09/06/1998 - 2157

Weighing the GBC on the Scales of Sadhu, Sastra, Guru

USA (VNN) - by Satya Sankalpa

The following paper is written as an analysis of the GBC, and their role in the ISKCONmovement. Since Srila Prabhupada's physical departure, the GBC has come to be acceptedas an absolute spiritual authority by the ISKCON members. However, as I will proceedto demonstrate, this is a premise which is not at all supported by sadhu sastra orguru. Indeed, if only it could have been addressed earlier, then many of the needlesscomplications and ugly situations in which we now find ourselves embroiled could havebeen avoided.

What did Srila Prabhupada say about the GBC, and how did he define its role? In hiswill, he describes it as the ultimate managerial authority. This is, however, quitedistinct and different to the status of absolute spiritual authority.

For that, we must approach Sri Guru. Why? Because: "...The self-realized soul canimpart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Sastra has never told usthat a committee of conditioned souls can arrive at tattva, truth, through researchwork and a voting process. On the contrary, it tells us:

"A conditioned soul is hampered by four defects: he is sure to commit mistakes, he issure to become illusioned, he has a tendency to cheat others, and his senses areimperfect. Consequently we have to take direction from liberated persons."(Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 4: Chapter Eighteen, Text 5)

"Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four basic defects, one should notaccept advice and become a victim of the material condition. The best process is totake the advice and instructions of Sri Krsna or His bona fide representative. In thisway one can be happy in this life and the next."(Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 5: Chapter Fourteen, Text 26)

However, that is not to say that the GBC doesn't have a very important and necessaryfunction. Nevertheless, it is absolutely imperative that it operate under thedirection of a realised soul to be bonafide, lest its members begin to pursue vestedinterests, as Srila Prabhupada warns in the following:

"Gradually this meeting should develop into a committee of the West Coast presidents,and similarly there should be one for the East Coast, so in the future we can form acentral governing body for the whole institution. Therefore the management should bedone very cautiously so that everyone is satisfied in their autonomous managingcapacity. Of course, the central point is the order of the spiritual master, and I amvery glad that you are trying to give importance to this aspect of management. Thedifficulty is sometimes things are interpreted in a manner dovetailing one's own sensegratification." (Letter to: Tamala Krishna : 69-10-18 Tittenhurst)

"Then we get GBC. Then above all, I am. So that is needed. It is not conventional. Itis needed." (Morning Walk Los Angeles, December 16, 1973 731216MW.LA)

Srila Prabhupada never wanted the GBC to operate as a law unto themselves, thesituation in which we currently find ourselves. He says:

"GBC does not mean to control a center. GBC means to see that the activities of acenter go on nicely. I do not know why Tamala is exercising his absolute authority.That is not the business of GBC. The president, treasurer and secretary areresponsible for managing the center. GBC is to see that things are going nicely butnot to exert absolute authority. That is not in the power of GBC. Tamala should not dolike that." (Letter to: Giriraja : 71-08-12 London)

"So as GBC you must see to it that the highest standards of routine work aremaintained throughout all the centers, and that chanting, rising early, cleansing, andall other aspects of our regular program may not be neglected. That is our firstbusiness. GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that thestandards are maintained. The individual presidents should be more managerial, moreindividual, and you can supervise, and if some defect is detected, you can makesuggestions how to correct it." (Letter to: Hamsaduta : 72-02-14 Madras)

If Srila Prabhupada had considered the GBC to be on an absolute platform, then hewould not have disbanded them on the occasions he saw fit to do. And now, since we nolonger have his guiding hand, how much more is it true.

Looking at this from a wider perspective, we may note that although SrilaBhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura had also instituted a GBC to continue governing hismovement after his departure, Srila Prabhupada, as well as many others of hisgodbrothers, did not interpret that as an automatic mandate to follow themunquestioningly for the rest of their lives. Wishing his disciples to also develop thequalities of self reliance and discrimination, Srila Prabhupada encouraged them totake the initiative in life and to actively use their intelligence, rather than lapseinto blind following:

"Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful andcompetent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for makingbureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must bealways individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not thatone shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but begfrom you and you provide. No." (Letter to: Karandhara : 72-12-22 Bombay)

"Don't follow blindly. Following blindly something, that is not good. That will notstay. But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they puteverything in logic. Caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. If you study theCaitanya's philosophy with logic and argument... Don't go by sentiment." (Prabhupada's Lectures Srimad-Bhagavatam 1971 710106SB.CAL)

"Nothing should be accepted blindly; everything should be accepted with care and withcaution."(Bhagavad-gita As It Is: Chapter Ten, Text 4-5)

Speaking on the subject of religious institutions, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta SaraswatiThakura said that without a self realised head to guide them, they would be nothingmore than atheism artfully disguised as its opposite. This, he said, was because, inthe absence of the spiritually empowered leader, "Putanas", or imposters masqueradingas spiritual leaders, would inevitably take the opportunity to hijack the institutionfor their own nefarious ends. "...No human contrivance can prevent these Putanas fromobtaining possession of the pulpits." Moreover, he told us, in the name ofspirituality, they would inevitably stoop to such depths of depravity, that "even theworst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil."

One reason that this happens, is because, without the acarya's stabilizing influence,his followers become subtely seduced and corrupted by the material opulences of hismission. We have already seen in ISKCON how one such follower (Kirtanananda) kidnappedproperty from the movement. However, although this type of cheating may go on, it isno obstacle to the sincere follower. Material assets and external results are not thereal goal of an acarya, but are merely side effects of his real purpose:

"Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy, not that we mustwork something impossible, becoming overburdened, and then because we are unhappy byso much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No, if too muchendeavour is there, that is to be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritualstatus, that is the point, not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees,life-members, this, that--no, these are only ways to engage the devotees so that theymay apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practicalrealisation of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want." (Letterto: Tejiyas : 72-12-19 Bombay)

However, after the disappearance of the founder acarya, and the rigorous shunning ofany other bonafide guidance, "the result of the work" is all that the ISKCON membersare left with; a wealthy religious institution which provides board and lodging forits workers, wages for its managers, and a social focus for all of its members.According to the definition of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, in its presentmetamorphosis, ISKCON is simply no longer able to provide the world with truespiritual guidance and sustenance:

"...no stable religious arrangment for instructing the masses has yet beensuccessful...The idea of an organised church in an intelligible form, indeed, marksthe close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishmentsare the dykes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any suchcontrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit aspiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmistakably indicate the end ofthe absolute and unconventional guidance of the bonafide spiritual teacher. The peopleof this world understand preventive systems, they can have no idea of the unprevented positive eternal life. Neither can there be any earthly contrivance for the permanent preservation of the life eternal on this mundane plane on the popular scale." (The Harmonist Vol. XXIX No 7 1932)

Having become divorced from the living spiritual current, not only is a religiousmovement unable to benefit anyone any more, but inevitably it lapses into corruption:

"The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that ofatheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved thestaunchest upholders of the grossest forms of worldliness" (The Harmonist Vol. XXIX No7 1932)

On an external level, very little has changed in ISKCON temples since SrilaPrabhupada's physical departure. The original managerial structure remains, thedevotees perform the same activities of maintaining temples, communities, and goingout for preaching, while the same spiritual program is followed in all of the temples.The difference, however, between the previous realized and the current conditionedleadership, is as much as that which exists between material and spiritual existence.In the following, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura compares them both:

"The supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya in pursuance of the teaching of thescriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternalreligion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional lifeby any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is neccessary forcontrolling the inherent worldliness of conditioned souls. But no mechanicalregulation has any value even for such a purpose. The bonafide teacher of the religionis neither any product nor the favourer of any mechanical system. In his hands nosystem has likewise the chance of degenerating into a lifeless arrangement. The merepursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spiritof doctrine or liturgy."(The Harmonist Vol. XXIX No 7 1932)

The responsibility of a leader is very great. Srila Prabhupada explains in thefollowing:

"Yamaraja is one of the GBC of Krsna. Yes. As we have got twelve GBC's, similarlyKrsna has got GBC's. Now, svayambhur naradah sambhuh kapilah kaumaro manuh, prahladojanako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam, that twelve men are authorized to preach Krsnaconsciousness. So we have to follow. Mahajana yena gatah sa pantha. Therefore we havecreated these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will bepunished. They will be punished to become a sudra. Although Yamaraja is a GBC, but hemade a little mistake. He was punished to become a sudra. So those who are GBCs theyshould be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they willbe punished. As the post is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great.That is the difficulty." (Prabhupada's Lectures Srimad-Bhagavatam 1974 740604SB.GEN)

So if a "spiritual leader" can see problems in the movement which he is administering,then he really does have cause for alarm. Especially since any disturbances that arisemust necessarily be symptomatic of his own shortcomings:

"If there is some discrepancy anywhere, some non-cooperation, fighting, or if the workis slow or not to the standard, it is to be supposed that the person or persons incharge are not very much attached to Krishna." (Letter to: Jayapataka: 72-12-19 Bombay)

"Men who are like Kamsa are very much afraid of the movement's progress and acceptanceby the younger generation, but as Krsna could not be killed by Kamsa, this movementcannot be checked by men of Kamsa's class. The movement will go on increasing more andmore, provided the leaders of the movement remain firmly Krsna conscious by followingthe regulative principles and the primary activities of chanting the Hare Krsna mantraregularly." (Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 10: Chapter Two, Text 20)

"The GBC must be vigilant by following the regulative principles and teach by idealcharacter the presidents of the centers, and the presidents by their ideal charactermust teach the others then automatically all members of the whole institution will beideal to the human society... If we are not ideal we cannot create others as ideal."(Letter to Rupanuga Maharaja, 74-04-28, Tirupati)

So the responsibility of the leaders is very grave. However, also to remember, is thefact that the responsibility for changing this situation falls as much on thefollowers as it does the leaders. If we do not protest, then we become "patrons" of"the Putanas":

"Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to theamelioration of the worldly state in any worldly sense from the worldly success of anyreally spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons ofthe mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion, the Putanas, whose congenialfunction is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspectedappearance." (The Harmonist Vol. XXIX No 7 1932)

Just as one who passively hears aparadha without taking neccessary action becomes asmuch an aparadhi by so doing, similarly, so does one who knowingly follows falseleadership become as culpable as the perpetrators:

yo vyakti nyaya rahitam anyayena srnoti yah
tav ubhau narakam ghoram vrajatah kalam aksayam

"One who assumes the dress and position of an acarya, who speaks against theconclusion of the Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures, or who performs kirtanopposed to the proper glorification of Sri Krishna, certainly goes to hell forcountless lifetimes along with his disciples and whoever else who hears suchnon-devotional talks and kirtans." (Hari-Bhakti-Vilas 1.101)

Therefore it is very necessary for everyone involved in the ISKCON movement to nowmake their voice heard, for the mutual good of all. The prospect of re-evaluating andre-adjusting our fundamental criteria after so many years may be a daunting one, butit is very necessary. ISKCON, as established by Srila Prabhupada, is the perfectmedium through which Lord Caitanya can manifest the 10,000 year golden age. However,He will only do so through a pure medium. If ISKCON has become spiritually impotent,then He will simply do it through another means:

"...thousands of presidents and thousands of GBC may come and go, His work will go on.Krsna is complete Himself. He doesn't require anyone's help. That is Krsna." (Vrindaban, September 26, 1976 760926RC.VRN)

So either way, one way or another, the golden age is going to happen, but whether ornot we are a part of it is entirely up to us. While iron is in fire it is effectivelyas good as fire. Similarly, while a religious movement is properly connected with theDivine, it is as good as Divine. However, either of these situations can change, andno-one should ever make the mistake of thinking that a rubber stamp title is anautomatic guarantee of spiritual qualification.