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EDITORIAL February 13, 2000 VNN5462 Comment on this story Time To Pass The Torch BY PAPAHARINI DEVI DASI EDITORIAL, Feb 13 (VNN) — Interesting how the term "henceforward" has been ascribed a temporary limited meaning, and (GBC) "is for life" has been termed Ôto the grave'. Wouldn't it be an accurate assumption that the average minimum age for the entire GBC body is probably late 40's early 50's, and that very, very soon, formal plans and arrangements need to be made for their retirement from these activities? ISKCON's ORIGINAL CHILDREN ARE FIRST GENERATION. I propose that very soon, GBC members begin looking for replacement GBC officers. Time to pass the torch to still existing first generation, younger men. While it has been popular to describe the children of the original ISKCON members as the Ôsecond generation', in these times of expanded membership, concocted concepts of "re-initiation" (as if one would need to be "RE" initiated IF the first one was from a pure vaisnava acarya), the original children should be given serious consideration for the post. For in this case, spiritual seniority is still located within the adult "first generation" children and age is a factor in passing the torch for a "life-time" appointment. Say, a twenty-year term. Many of the original children are in their mid 20's to late 30's now. Giving the training and mentoring needed while they gain experience, could take some years- realistically. START NOW. HARIKESHA STYLE SEVERANCE PAY? Mentioning the above to a devotee found me surprised at the immediate response. Those senior men have made their adult, mid-life careers doing the job of GBC. If they retire now or soon, they won't have an income. Saying this to unmarried single mothers raising teenagers while working and attending college- just doesn't wash. I know of one SP disciple woman putting herself through a Master's degree while caring for five children alone. Will they all then demand retirement funds? I wouldn't begrudge that if it were fully audited by outside accounting services, and available as PUBLIC RECORD. RETIREMENT FROM GRIHASTA ASRAM INTO A SENIOR KC LIFE STYLE. Another thing to consider in ISKCON's lack of managerial expertise for total neglect is in planning for retirement to ashrams for all faithful followers of HDG Srila Prabhupada. On the coast, near my home there are several decent size, ocean-front properties owned and operated by various Christian groups for older age retirement and senior care. Since those groups all observe the same non-profit benefits as ISKCON, perhaps an in-depth study could be done as to how those institutions function; e.g. charitable donations invested, medical facilities and the like. THIS IS NOT TO SAY- retire from performing devotional service, but to facilitate retirement into ashram/vannaprastha life-style, where those disciples can focus more on preaching and pilgrimage to the holy dhamas than on household expenses, once children are raised. MID-LIFE CRISIS OCCURRED FOR THE GBC DURING THESE LAST 23 YEARS. Time to pass the torch and facilitate whole-heartedly, the younger adult men in gaining insight and expertise into the realm of taking on the mission of Srila Prabhupada. The middle age of adulthood (deemed by life-span psychologists as 40-65) for the GBC is on its way out into senior age, and just around the corner. Prabhupada writes in fourth canto Bhagavatam that "one should plan for taking sannyasa approximately 15 years before death". Certainly, no one knows the exact time of death, but the senior members of the GBC should be openly addressing this retirement from management as a prominent, imminent duty. Thus reassuring the community of devotees that their reign is almost finished, so those non- GBC senior men and families can begin to sweep up the rubble of your mid-life crisis. Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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