked, if its picked by others outside of iskcon leadreship it defeats the point of gbc being managing athority of iskcon. Who else will do the reviewing???

 

All her other points are fine about how devotees should be encouraged to say the truth and point out injustices, but i think her above statement is catch 22.

 

" Srila Prabhupada instructed us to introduce varnasrama within ISKCON specifically for this purpose: "to bring our members to the mode of goodness". We have ignored this instruction, ignored his warning against bureaucracy, and are using this disregard for his instruction as a means to achieve his mission. Thus we have no faith in the process itself, but hope to spread it all over the world. This problem cannot be solved by a committee. "

 

Okay so the point is to reduce bureaucracy and bring memebers up to the mode of goodness, personally i see the problem not that devotees arent being bought up to the mode of goodness or too much bureaucracy, i think many are being bought up to mode of goodness (some staying there and not moving to real krishna conciousness) by inspired leaders, i see the problem is the lack of inspired leaders and a secondry problem of bad management however this can be resolved by becoming good leaders ourselves rather than expecting others to be that. We all have our own plane. Sure point out the flaws say the truth its good for the society to have thoughtful devotees and hopefully others will change.

[krsna]

Following Article found at:

http://www.vrindavan.org/English/Books/Search/20_characteristics.html

 

 

20 Characteristics of Srila Prabhupada's Movement, His Wishes, and What Happened

 

 

 

 

Abbreviations frequently used:

 

SP: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

SSM: His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Deva Maharaj

GBC: Governing Body Commission of ISKCON

ISKCON: International Society for Krishna Consciousness

 

 

 

 

1. Unified love for our spiritual master created an ever enthusiastic atmosphere.

 

1. The first important introduction was the zonal gurus. They were allowed to distort the philosophy and to establish themselves over everybody, including the GBC. Frequently non-initiating GBC's had to negotiate with the zonal gurus their influence and territory. Later after that system started to break to pieces, the gurus lost importance almost all together and membership in the institution was made to be the most important aspect of spiritual life.

 

Solution:

Let devotees preach to their hearts' content and freely chose their places, and associates they feel inspired to work with. Stop intimidating the ISKCON members into thinking that they are "incapable to decide anything for themselves". Use the organization structure of the institution only to coordinate world projects and let the local groups of devotees figure out who shall lead them and how to maintain their purity.

 

 

2. The acceptance that Srila Prabhupada's vision can resolve any problem gave everybody peace. Srila Prabhupada even changed his own rules whenever that was necessary in order to accommodate somebody happily.

 

2. Stifling rules, incapable leaders and justice committees - all that red tape created the opposite effect. The bureaucrats took over and inspired preachers were discouraged. No open discussions, no free field could be found.

 

Solution:

Accept anybody who wants to serve SP's mission and the way he wants to serve, unless he creates havoc in SP's name (precisely the reason why this book is being produced, since the GBC was not willing to voluntarily address the topics of our concern.)

 

 

3. A clear line of our transcendental philosophy and siddhanta was always available through SP's personal presence.

 

3. Constantly changing conceptions, unanswered questions, contradictory GBC resolutions became the way of ISKCON from GBC meeting to GBC meeting.

Example: In one year they published three different GBC resolutions regarding SSM which read as follows.

1. It was decided that the GBC should apologize to SSM for the offenses committed against him. (A group was sent).

2. Panchadravida Swami is removed from ISKCON because he went to stay with SSM.

3. ISKCON members are advised not to associate with SSM or those devotees connected to him in order to avoid "offenses".

Relationship to vaisnavas outside of ISKCON becomes a big confusion. Nobody is allowed to go, but even zonal gurus frequently go, consult, distort, offend, or even try to play out one Gaudiya Math Guru against the other.

 

Solution:

Establish a true forum for the exchange of vaisnava thought, for example,

A - some publications which actually research the contributions from all sides of guru sastra and sadhu,

B - A place without party-line control,

C - A forum which will allow the light of truth to shine by its own effulgence, and without fear that the truth will confuse more then the attempt to hide it. Currently the ISKCON World Review is only making propaganda and fund driving. It confuses more then it clarifies. And the BTG is a party-line paper claiming to be open and intellectual. ISKCON Review on the other hand claims to promote discussions but is used to simply slash opponents. All confusions have to come out in the open, in order to be digested and transcended. Trusting in guru sastra and sadhu will be successful.

 

 

4. The temple presidents had a direct connection with their gurus. They acted almost like Ritvik Acharyas, including holding the initiation fire sacrifices and fully representing SP in their temple. Nobody had a right to interfere into their temples, lest they were rejected by the members of their temples. In some instances when certain sannyasis or GBC's caused disturbance to a temple president, SP dismissed that GBC and established a direct link to the presidents. On two occasions he even dismissed the entire GBC body for their speculation.

 

4. Temple presidents lost their importance. SP's order to take that service as a lifelong commitment was totally ignored. Temple presidents were changed on the whim of any GBC and his friends. There is no protection. The previous protector from power-hungry managers, SP, was now substituted by those very power-hungry managers, the new zonal acharya and his cooperators (regional secretaries).

 

Solution:

Take away the zonal control. A zone is a temple and the preaching field of someone. Don't interfere in your brother's love and trust field. That is a bonafide zone, not a geographical zone. Those hearts who are encouraged to serve Krishna by somebody's preaching, that is his real zone. Even a low born sudra realizes that he has to be responsible for the children he produces. Preachers produce spiritual children. Therefore spiritual fathers have to be responsible to provide to their children a loving environment where they can grow and also start preaching happily. ISKCON has failed to do so, because due to their geographic zones restrictions and due to their endorsement of gurus who did not actually have the capacity to give protection, the new preachers are mostly discouraged because they do not see a loving place to guide new devotees there, nor are they free to establish such places. Besides that, how could they establish a place to give shelter when their own diksa-gurus turned out to be confused and unprepared? Geographical zones destroy the real needs of every place. One city can have many many temples and many GBC's as well. Regional secretaries should no more be imposed, instead a free choice of a GBC amongst the local devotees allowed. The temple presidents can become again, what they were meant to be.

 

 

5. All services were available to all ISKCON members. All you had to do to get a certain service was to request SP to do some special service and generally he very gladly accepted.

 

5. It is remarkable how little trust the GBC's showed in their godbrothers. SP trusted anyone of his disciples, even sometimes after some disciple had already committed some fault. But the GBC, in the name of "protecting ISKCON" gave only support to their own members. And they often removed even senior disciples of SP from services which they had started from scratch to big success, just in order to maintain the power in their faulty system. One famous example of that was when SP's panditji Pradyumna Prabhu pointed out to the GBC the wrongs in the zonal acharya system. He was removed from his service to finish the translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam which SP personally had asked him to do under the guidance of SSM. After depriving Pradyumna from his service and protection, they appointed one of them to do that work, who did not even know Sanskrit. They announced this to all of ISKCON's members. Pradyumna has been defeated and the reaction is that nobody really wants to read the missing volumes of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

But the list of human atrocities is so long that it would fill many volumes. Krishna definitely wanted all the disciples of SP to wake up from their slumber, because all of them were affected by the new ISKCON GBC style. And also because all of the disciples of a Guru are equally responsible that his mission is carried on properly.

Generally the complaint of the godbrothers were answered by the GBC suggesting to the involved person; "Why don't you work under someone else, in another part of the world? Don't be too attached to protecting others. We, the GBC's, are the rightful protectors. Whoever tries to point out any wrong in us must be an offender of SP". In this way many disciples of SP started to make the rounds of the world, from one zonal guru to the other, only to discover, that they were all the same and that in ISKCON there was no more home for them, what to speak of a peaceful place to give protection to others and live happily in Krishna Consciousness.

Any service in ISKCON became attached with the shoe-kissing of some zonal acharya. In some zones daily flower offerings to your godbrother became an obligation and if you really still need more details you can read the book "Monkey on a Stick". It is a very disgusting subject.

 

Solution:

Realize that a vaisnava leader is a leader in humility and service. He serves anyone who gives him the mercy and allows that leader to serve him. Krishna wants to serve his devotees, but they won't let him do so. Therefore Krishna is very pleased if you serve his devotees. And you can be sure, if you like to serve somebody he will be very happy with you, not disgusted.

 

 

6. Nobody was expected to work under someone he considered in any way harmful to SP's mission.

 

6. Not only were devotees obliged to serve, many were intimidated to take initiation from zonal gurus who they either did not know, or did not feel inspired by. ISKCON proved to completely neglect the position of Siksa Gurus, which according to SP writings in C.C. is a grave offense since they are on the same level as the diksa-gurus. Frequently the situation was so bad, that new disciples were requested to reject as offenders of SP the very same devotees who happened to have convinced them to join the movement of SP.

Later that mistake was partially recognized but never really rectified.

Rather the wrong overdose of power was shifted away from the zonal Guru to the Zonal GBC.

Gurus were now restricted under GBC control with innumerable laws and restrictions. Even temple presidents can check the necessarily free relationship between a devotee and his guru. Actually the old problem remained plus a few new problems appeared.

The zonal Diksa-Guru was transformed into a Zonal GBC Siksa-Guru, or into a Zonal Temple President Siksa-Guru, or into Zonal Regional Secretary Siksa-Guru.

Not understanding that the problem lies in the zonal aspect of these services, not in the guru or preaching aspect, the GBC's confused the situation even more and clearly emphasized the institution and the managers (themselves) to be the rightful successors of SP. Thus again they undermined the personal individual characteristics of surrender in love and trust. And also because so many new diksa-gurus appeared in ISKCON, many of them captured these zonal siksa-guru posts, and established new MINI ZONAL GURU zones. There they straitened to force the disciples of other gurus to lend support to them or face the same destiny, which SP disciples had to experience under the first ZONAL GURU GOVERNMENT. (THE CUCKOO FAMILY EXPANDS.)

 

Solution:

Reject the zonal control all together. Let leading preachers voluntarily choose representatives to participate and be communicated with over all ISKCON news, world projects and facilities. Let leaders be loved once again, because of their excellent service performed to all, or let them be rejected at once if they are just on a big ego or enjoy trip or if the temples and Vaisnava population felt dissatisfied with their level of dedication.

 

 

7. Leaders in SP's mission who were to eager to be in the center, rather than to humbly serve SP and the other vaisnava members were easily detected and rejected, or at least repositioned and corrected, regardless of how high an office they had occupied. Thus it was always clearly understood that only someone pure in purpose could keep a leading position in ISKCON.

 

7. It is unbelievable how much damage a zonal guru or zonal GBC can do to SP's movement, without being checked. It is practically up to Krishna himself to kick out the worst offenders. But that problem is far from over and we pray that this book will accelerate the purification process.

 

Solution:

Let mercy be above justice, but also provide that intense tender love and care to all members of SP's mission, not just the leaders amongst themselves. Every member is a potential sannyasi, guru, GBC or whatever and should be fully respected with his respective feelings. Otherwise our leaders, instead of becoming Rajarsis, will be like rotten aristocrats.

 

 

8. SP's movement was highly personal in the loving dealings amongst SP's representatives and their particular groups. On a very individual basis anybody could get the mercy of SP and his attention by doing some outstanding service.

 

8. Very few outstanding personalities have risen on the sky of ISKCON after the GBC's ISKCON rule began. Rather former outstanding personalities fell into disgrace or keep disappearing. ISKCON POLITICS have dominated the energy and conversations of its members now for many years. Out of fear of being diminished in their "glory", the GBC has organized that very ugly campaign against SSM. They accused SSM of wanting to take over ISKCON, while they were in the middle of doing that very same thing. You see others with your own condition we have learned from SP. SSM had not left even his room for ten years before they started consulting him and his main request was: "You are coming together for your yearly meeting. Now don't let anybody go home before everybody is happily accommodated in your ISKCON movement. Leading preachers are going to the hidden quarters. Don't let that happen. That is the only real GBC duty! Not to come together, make a few resolutions and then go home and everybody does what he wants. That is my urgent request."

ISKCON GBC's have hardly trusted anyone to open new temples or zones. Generally so much red tape is attached that nobody wants to do it anymore. Even previously highly prestigious posts like the LA presidency, etc., don't find candidates, who are eager to perform that service and many GBC's have resorted to paying high salaries to their managers. And who wants to collect for such a program? Many temples cannot even pay their mortgage or they are living from the energy which was accumulated in the past. Some temples have more dieties than devotees, but still the GBC's don't want to change.

 

Solution:

Let everybody who feels an affinity for SP inside and outside of ISKCON know all this and invite them to join and Help to create the Real ISKCON.

Assure them that everything will be completely different. The GBC should publicly recognize in detail all the mistakes they have committed in the past, otherwise nobody will believe that there is a true change happening. The devotees will not loose their faith, but rather gain an incredible new strength to help to save ISKCON.

 

 

9. SP obviously preferred administrative disputes to be resolved by his zonal secretaries, it being impossible for SP to personally attend all reappearing complications, but NEVER to the point of disregarding one of his disciples who requested SP's perfect consent to resolve problems they had.

 

9. The GBC systematically ignores their critics. To reach them is close to impossible. To reach them quickly is altogether impossible. Usually they deal with a topic when it is already damaged. Their bureaucracy, centralization and ecclesiastical structure is close to useless and completely against SP's vision of administration. The result is no protection for ISKCON's members and projects. Their justice ministry is a joke and another invention like the regional secretaries, etc.

 

Solution:

Let problems be resolved amongst those who have them, not by committees who are out of touch, time, and realization to resolve anything. Only insiders of a problem are capable of giving the personal attention everybody in this world deserves.

 

 

10. Individual, spontaneous and creative contributions were highly appreciated by SP. Especially personal preaching capacities attracted his attention.

It was expected that a good preacher be lifelong dedicated to his project, expert in the philosophy, able to face any challenge. In other words SP wanted his disciples to be personally convinced and also speak about the siddhanta, to stand on their own feet. Regardless of who you were, it was understood that a member of SP's family had the right and duty to protect the mission. It was for example a mataji who exposed the 1970 New Vrindavana nonsense, where some sannyasis tried to distort SP's teachings.

And it were the grihasta temple presidents who saved ISKCON from the powertrip of some GBC members, who tried to kick the unmarried mothers out of the temples and to ban grihastas from being temple presidents. SP's initial comment was: "I wanted you all to become gurus, and these girls got this human form of life and they came to their guru's mission, and you (GBC's) want to kick them away."

 

10. ISKCON membership became conditioned to figuratively signing a paper declaring one's own incapacity to think and decide for himself, like judges declare senile persons on request of the family. We already discussed what happens to those who don't accept ISKCON's dogmatism as absolute.

 

Solution:

Only personal realization and true humility can change this. Don't forget that most members of ISKCON also see their material security in ISKCON and therefore don't dare to openly criticize those who control the system that provides their bread. Only if the daring critics are heard and satisfied can we believe in a change, not if a number of YES MEN shout, "The system is good, let it remain as it is."

 

 

11. SP originally established the GBC to be voted out of a group of six temple presidents for a three year period (see original GBC Bylaws). He also said that no GBC should have more then six temples in his service area. SP always wanted a check and balance system for all ISKCON officers.

 

11. The GBC resolved that only if 75% of their members would reject someone amongst them could they be removed from the GBC body. Similar conditions were there in order to admit new members. The problem is the following. Unfortunately more then 50% of the GBC's are materially motivated. Therefore they did not kick out the bad ones and never admit a new good one. Only the New Vrindavana meeting, where all the temple presidents requested the GBC's to simply take off or make changes brought a temporary change. Some changes were forced upon the GBC. Quickly they promoted a few critics into their group, but successfully maintained the GBC's inability to change the problems. All they did was to give more power to themselves. Not even the grossest mistakes they could rectify, like having local GBC's with backgrounds incompatible with the resentment of the local people. Often they did not speak the local language, and showed no sensitivity for the reality they were supposed to lead. Imagine an Arabian born Vaisnava as temple president in Tel Aviv.

 

Solution:

SP wanted a viable check and balance system to regulate the relationship between leaders and their other cooperators. That is the main point. It has to be practical and it has to make everyone happy. Do you agree?

GBC SHOULD FORGET THAT ITS SERVICE IS SO IMPORTANT.

ACTUALLY THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. ANY GOOD TEMPLE PRESIDENT WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT GBC. It is no doubt a very important Vaisnava seva, but isn't the actual way the GBC is presenting itself. They just congratulate each other for wrongly acquired privileges. Many of them, I fear would not be able by themselves to open a temple, to actually make some bhaktas, or to actually go out and collect the rent. What will it take for a dictator to recognize that his dictatorship is useless - all the intellectuals must flee the country? In the material world dictators don't change but with vaisnavas we still have a little hope.

 

 

12. SP did not like bureaucracy and centralization. He requested the yearly GBC meeting to only last a few hours, he wanted every temple to be separately incorporated and locally managed.

 

12. The evidence is mountain high, but obviously all these plans of SP's diminish zonal control and give power to local devotees. That is why they were hardly given any attention. It was in Colombia where all the local leading devotees complained and after deciding that ISKCON was not going the right way, they decided to change their affiliation from ISKCON's GBC into the ISKCON it was really meant to be. Obviously the GBC denounced us as thieves, etc. But actually if you analyze eight years later impartially, you will see that all these temples are still used to glorify SP. On top there are so many new temples and properties in the name of SP's ISKCON in Colombia. New vaisnava literature is published and many new devotees are chanting the holy names. We did not print many of SP's books because the GBC threatened to sue us in the courts, and we did not want to waste our energy in such a childish fight. Also we take it as Krishna's hint to publish other vaisnava nectar which the GBC has not discovered as yet. It is just painful to see how this Spanish-speaking BBT was plundered for so many years and could never produce even laser-written copies of SP's books for the devotees. But they do have time to discourage others from printing SP books who could do so. I call that power-hungry and not service conscious.

 

Solution:

There are so many different problems, but really only one solution which we are looking at from different viewpoints. That is love and trust, unity in diversity.

 

 

13. SP always stressed, "Let local people manage". Even though he sent his disciples all over the world, he wanted them to immediately train up local devotees to do all services.

 

13. Those who are fried in the US or fried the US often find another place in the ISKCON world to become a leader. Local devotees are ignored even though they would be more qualified and thus the local needs are often totally neglected. Local devotees generally cooperate out of respect for the older devotees, but the real message is, we should all qualify and become true leaders to properly serve the world.

 

Solution:

Krishna can give anything and also take away everything. If you do not have a program now of your own, don't count on others to give you big facilities. Just search out a vaisnava friend and try to start a new program. As far as permission from the GBC is concerned, they have no permission to act as they do to begin with. It is not easy to believe either that they will change in the near future. (Hope against hope). Don't worry about anything except SP's loving grace. He can empower you, just as he has empowered all his other sincere followers.

If you cannot find one friend who is ready to join with your effort and conviction, then try to start alone or search out people who are preaching outside of ISKCON, inspired by SP and SSM. Here you will find a friend who wants to join with you. If you are not a disciple of SP, pray to Lord Nityananda to take you to a real Sadhu whose realizations help you to go foreword. We cannot follow a guru who is only teaching and living contradictions. Otherwise how will you be able to preach, if you yourself have no real trust in anybody? Even devotees who accept disciples always search, always aspire for sadhu-sanga. (SP told SSM in 1977: "Please come to live with me in Mayapur. I will construct an elevator for you. Sometimes I have nobody to consult with.")

It is always wonderful to have the association of Vaisnavas like Govinda Maharaj or other true Vaisnava saints. They clear away our doubts quickly.

If you want to take sannyas don't expect to be maintained by some institution. Go out into the world of preaching, just like SSM sent his new sannyasis out to start their work immediately. ISKCON Sannyas has often become an institutional privilege. That is why they make it so hard to take. But really all godbrothers should be dancing if another one wants to join the sold out preacher who is going to roam the world distributing Krishna Katha.

 

 

14. SP never wanted any temple to be closed and he was furious if someone closed or even moved one temple to another city. SP wrote to Hanuman: You can open a temple anywhere in the world you like, but with one condition, it shall not be closed after.

 

14. ISKCON has reached a level where closing temples and falling gurus don't even make topics in the GBC meetings anymore. It is just too common, and if there is not much money involved; who cares?

The preaching spirit of SP's times has disappeared into institution consciousness.

 

Solution:

Let local people have free hand to reopen all the temples which have been closed. Promote lifelong dedication of temple presidents and teach all members to love, respect and serve every devotee, and friends of the devotees. Any temple is a permanent representation of the glories of SP.

 

 

15. SP wrote a letter to Hansadutta prohibiting the installation of Sri Narasinga Bhagavan in the same temple with Radha-Krishna.

 

15. Nevertheless SP was disobeyed and Lord Narasinga was installed in Germany dominating over the worship of Radha Madan-Mohan. Later that same speculation was introduced in Sridam Mayapur, where deity worship was already distorted. Even the diety of Srimati Radharani had been stolen from the ISKCON temple. SP had installed the dieties of Gouranga and of Radha-Madhava. That particular type of worship is generally found in temples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his followers. It is representative of the revelation to Ramananda Roy and it is in the mood of Madhurya rasa. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Radha-Krishna nahe anya. It is very high to even conceive of that mercy which SP bestowed on us. Later when the GBC decided to expand that worship, they got back Radha-Madhava dieties but so happened to forget Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord of Mayapur. At one point they even separated the small Mahaprabhu from Radha Madhava and put him on the opposite side of the huge altar. There's no end to the speculation. Then they wanted to bring in eight huge gopis to join (four actually arrived), to create more Vrindavana atmosphere, all that right next to the Lord of Vaikuntha Sri Narasinga-Bhagavan. We all know how great offenses were committed by ISKCON leaders right in Mayapur, without proper rectification. Little surprise that they did not understand the proper way of puja, but amazingly enough the rest of the GBC did not object either.

If Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is worshiped alone, like SP had on his altar in Jhansi, that worship is in madhurya-rasa inviting Radha-Krishna to appear if they are pleased. In that worship lord Nityananda is represented as Guru and that worship is called Guru Gouranga seva. When Gour Nitai or Krishna Balaram are worshiped together, that worship is in sakya-rasa. When Sri Jagannath Subhadra and Balaram are worshiped, that is in the mood of Dvaraka. When Sri Narasinga Bhagavan is worshiped that is seva in the mood of aisvarya, the mood of Vaikuntha.

 

Solution:

Construct extra temples for Lord Narasinga as requested by SP. Install a big diety of Sri Gouranga next to Radha-Madhava. Explain to the devotees the real meaning of the Istadeva of our Sampradaya and of other dieties.

 

 

16. SP, out of his love, trust and necessity rewarded Sannyas initiation to some devotees as soon as, in some cases, less than two years in his mission, GBC offices with only three years in the mission, and any worldwide temple president or preacher position to anyone at any time he wished to render such a service.

 

16. We already discussed what is happening in the GBC's ISKCON.

 

Solution:

Follow the example of SP and you will be amply rewarded.

 

 

17. SP forgave very easily even grave offenses when someone wanted to return to his shelter after having failed.

 

17.ISKCON GBC's only forgive those who bolster their power structure. If you have enough money you may become a GBC too. One GBC I met asked me repeatedly: when are you coming back to the family of SP? I explained for quite a while how ISKCON was not given an open field for real preaching. After he kept asking the same question. Again I answered; "We will be back in the family of SP the day you GBC's realize that we never left the real family of SP."

 

Solution:

A real vision of Vaisnava union could undoubtedly do wonders in this world.

 

 

18. SP would have never accepted that his Puspa Samadhi in Sridham Mayapur is higher then the temple of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord of Mayapur.

 

18. BIG IS BEAUTIFUL. Let us show that we are the best disciples by making the biggest Samadhi ever for a guru, so it truly becomes a monument. SP wanted to construct in Mayapur the "Temple of Understanding" with a planetarium which was suppose to be constructed according the Brihat Bhagavatamrita under the guidance of SSM. But they constructed the Monument of Misunderstanding instead.

This is a gigantic Puspa Samadhi, ill conceived from the beginning, just to show off. They wasted money like water and got ripped off from their own always changing construction administration. They did not finish the first Samadhi, but they started the second one. At the same time they offended their godbrothers as well as SP's godbrothers and could not even understand that SP would not like to have his samadhi to be constructed higher than his Lord's temple. Srila Jiva Goswami had no lack of funds and much less of devotion when Srila Rupa Goswami's Samadhi was constructed. And look at the size of the Radha Govinda temple. Why do everything opposite? By not consulting higher Vaisnavas it becomes very noticeable that we don't really understand much of this philosophy. That is the message of the monument of misunderstanding.

 

Solution:

Make the Puspa Samadhi the temple of Gouranga Radha Madhava, at least until a bigger temple is constructed for the deities. This is Antardvip, the birthplace of our Supreme Lord. Every Gaudiya acharya will give him the first and outstanding glorification. It is not that that little building is too big for the glory of our SP, but we should follow in his mood of worship. In the meantime Srila Prabhupada will be very happy to have his puspa samadhi closed to his eternal Lords.

 

 

19. SP enthused his disciples to do very hard service totally voluntarily. He stressed that you cannot force the devotees, you can only inspire them. Do not demand respect, but command respect by your example.

 

19. Brahmacaris with private bank accounts, GBC's traveling with firstclass air tickets and Rolex competitions will not inspire new devotees to give up their own fruitive desires. Indian businessmen managing ISKCON temples may turn out to be better management than frustrated members embezzling the resources of the mission. But again, our highest ideal is the full surrender SP taught us. Without such an example, very soon everything is lost and another normal church will remain, with paid priests only for Sunday worship.

 

Solution:

The vow of voluntary poverty is the vow of sannyasis and Brahmacaris. That has to be stressed and shown to the public. Preachers should live very simple lifestyles. Fancy silks and big cars are good for bhogi yogis. And the television guru is only for those who want to fall into sense gratification (you remember - while contemplating the objects...) That is not the style of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. It will not be easy, but our gurus expect that sacrifice.

 

 

20. SP never stressed rituals or formalities, what to speak of tantric practices. He did not recommend devotees to go to astrologers. SP priorities were the need of the day, to spread Krishna Consciousness. SP never encouraged devotees to neglect the preaching and to procure Gopi sentiments. Like SSM he preached to serve the order of Sri Guru and thus come to realize the internal meanings of Sastras like Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu etc. SP stressed that he had written all his important messages in his books and that it was not a valid authority that somebody simply quotes a: "Srila Prabhupada said..."

 

20. Just like the monument of misunderstanding, there are quiet a few other symptoms which reveal that ISKCON is off the right track. The most obvious is the introduction of crazy ghost exorcisms organized inside ISKCON temples involving GBC's and gurus and ripping off stupid devotees by supposedly locking thousands of ghosts in bottles, holding midnight yajñas and confusing the entire devotee community. As if the Bhagavad-gita and the C.C. had not condemned all type of ghost consciousness, they claim to only follow what SP said. Where the hell did he write about bringing exorcisers into our life, or having initiated devotees consult astrologers to know their karmic fate!! IS IT NOT UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MERCY OF GURUDEVA INTERFERES AGAINST OUR KARMIC FATE? Even several gurus claimed that the exorcist took away their ghosts, but I fear if they don't watch it, they may be ghosts very soon themselves.

All these handreaders, tantrics, gypsies and other charlatans you can simply ask to leave us alone. Krishna's laksmi is not to be spoiled on cheaters. Astrology to preach karma and reincarnation may be a system to attract new devotees, but when even the BTG starts reporting how gurus, sannyasis and GBC's are consulting tantrics in India. This is a great irresponsibility. Why accept a guru then? The tantrics are cheaper.

But there is much more. Huge South Indian style yajñas may look very impressive to the public, but they do not create the mood of our Srila Rupa Goswami bhajan.

Now in ISKCON every new bhakta carries Rasa literature and shows his learning by quoting books SP mentioned in his books to be very confidential. The fashion of talking about those topics goes around and foolish conclusions are resound, such as SP did not teach us Raga, etc. Without Raga, none of us would have been initiated to begin with, because by the rules we all disqualify. Everybody writes books now, but when you ask them about the siddhanta, they have no answer. Temples charge money even for prasadam on Sunday feasts, etc. etc.

 

Solution:

The path of Bhakti is full of bliss, and preaching in a proper way will protect the preacher and will give him so much wonderful engagement that he want even have time for all that nonsense like tantrics, videos or other entertainments. He can even stay celibate if he careful serves the vaisnavas and carefully avoids all offenses. And he will not experience any scarcity. It is a wonderful life SP has given us, and SSM has elaborated further nectar to make it even more nectarian. And they both can save us from the dangers of sense enjoyment, Mayavada, Sahajaism, pride, speculation, and even from service in awe and reverence to take us back to their eternal Lordship in Goloka Vrindavana.

[theist]

Positive Solutions

by Niscala dasi

 

 

 

There has been a request for more positive contributions for the initiative committee to consider, as most of the contributions from readers have been "lukewarm or negative". Actually this is necessary before a positive contribution can be made- that the problems or negative aspects are analyzed. Of course one cannot consider a negative aspect without being negative, but it is meant to lead to something positive. So what follows is an attempt in this direction.

 

"Satyam" Committtees

 

Our society is founded on vaisnava principles such as truth speaking; therefore honesty should be encouraged in our devotees systematically, taking the essence of varnasrama as our blueprint. Let us take a look at that....

 

Previously, each head of state would have a brahmana advisory committee who would give them honest feedback. Their business was to address any discrepancies in the management, discrepancies that may have been noted or complained about by the citizenry. Since the citizenry is dependent on the good will of the manager, they may feel inhibited to approach the management directly, but they can complain to a brahmana, for all a brahmana is interested in is whether it is truthful. He will then approach the leader, convey the criticism and try to encourage him appropriately.

 

In our society, advisory committees are appointed by the leaders. The problem with this is that it is still the ksatriya who is in full control, for our experience is (and the mode of passion dictates) that he will most likely appoint advisors who are shoe lickers. He has already cast truth speakers far away, branding them as "offensive" and warning the devotees to shun their association. For this reason advisory committees should never be appointed from above, but from below.

 

From experience one learns to recognize to whom one can reveal one's mind to in confidence, who will take one's misgivings seriously, who will not jump to the defense of "senior vaisnavas" just because they are senior and in positions of management. Therefore, the rank and file devotees should choose a person or group of persons (depending on the size of the temple), just to convey their doubts about the leadership. This person or group should be given the right to be taken seriously, or remove the leader from his position if he repeatedly ignores complaints that are justified.

 

Justified complaints are more than just trifles such as "our temple president is not in a good mood today", more than just personal gripes, but rather observations of flaws in character such as being abusive or neglectful in speech or behaviour, not showing a good example of integrity in financial areas, or misrepresenting the philosophy for a personal agenda. Currently, at least in my zone, a temple president is only removed from office if he is not getting the bills paid, regardless of how he pays those bills. I once approached my GBC complaining how my temple president allowed cow abuse, misappropriation of donations and a physically violent farm manager and all he could say was "he gets the job done; he pays the bills". This is only one aspect of management- this temple president should have been a treasurer at best- provided of course, he could come up with honest means of income generation. If he could not then he should not be in management at all.

 

A brahmana or satyam committee worked well when Srila Prabhupada was here, as he was the brahmana whom devotees felt free to approach when they saw discrepancies, for he took them seriously and was clearly a person of integrity. He was self-effulgent, for he had the approval of all the devotees by his own qualifications- spotless integrity and concern for the spiritual welfare of his children. This is the basis, and therefore the advisory committee- the via medium between leadership and the rank and file- should be elected from the temple devotees according to how much they feel they can entrust certain individuals with the truth, plainly spoken and fairly represented, without bias or partiality. And if such individuals are missing then they should be trained from those who are willing and eager to be trained, for even a desire to be honest and straightforward is a qualification of a kind. Once a brahmincal class is established in ISKCON, we have the basis of reform of any problem- as the accurate report, analysis and timely dealing of problems is assured.

 

Rather than a distant committee dividing itself up into study groups each one specializing in a particular problem, which is bureaucracy to the limit, it should decentralize and have branches in each and every centre, appointed by the rank and file on the basis of trust. Then they can deal with each problem as it arises, for in each and every temple there is a different set of problems to tackle and a different urgency in the solution. Srila Prabhupada always stressed local autonomy; we stress instead bureaucracy, perhaps because we don't want responsibility for solving problems. We want to use spirituality as an escape rather than for empowerment; we want to follow Arjuna into the forest, throwing down our Gandiva bows. We want peace, and a big institution to solve all our headaches for us, and all we do is chant Hare Krsna and magic happens. That sounds nice, it is very alluring, but I'm very sorry to inform you, it is simply not our philosophy.

 

Neither will it work in the areas of reform under discussion- the decline of the Sunday feast, book distribution, accountability of leadership and so on. These cannot be solved by centralized committee decision-making or the introduction of the corporate culture in ISKCON, but by personal dealings with the devotees, finding out why they are unenthused in these particular services. It may be that they have been placed in the wrong service for their psychophysical abilities- the "square pegs in round holes" syndrome. Or it may be that they are embarrassed, knowing that the books describe one thing while at the temple there is a castrating authoritarian dynamic, a dynamic based on fear rather than self expression. Either of these will lead to lack of enthusiasm, and the solution is to encourage devotees to express themselves, not to shut them up with threats of the effects of aparadha.

 

Potentially each of our members is a vital contribution to our movement, in fact not only the present members but the members who have left. When they are encouraged to rise up to their full potential, there will be natural enthusiasm for services performed, and when they are listened to carefully, there will be a natural basis for reform.

 

 

 

[krsna]

 

From Gopal Bhatta das

Posted Mar. 23, 2005

 

Dear Vaisnava,

 

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

 

If you're one of the three thousand devotees who have visited the new SSPT website, thank you. If not, please accept our invitation to learn about the new excitement going on in ISKCON North America.

 

A wide variety of devotees have now updated the site with news from the recent ISKCON continental planning meetings in Dallas. You'll find thoughtful reports from fourteen newly formed spiritual initiative teams. You'll find senior devotees' perspectives, spiritual and material, on the strategic planning process. And, last but not least, you'll find the thoughts and comments of many fellow devotees submitted online from around the world.

 

By taking the time to look through this website you will gain a good sense of the success generated by focused and energetic devotees taxing their brains to serve Srila Prabhupada.

 

Please log on to http://www.spiritualstrategicplanningteam.com and read all about it.

 

Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host,

 

Your servant,

 

Gopal Bhatta das

on behalf of the Spiritual Strategic Planning Team

 

PS: Please feel free to forward this letter to anyone whose might be interested.

 

The SSPT Members are Anuttama dasa, Badrinarayana dasa, Bhakti-tirtha Swami, Bir Krishna Goswami, Divyambara dasi, Jayadvaita Swami, Gopal Bhatta das, Kalakantha dasa, Krsnadas Kaviraj das, Kuladri dasa, Laxmi Nrsimha das, Malati devi dasi, Nityananda dasa, Ramabhadra dasa, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Romapada Swami, Sandamini dasi, Sesa dasa, and Svavasa dasa.

 

© dipika.org Mar. 23, 2005