May 19 2013, Tulasi-priya Dasi:
“[…] And this is where it gets hazy for me; if you collect money from the public at large (which may coincidentally include members of a temple congregation) for your own individual project (say, on Kickstarter) without the sanction or permission of your GBC (but neither with any objection from any authority), is it an ISKCON project?”
Roupa Manjari Devi Dasi: It depends. Are you using the name ISKCON, or ISKCON, Inc.? Do you have a registered nonprofit corporation, and if so, what is it registered as?
Tulasi Priya dasi:
“I could start a non-profit with an eye toward preaching in an area where there is none, and if it’s considered an ISKCON project, the GBC for my region could conceivably decide to take it over and kick me out. That would have a chilling effect on preaching, in my opinion.”
Roupa Manjari Devi Dasi: Indeed. The power rests in the name. ISKCON, Inc. is Srila Prabhupada’s authorized incorporation, and any temples under that name are pursuant to the rules and regulations of his incorporation. Hence, virtually all temples around the world have been re-registered by the GBC to non-ISKCON, Inc. names, thus being exempt by virtue of separation from ISKCON, Inc. So if you made your own program with your own incorporation, it would abide by your rules. But if you place the name ISKCON on your banner, the GBC might say something to you about it. I suppose it depends on whether they want to take advantage, or not, if you happen to have some success in your endeavor.
Tulasi Priya dasi:
“If ISKCON temple management is supposed to be non-centralized, what grants anyone the right to call their preaching center “ISKCON of XYZ, Inc.?” Is the name licensed? If I start a project that Prabhupada never specifically ordered, is he the founder-acharya for that project? When does Prabhupada’s legacy end and the next person in paramapara’s begin?”
Roupa Manjari Devi Dasi: The management is supposed to be decentralized, but it is the numerical opposite of decentralized. GBC holds all money, assets and power of and over ISKCON to themselves, through a distinct centralized structure, whereby they appoint and remove people from position at will, and induce people to sign contracts of allegiance to them, rather than to Srila Prabhupada. Thus they rule the movement completely, and are taking strides to require every single member of ISKCON movement to sign individual oaths as well. As far as ISKCON, Inc. is concerned, I surmise that GBC would sue anyone who registers as ISKCON, Inc., saying that they own the name and have not given permission for it to be used independent of their assumed, “ultimate ecclesiastical authority”. However if you register your own name, then they obviously cannot touch you, and if ISKCON’s name is not involved, then neither is Srila Prabhupada.
May I say at this point that the GBC we are speaking of are not actually a part of ISKCON. They are members of a separate corporation called “GBC Society of West Bengal” and they are registered in Mayapur, India. They have their own papers of incorporation, rules and regulations, which they are not obliged nor do they choose to share with the members of ISKCON. So technically they are not really GBC of ISKCON, except in name only, because they are not elected by the DOM and they do not recognize or abide by Srila Prabhupada’s stated supreme authority. People such as Akruranath Prabhu and Yuga Avatar Das Prabhu make statements to the effect that we should all do as they do, and “follow the GBC”, who they claim is the “supreme authority of ISKCON”.
As far as Srila Prabhupada’s legacy is concerned, he states plainly and clearly and repeatedly that he is supreme authority of ISKCON, and that he is “above all”, and that above him is Krishna. So he is eternal spiritual master for ISKCON for 10,000 years. However he did express his desire that his disciples go on to initiate their own disciples, and in this way “increase the generations”. However he also says repeatedly that the spiritual master must be bona fide. So if his disciples are to initiate, then they must first exhibit the same transcendental symptoms that Srila Prabhupada himself displays. Otherwise, we go directly to Srila Prabhupada via his Vani, which is the law for the next 10,000 years.
source: Facebook.com
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