Constitution Of Association
Dear Prabhus, dandavats and pranams. It is with interest that we
read the recent
article about an ISKCON constitution. There is no real need
for anyone to make up a new one. Srila Prabhupada wrote one
already. It can be found on pages 154-155 of "The Beginning," the
l966 New York Journal of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya for the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness.
"The Beginning" was published
by The Bhaktivedanta Archives, Copyright The Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust, l996, from diaries that are owned and held by Bali Mardan
prabhu and other original documents. Bali Mardan Prabhu, a life
trustee of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust lent the archives his
source material with my encouragement for re production. They
have printed Srila Prabhupada's diaries in two very nice
books,"The Beginning" and "The Jaladuta Diary" which you can get
from : The Bhaktivedanta Archives
P.O. Box 255
Sandy
Ridge, NC 27046
Phone (910) 871-3636
Here is a true
copy of the aforementioned Constitution:
CONSTITUTION OF ASSOCIATION
1. The name of the society is the International Society for
Krishna- Consciousness.
2. The headquarters of the
Soceity are located at Radhakrishna Temple, 26 Second Avenue, New
York City, 10003, USA.
3. The objectives for which the
Society is being established are: (A) To educate the greater
human society in the techniques for spiritual life as the basis
for a balanced psychic and biological development, and thereby
achieve for the first time in human society a real peace and
unity among the contending forces in the world today.
(B) To propagate the Sense of Godhead, the all attractive
Personality of primal and eternal Form, as He Himself revealed in
His own words in the Bhagavad-gita, The Holy Scripture of the
Lord Sri Krishna, the Godhead.
(C) To bring together
individuals in a Society, regardless of national- ity and
irrespective of creed or caste, in order to develop a nearness to
the Godhead and thereby the idea that within the members and
humanity-at-large there is an infinitesmal soul-spirit that is
part and parcel in quality with the Godhead, the Supreme
Soul.
(D) To encourage the teachings of Lord Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who demonstrated practically the
transcendental process of approaching the absolute Personality of
Godhead by His acts of congregational chanting of the holy name
of God, a process known as Samkirtan.
(E) To prove by
active work and preaching that Lord Sri Krishna is the only
enjoyer of all the outcomes of individual and collective
sacrifice, penance, meditation, arts, culture, sciences, because
He is the Supreme Proprietor of the whole universe, eternally
apart of Him eveyone knows Him as a friend. Real peace can be
attained when this is realized, in fact.
(F) To assist
whenever and wherever possible in the buidling of a social
structure on the real foundation of spiritual progress and es-
tablishment of peace and unity between men throughout the
world.
(G) to attempt to save men individually from the
chain of victimization the ongoing trend in modern civilization
operates by, in the name of ideologies of false sentiment, so
that man may again be a free soul, to act and live freely with
spiritual vision. This is possible by individual spiritual
initiation, Diksha, when a man can see everything in Godhead and
Godhead in everything.
(H) To further toward realization
this highest truth as revealed by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
and the six Goswamins headed by Srila Rupa and Santana
Goswamins.
(I) To have for its objective amongst the
others four principles which the Goswamins had in view. They are
the following: 1. To erect a holy place of transcendental
pastimes as well as a place where members of the Lord Sri Krishna
can flourish.
2. To propagate all over the world in the
form of missionaries the process of devotion, the transcendental
service to the Godhead, and to make known that this devotional
service is the main function of the human being.
3. In
order to accomplish this, to adopt proselytizing methods of
peaceful means and to establish a broader society of association
for all members, including scholars and admirers, to engage in
this service as put forth in the Srimad Bhagwatam.
4. To
install, wherever it is possible, the worship and temple of
Radhakrishna and that of Sri Chaitanya, and to give facility to
everyone to become trained in the modes of Archan or preparatory
principles of devotional service.
(J) To introduce to
the members of the Society and humanity-at-large a simpler and
more natural purpose in life by means suitable to the particular
place and time, and as enjoined in the Bhagavad Gita.
(K) To organize educational programs, such as classes and lecture
tours, and to institute services, such as mailing, for the
benefit of the members of the Society and
humanity-at-large.
(L) To publish periodicals, books
and/or pamphlets in all important languages in order to reach
human society and give an oportunity to same to communicate with
the Society.
(M) To invoke the quality of goodness
particularly in every member of the Society, individually by the
process of Diksha and by establishing one in the status of a
Brahmin (good and intelligent man) on the basis of truthfulness,
knowledge and faith in the transcendental service of the
Lord.
(N) Among the secondary objectives of the Society,
it shall undertake the following activities:
1. To revive the
scientific system of social orders of classification based on
intellligence, martial spirit, productivity and commmon assis-
tance, generally known as the four castes with reference to
quality and worth for the common cause of world society.
2. To discharge as a matter of coures the vitiated system of
supremacy of one man over another by false prestige of birthright
or vested interests.
(*Note from Puru Das Adhikari -
Please don't misunderstand "2." The New Webster's Dictionary
defines discharge -.to unload, to discharge cargo,to absolve,
free oneself from, to release (am arrow or bullet) to rid of an
electrical charge, to dismiss etc. . . . vitiated- spoiled .,
made defective, corrupted (morals or taste), invalidated or made
wholly or partly ineffective.)
3. To popularize the
vegetable-grain diet under apporved methods in order that full
value of protein, carbohydrate, fat and vitamin benefit may be
derived therefrom.
4. To discourage intoxication or
addicting habits of all descriptions and dimensions and to expose
such persons thus affliced to approved methods of spiritual
realization.
This document is signed by:
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami - Acharya
Raymond Marais
Michael A. Grant
Robet Lefkowitz
James S. Greene
I let this wonderful piece of writing speak for itself.
Om Tat
Sat.
Your servant,
Puru Das Adhikari
Curator
of
The Bhaktivedanta Memorial