Posted May 21, 2009: Haribol, all glories to Srila Prabhupada, […] ISKCON is presently entering a serious turning point to ignore this would be foolish, after 31 years of heavy handed rule the G.B.C. is losing its preaching fields due to the ever increasing rise of splinter groups. The recent loss of the Bangalore court case is monumental. The fact that the G.B.C would spend 10 years in battle with devotees of Krsna over politics is a tragedy. To use a mundane expression Srila Prabhupada is turning over in his samadhi. The amount of Laxmi that the G.B.C. lost in this aggressive lawsuit is mind boggling. Laxmi that should have been spent 50% for books and 50% for building and repairing temples. When we tally up the bill all this Laxmi on top of the ten million dollar fine the G.B.C. is now paying of for mistreatment of devotees, the one million dollars lost in a frivolous lawsuit with the BBT suing Hansadutta for printing and DISTRIBUTING Srila Prabhupadas books. This is reckless management.
Shrila Prabhupada compared ISKCON to his body, the BBT to his heart and Laxmi to his blood. Devotees fighting amongst each other he compared to violent massage of the Guru. We are spilling his blood. His last words were, “dont fight each other”. I hope this present behavior on the part of the G.B.C. doesn’t cause them to fall into maya.
Where is that advanced, intelligent devotee, G.B.C. , Guru, Sannyasi who will step up and correct this situation? Srila Prabhupada hoped that at least one person step forward in ISKCON and be a great leader in ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada wrote documents requesting the temple presidents to vote G.B.C. members in or out every 3 years. The G.B.C. has rejected this. The temple presidents and grass roots movements requested an ISKCON constitution to improve management, once again the G.B.C. rejected something that would have helped bring stability to these issues. The 09 resolutions instead give us 11 pages of punishments for devotees that disagree with the G.B.C., this is less than encouraging.
Time is running out, we are witnessing the breakup of ISKCON. The Bangalore devotees are in the process of forming their own G.B.C. so that Srila Prabhupadas preaching mission can continue world wide. They invite people to come and be disciples of Srila Prabhupada. What devotee doesn’t want to be a disciple of Srila Prabhupada? How are the G.B.C. going to defeat this with their special list of gurus and history of fallen gurus? […]
Whatever the disagreements between these groups and the G.B.C. is not the real issue. The real issue is the G.B.C. as the powerful representatives of His Divine Grace Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada have seriously stumbled in their duty to create unity in diversity worldwide. Instead we get painful mundane political wrangling in a sad attempt to control everything.
What could have been is lamentable for us and all the great Vaisnavas who have passed away over these thirty-three years having not seen the full blossom of ISKCON as Srila Prabhupada wanted. Lets hope for some enlightment real soon.
HARE KRSNA!!!!!!! Vivasvan Das Tampa Fl.
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay!! Yes This “Turning point” is inevitable by all means. The Spiritual Potency, The Purity, and Devotion of many sincere and humble souls to continue spreading the glories and their hearts cleansig effectively will grow no matter what! The end result in cleansing the heart the devotees and athmosphere experience Krishna himself residing within, arranges the divine intervention and thus the experience and development of This Krishna consciousness becomes the transcendental reality.(Have U hear the about The Banyan tree in Bhagavad Gita?
Moving along..so now there is no room, no mind, no plan to abuse and rape Laxsmidevi on total buracratic, lawsuits, toys, materialistic goals and just waste all, illuminaty programings like the “police estate” and not allowing growth and expresion of multiple rasas of love amongs devotees, withing their services, natural disposition, and environment.
You better wake up! Withing your heart (where SUPERSOUL resides) Square yourselves up with The Supreme Godhead,with all sincerity serve The Lotus feet of Krishna not your beuracratic egos.
Like a forest fire can be started by a single spark and ignite Hundreds of thousands of acres of the dry hearted,minded, conditoned living entities, such glorious fire transforms us from within and we rise above this convoluted human man made society of false egos. Learn the lesson, move on and “LET the transcental glories, and devotional service experience grow with no ends or limits! otherwise IT’S NOT THE GOLDEN AGE. You cannot stop it. The Original founder is Krishna Himself and Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! Not some GBC, EDF…
Every Krishna Temple or Direct Incarnation Of Lord Krishna must be and have autonomy.
REMEMBER IT”S ABOUT K R IS H NA CONSCIOUSNESS.
Send you all my love and light.
PDD.
CHURCHIANITY and Mind Your Own Business
Yes how sad it is to see a spiritual movement descend into the very thing that Shrila Prabhupada said it should not descend into namely “Churchianity”. By this I understand Prabhupad’s warning to mean don’t let’s get bogged down with ecclesiastic, hierarchical obcession over controlling every damn thing around us, including devotees, including who preaches where and what. If people are inspired by someone let them be. Do we want to control the whole world and everyone’s minds!? And even if we think or KNOW they are wrong doesn’t Krishna say in Bhagavad Gita. “Let the wise not disrupt the minds of the ignorant”. In other words if people don’t “get it” yet or the truth as you know it, then leave tem alone. MYOB = Mind Your Own Business
What kind of thinking is it that because we are the “authorised ones” everything that comes out of our brains and mouths although they may be polluted with plenty of tamas and rajas has to be followed and if you don’t you are a heretic. Such mundanity, such arrogance actually.
HUMILITY, SERVANT – LEADERSHIP
I am far from perfect, therefore, the last thing I should want to do is pretend I have the authority to order anyone around. The only people we can do this with is kids and mindless, sychophantic, brainwashed living-in-fear followers who will never convince any thinking person of the validity of our movement. It is so embarrassing sometimes to see devotees blindly following and never questioning their authorities.
Progressive organisations like TOYOTA etc are leading the field in managemnet because they trust their employees. They DON’T arrogantly treat competent, intelligent, experienced professionals like fools. Consequently they include them in management decisions often taking on board the humblest of workers’ ideas. They have realised LONG ago that their greatest assets are their people who, when treated with kindness and respect return the same in kind and then dedicate themselves even more to the company and to the management, who treat them with openess and respect all of which reflects HUMILITY. And please let us not hear that we cannot use mundane examples to help us run ISKCON better. Bhaktissidhanta Saravati’s idea for the GBC actually originates from an apparently mundane source, his being impressed with the British Rail system which he observed used its own GBC.
PEOPLE AINT STUPID
When intelligent persons detect that the guy in front of them doesn’t respect them or is using his or her position or status (which are all material) to push them around they do not like it and they can see it a mile away. When a leader presumes that because of their position or status the person should just “do as I say” because “I say it” then we have a real problem. Indeed the person may do as you say, but you haven’t won their heart. If our leaders are humble and gentle (especially in their one on one dealings), which are so important, then you’ll find devotees whose hearts have been bought with love. They will sell themselves out totally to the mission of Mahaprabhu. I once brought my grandparents, parents and other family members to an ISKCON Sunday feast. After much discussion with devotees, including a TP and GBC they said later on to me in private, “You know we aint stupid”! And they went on to explain how not what the devotees were saying but their arrogant attitude gave them real warning signals. They refered to one leading devotee as a control freak! He since is not in a leading position. I propose ISKCON wracks its brains or the real brains in our movement come together to work out a system by which our managers and leaders are carefully chosen and trained. Some people just CANNOT BE GOOD LEADERS right now or even this lifetime. Muslim scholars say that “he who wants to be a leader is not a leader but he who rather believes he is unworthy to lead and would rather serve others is indeed a leader in the making”. Jesus Christ said, “If you would become a leader of all these (men) then you must first become their servant”. These are ancient, timeless known truths that many leaders in the karmi world have and still do implement to great effect. Why can’t we!?
Some people just cannot lead right now or maybe never. They need to be trained. If they blindly rush into leadership with the wrong motives, they may be too screwed up and will inevitably scew up and turn others away. We need level-headed, deep-thinking, composed brahmans who will work out how to rectify this. Suggestions please.
UPAIDIC PARAMOUNT PRIDE
If we do not have the purity and spiritual standing of our glorious founder AC. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and its clear that no one does, then we cannot be high-handed in ANY dealings with others especially sincere, sensitive souls who DO REALLY want to surrender themselves. I have often met Baptists preacher/pastors, Muslims imams, and Catholics priests who are far more humble and expert in their dealings and know how to win hearts. When did we think that because we have the Paramount in Philosophy that we are entitled to be Paramountly Prideful?
A “big” sannyasi guru in our movement has written in a widely published book that “Leaders in ISKCON should not take advantage of overly submissive and humble devotees or followers”. So even this Guru, GBC, sannyasi regognises the trait and all too recurring problem of leaders who overlord.
GURU BETRAYAL
There is a story about the same Guru/GBC that one of his diksha disciples married “outside” ISKCON and that because of this she was castigated and cruelly ostracised and made feel extremely guilty for “betraying our Gurumaharaj and Shrila Prabhupada”. After plucking up the courage to visit him at one festival she was verbally abused and given “dirty looks” from some of her godsiblings as she entered his room. After her darshan with her gurudev she was given the same envious unkind treatment. Their beloved gurudev, hearing this commotion, came outside and ripped into his neophyte followers telling them to desist and “dont you know how much harm you are doing” and “mind your own business”. As any, even neophyte, student of psychology will tell you, often when you’re so angry with someone or something no matter how justified you seem, its usually ALL ABOUT YOU and your insecurity = FEAR! And although people may not be able to reason it out or explain it clearly they know and they feel you’re full of crap!
KSATRIYAS NEED BRAHMANS
I haven’t read it yet, but I know Bhaktivinod Tahkur has written at length on the dangers and pitfalls of institutional religion. Of course there must be oraganised preaching but we need, our leaders need always to be wary of succumbing to mundane ecclesiastics that inflexibly follows some commitees rules. They must always be open to truthful well-meaning brahmans who have nothing to lose or gain by speaking often painful truths. If they don’t listen, but rather get angry, or what to speak ostracise, or ban people who don’t tow the party line according to the made-up group-think of a non-elected, self-selected relatively tiny group of ivory-towered individuals then they’ve already lost the plot. And they will continue to lose the hearts and minds of ANY individual with half a brain, what to speak an intelligent deep-thinking vaishnava who is not controlled by fear and who doesn’t care when his so-called authority tells him “I am, we are, they are authorised by Prabhupad and the GBC, the ultimate authority in ISKCON”. The implication of course is that Krisna HIMSELF is telling you to do this OBVIOUSLY because we are in charge. Krishna wouldn’t put us in charge if He didn’t want it and to go against us or them (the autorised GBC or TP etc) therefore is an automatic offence tantamount to disobeying God’s orders directly. Only weak persons still controlled by fear will fall for this disgraceful emotional manipulation by guilt-throwing, pushy immature leaders. Leaders who don’t have enough LOVE or humility in their hearts to convince gently by LOVE or tolerate dissension are not leaders but ego-trippers. That’s why in Vedic society Ksatriyas who by their very nature, which is often extremely passionate and therefore very attached, NEED to be controlled by detached truthful brahmans whose highest guide is Krishna’s love and mercy and how to give it to all bar none.
SAINT FRANCIS and TOYOTA
As one geat Christain vaishnava said, “If a superior give an order to one who is under him which is against that man’s conscience, although he do not obey it, yet he shall not be dismissed”. – Saint Francis of Assisi. In other words you ARE allowed to disagree with your authority or even question some fundamental position or policy and the authority should not castigate, politically turn others against, ostracise, or ban you. This just shows fear on behalf of the authority.
My God, even “dirty karmis” from whom we can learn a lot about people and resource management like Nelson Mandella, Ghandi and Obama do a better job than many of our GBCs. I said many of our GBCs, not all. Even the average Mc Donalds or TOYOTA manager does a better job than quite a few GBCs and TPs I know. Why? Its simple – THEY LISTEN TO OTHERS. Our GBCs NEED badly to be exposed to the progressive, humane, humble, and very intelligent management that is out there. A management that puts people first. Now I can nearly already hear the response to this. ” We are a spiritual organisation. How can you compare ISKCON to Mc. Donalds, TOYOTA” etc etc. True, but isn’t everything spiritual when used in the service of the Lord? Yukta vairagya. If it works it works and that’s it! Utility is the principle.
DECENTRALISATION KI JAI!
I have a realisation about why Shrila Prabhupada wanted each ISKCON center to be autonomous – its because ultimately no central GBC COULD DICTATE an overall potentially movement-destroying policy. This saves a spiritual movement from the brainless ex-cathedra edicts of a few who are more concerned with power and position, and holding onto them at all costs, than with sincere harinam revealed truths in a truly purified or at least purifying heart.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME….
I didn’t know till now that so much was spent on trying to sue Bangalore. How sad. This “If I can’t control you then I’m gonna screw you till I do” mentality is perversely reminiscent of the egos and dictators great and small that we encounter day to day and throw our eyes up to heaven and despair with. History is of course littered with such people. Though so many around them say “I’m sorry you’re wrong. We want to do it this way”, they don’t listen and angrily make laws against those who dare to defy them. Look at Gaddafi and other fools like him. These dictators think “I can’t control them because they are so naughty, SO independent, SO deviant, SO disobedient”. Well sir, madam, if you were a little more humble and didn’t “push your weight around” you’d get far better results. If, instead of getting angry with those who don’t readily smile at you or kiss your feet or become an unthinking nodding donkey at every decision you make, and you listened to their ideas good and bad you might actually increase the preaching mission. If you spoke to them in a respectful tone ASKING them if they “wouldn’t mind” doing this or that service. If you took the TIME to get to know, and love, and win hearts, and gain people’s trust they will literally hang from the ceiling from their ankles for you if you ask them.
When was the last time you as a GBC or Temple President or GBC’s wife or TP’s wife invited someone to your house for a meal?? When was the last time you, IN PRIVATE, not in front of others, held the door for someone or rushed to open it for someone?? When was the last time, my dear leader, who are supposed to lead by example, did you serve prasadam to all the devotees?? Not just for show for 5-10 minutes for one or two preps but the whole feast and were last to sit down tired and hungry?? When was the last time you looked into the toilets and, seeing they were a little dirty took it upon yourself as a act of humility, to clean them without ordering someone else to do it?? Do you feel yourself a servant of others?? When is the last time you massaged a devotees head, foot or arm with love?? When was the last time you called up a devotee, emailed him/her, sent an SMS to them not because you needed something from them but because you were genuinely interested in how they were doing?? When was the last time you contacted someone who was banned and extended kind words, forgiveness, asked FOR forgiveness?? When was the last time you admitted “I was totally wrong there” “I’m so sorry” and meant it or said “Please forgive me”?? If intelligent persons who have nothing to lose or gain by speaking truth to you which indeed may be painful to you DO take time to suggest or point out something to you, it may be high time for you now to listen to them. A sycophant is neither a guru, a managaer or a disciple or a follower.
Do we know that in other Maths the leaders, sannyasis etc eat with the devotees off the same plates on the same floor. We do know that Lord Caitanya, Godhead in His/Her highest form served prasadam to all His devotees regularly and was last to sit down and eat. This is the kind of leaders we need. Parading around thinking we deserve to be served because of our position (whatever that means) is so not-acarya-like. Do we know why so many devotees leave ISKCON? Its because when they go elsewhere, often for the first time, they meet a leader who looks upon them kindly, is genuinely concerned about their welfare, and doesn’t care WHAT they’ve done in the past, and is willing to give them a chance and would NEVER bannish them. They are personal, truly kind. I’m not saying there are no leaders like this in ISKCON, there are many. I know and love them. However there seems to be quite a hardening among many ISKCON managers addicted to the rules and regulations of a society. They often seem incapable of following the spirit of the law and all-too-often are very enthusiastic to push the letter of the law. Sometimes these managers also give in to 1 or 2 people who scream loudly enough and make unfair decision in a “We win, you lose” way. When was the last time my dear TP or GBC that you made a momentous decision that impacted heavily on the life of someone like banning them for a whole year or more?? No matter what anyone or how many people put pressure on you, do you ever stand on principle and say “No this is wrong”?? Did Prabhupada ever ban anyone?? I’m open for discussion.
IT INDUSTRY and SRIVING for IMPROVEMENT
Think about the IT industry. How far and how fast they are progressing. Its unbelievable. All composed by individuals. And the information is shared. They don’t give a damn from where the latest amazing, workable, already working idea has come from. The truth is the truth! If it works it works! If its better (and you’re not too thick to see it) its better! This “if it works it works” principle needs to be adopted by EVERYONE on this planet including our GBC. If you ignore or exclude people who don’t entirely agree with you it says more about your inadequacy than the people you claim are deviant who you push away.
OFFICIALLY “OUT” but FACTUALLY “IN”
Take Hamsaduta Prabhu. I met him in Vrindavan years ago. He exchanged hugs with quite a few of his Godbrothers. They were happy to see him. It was sweet. He hugged me too. It was nice. I could feel his love more than most leaders I’ve met quite frankly. We talked for a long time. And not about him or criticising ISKCON I assure you. About preaching ideas. He wants to preach. He IS preaching actually. He was ACTUALLY interested in me. What is the saying?, “I don’t care HOW much you KNOW till I KNOW how much you CARE”.
He was charismatic no doubt. I KNOW he’s been eccentric. Haven’t we all. But for how long will ISKCON push away an obviously competent, dynamic leader like this. I believe to this day he is “banned” from leading kirtan. What is this!? Who has decided this!? How hurtful. As far as I know, there was a life ban put on him leading kirtans in any ISKCON temple. So extreme. How unmerciful. How unforgiving. What if he becomes a great devotee. I’d be happy to hear him lead. I’m not afraid. I heard he’s darn good. What a waste. But you know what? – he won’t go to waste. Krishna WILL USE HIM. Either “inside” or “outside” ISKCON.
INCLUSION a DIVINE RIGHT – NO EXCLUSION
Prabhupada, we are told, built a house in which the WHOLE world can live. And, as one of the authors above has so rightly said, the Golden Age is coming. No one can stop it. Everyone will be included. And those who truly represent the most merciful, magnanimous, Kali-yuga pavana sweet, sweet Saci-suta Gaura Hari will be given the inteligence to include everyone. This is REAL management. Parabhupad said that it is the the managers duty to motivate all around him, making them enthusiastic and happy.
It all begins by being open = listening = the first step in humility = trinad api sunicena = nobody is left behind = ALL, bar none, including those with whom we’ve had vociferous disagreement, are included in kirtan and in service. When we do this artfully, when our leaders wrack their brains to think outside of their ego-imposed boxes, then ISKCON will not haemorrhage many of its best and brightest. People will agree to disagree – no hard feelings. No politics, no law suits, no banning. The qualities of forgiveness, tolerance, mercy and humility which are the hallmarks of an advancing vaishnava will reign. No person or commitee has the right to exclude an individual or a whole group from AT LEAST rendering service or attending kirtan in any ISKCON temple WHATEVER the person may have done in the past or however deviant you think they are. It is a divine right of every soul to be included in Mahaprabhu’s mission. That people and leaders in ISKCON find reasons to exclude others is so unloving and will turn people away for good. I refer to the ridiculous arbitrary banning of devotees for whatever reason from ISKCON temples and official functions. I have devotee-friends and know of others who gave the best years of their young lives and collected tens of thousands of dollars for ISKCON through the years happily sleeping on the floor. These same undoubtedly sincere but sometime flawed individuals are now banned because they disagree philosophically or policy-wise and make it known OR did something wrong OR sinned. Sometimes all it takes to be banned is for you to have an argument with a Temple President on a ego-trip or to upset his wife. Utterly pathetic.
NO MORE BANNING
I propose there be no more banning in ISKCON. It is reflective of a frightened, intolerant and very immature leadership. Its the ultimate act of censorship. If we educate our devotees in what is right shastrically, and behave properly with love and trust as Prabhupaada has asked of us, NO ONE will ever leave ISKCON. We shouldn’t feel we have to ban an individual who might pollute others with their “deviant” ideas. And if they do it, leave that is, its their good right. And if they want to come and visit and attend temple functions they should be allowed. Its all in the Lord’s hands. How can sincere souls be cheated. What are we worried about? My God, every butcher who walks in the temple is a gross deviant.
And if someone goes to another source “outside” ISKCON they’re just adding from some other source, some other Math perhaps. It DOES NOT necessarily mean they have betrayed Prabhupada. Why are we afraid of this? And if someone levels criticism at the way the society is run, it is just silly to say they are criticising vaisnavas or Prabhupada and are therefore aparadhis. True they should be more positive and suggest a positive alternative or improvement. Unfortunately often when the latter is done this too falls on deaf ears.
I know many devotees, GBCs, Gurus and devotees in good standing who read and quote regularly from the Bible, Buddhist literature, English poets and Shakespeare as did our illustrious Srila Bhaktisidhanta Maharaja. It doesn’t mean they are deviants. The truth is the truth wherever you find it. These devotees who often go to the Gaudiya Math for siksha or sanga, and are now banned will, given half the chance, continue to serve Prabhupada’s society as long as we don’t push them away. Didn’t Prabhupada say “When someone leaves we all all have to examine ourselves and think what we could have done to make them stay”? And quite frankly I myself have to examine myself and think what have I said and done that has contributed to anyone leaving. I know that down through the years I have made many a small and large blunder of which I’m not proud.
As one senior, GBC sannyasi who has the inteligence and humility to see the writing on the wall said and wrote a few years ago – “People will continue to leave ISKCON if we don’t give them a good enough product” (my paraphrasing).
To say they are insincere or the Gaudiya Maths are “stealing” devotees from ISKCON or are “sponging off ISKCON”, I believe, is simply a foolish “head-in-the-sand” philosophy.
Humility and inteligence go hand in hand just as pride and foolishness are best friends.
Persons who exclude others because of mundane party spirit, which is just envy in the ultimate issue, will themselves be excluded from the actual benefits of the Kali-yuga pavana sankirtan yajna and seva. And although they may be physically “in” the kirtan they will be far away from its benefits. And they wont know why, “after all these years” of chanting and dancing, they’re still getting angry and lusty and desiring to Lord it over others. In one prayer to Lord Narasimha it is stated that praying to Lord Narahari is the remedy for overcoming the “obnoxious habit of trying to overlord others”! Thinking that my way, our way, or this movement’s way is the only way and that we own devotee’s hearts and minds is ridiculous. Thinking that anyone who thinks, looks, or does things differently and therefore should be banned or socially isolated is so small-minded and insecure. Real leaders gather around them persons who are not only intelligent but MORE intelligent and specialised and expert in their field and they happily delegate. They empower. Didn’t Prabhupada give the production of the first BTG to someone who surprisingly stated he had no experience. This devotee was, at the same time, utterly delighted that someone loved and trusted him SO much he was willing to give him this huge responsibility. And Prabhupada simply said “Krishna will give you the intelligence”. Real leaders are happy to create, and are not threatened by other great leaders.
AUTHORITY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE TRUTH, TRUTH CONSTITUTES AUTHORITY.