Dattatreya dasa, Feb 22 2009, USA: Malati devi dasi, in her article “Working Farms Don’t Have Castles” writes:
“In addition, we generally have elaborate Deity programs, which are often in a state of semi-failure, since the hordes of devotees who were previously present have long since vacated. It is a daily struggle for existence with little time, generally no farming experience, no funds and few hands to do anything else but “keep it together.”
It seems to me that farm projects need to be reconsidered in terms of making them – first and foremost – farms. This is unlikely to happen so long as the yoke of these big buildings remains part of the picture. Those kinds of farms were run by big landowners who kept peasants and servants under their hand to do the labor.”
She is complaining that devotees have left and there are no funds. Why have devotees left? Does she have any statistics on how many devotees join and how many leave after 5 years? Have they spent any energy in trying to find out the reasons why devotees leave? These so-called leaders will just blame devotees, but they don’t have any information about how many left and why they left.
Regarding funds, they will have enough to sponsor their international travels, but never enough to do anything in temples. This is not new information. We all know what happens to funds and where they disappear to. In the last 10 years, I have never come across one ISKCON GBC sadhu who said, “This year I will not go to India for retreat, rather I will save the money and spend it on my temple.” There is not even one man among these GBCs.
Further, she blames it on elaborate deity worship and suggests the solution is to sell the farm. This is a big jump. It clearly shows that these people like Malati devi dasi and Guru Prasad Swami are really old now, and they do not have any enthusiasm left in their old and worn out bodies, and they need retirement. Before deciding to sell, what about giving a chance to local devotees to lead, who have shown their commitment and enthusiasm by fighting with the GBC in the court. That’s the leadership we need – someone who has some passion to follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada. We don’t want this boneless and spineless leadership which is trying to change Srila Prabhupada’s books to suit the taste of karmis, and who thinks deity worship is a burden.
The real cause of problems is that leadership is imposed on devotees, they have no right to choose their leadership. Only because devotees have no right to choose their leaders can people like Guru Prasad and Malati remain GBC for so long. Once devotees get to choose their leaders, we all know how long they will last as GBC.
Hare Krsna.
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