Enviado Domingo, 16 de Mayo de 2004 - 02:15 pm:

• The GBC, as the supreme ecclesiastical authority for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), appointed a sub-committee to look into the matter of funds dispersed by the BBT to ISKCON, and this sub-committee has suggested the need to establish a permanent GBC Financial Accounting Committee,
• The resignation of Naresvara Prabhu has left a void in the financial relationship between the BBT, the GBC, and the SMPDC,
• The GBC, as the representative of ISKCON, the beneficiary under the Trust created by Srila Prabhupada in 1972, has a responsibility to see to the proper receipt and dispersal of all income from the BBT and other sources,
• There is a need to introduce improved accounting procedures for the various monies received and dispersed by the GBC Body,

• a. To account for the receipt and dispersal of funds received by the GBC, especially funds received from the BBT and funds received from all sources for international projects, and to submit such accounts annually to the GBC Body.
• b. To make sure that all international projects, as well as other projects receiving funds from BBT construction funds submit timely reports on the use of such funds according to standards to be determined by this committee, and to audit such accounts for the purpose of certifying that the funds received were used as per the GBC's directives."
• c. to review and audit other accounts the GBC may from time to time ask it to scrutinize.

• Rupa Vilasa Dasa was expelled from ISKCON for not complying with the conditions stated in resolution #90-73,
• Resolution #90-73 provided the possibility that any of the devotees expelled as a consequence of the resolution could be reinstated in the future as members of ISKCON in good standing if they presented a letter rectifying themselves in the manner expressed in the resolution;
• And Rupa Vilasa Dasa has now presented such a letter to the satisfaction of the GBC,

• Although ISKCON law states mandatory and discretionary qualifications for gurus in ISKCON, and gurus having spiritual degrees like Bhaktivedanta and Bhakti Sastri is in the discretionary lists,
• Spiritual exams, courses, and degrees were formerly not available but now are,
• Srila Prabhupada, by mentioning in a letter that devotees with the Bhaktivedanta Degree would be considered for being gurus and initiating, established it as a qualification he considered important,
• In 1987, when the standard for serving as a guru in ISKCON was adopted, the spiritual degree system was still in an early formative stage,

• The GBC deliberates for many hours prior to making a decision, but devotees generally do not understand the rationale behind the decision,
• In the future, evidence for why decisions were made will help ISKCON better implement decisions,
• When revisited years later, GBC resolutions are often unclear as to their original intention,
• Without evidence of support from guru, sadhu, and sastra, GBC decisions are subject to undue challenge,

• The definition of Congregational Preaching Directorates given in the ISKCON law passed as resolution number 405 of 2002 was not sufficiently broad for situations in some parts of the world,

---

quote:

10.4.3.4 Congregational Preaching Directorates

"Congregational Preaching Directorates" are characterized by having at least one primary location that is either stable or semi-stable, by having financial autonomy (not being financially controlled by any other affiliate), and by having activities centered on development of congregational preaching over a significantly large area. There may or may not be regular activities of public worship.

---

• Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, the GBC body is the ultimate ecclesiastical managing authority of ISKCON, the individual GBC zonal secretaries are the representatives of the GBC body, and the temple presidents are the local authority,
• It is a general practice of institutions to publicly display pictures of their leaders,
• Although a significant percentage of temple visitors know the temple president, most do not know of the GBC, what purpose the GBC body serves, or who their local GBC zonal secretary is,

• A large framed picture or painting of Srila Prabhupada with a plaque saying, "His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness."
• Alongside Prabhupada's picture and significantly smaller, a photograph of the local GBC, Regional Secretary (where there is one), and Temple President, with a plaque stating the name of the GBC and temple president, and the name of the city the temple is in.
• Alongside the photos a one-page framed document on ISKCON letterhead briefly describing Srila Prabhupada as the Founder-Acarya, the GBC as the ultimate ecclesiastical authority, and the local GBC and temple president (or local temple management team or board) as the local authorities.
• The wording of this document is up to the local temple.
• Sample:
  • His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
  • Srila Prabhupada formed a Governing Body Commission (GBC) to oversee ISKCON's worldwide spiritual and missionary activities. The GBC meets annually in Mayapur, West Bengal, India, to set ecclesiastical policies for the society. Each ISKCON center is managed by a temple president, or other officers, or both, whose primary responsibility is to maintain the spiritual standards of the center. A GBC representative sees to it that these international policies are implemented.
  • Srila Prabhupada's religious and philosophical teachings and personal character remain perpetually the inspiration for all the members of ISKCON.

• Srila Prabhupada always stressed the importance of book distribution as one of the principal means of propagating the spiritual, ethical, moral, cultural and religious teachings of the Krishna consciousness movement,
• The GBC Body thus has a responsibility to develop book distribution worldwide,
• The GBC Body hereby reaffirms its topmost priority of hearing about recent accomplishments by the BBT, learning of challenges faced by the various BBT licensees, and reviewing comparative book distribution results in various parts of the world,
• An increased awareness and exchange of ideas at the top level will help the global coordination of book distribution efforts,

• The paper "On My Order-Understood" contains assumptions and assertions that, in numerous places, do not match the available evidence from the statements of Srila Prabhupada,
• And the GBC desires to make a more concise statement,

• The GBC officially accepts the following conclusions about continuing the disciplic succession:
  • Srila Prabhupada consistently said that his disciples would themselves become spiritual masters. Guru, sadhu, and sastra all support this standard way of continuing the disciplic succession.
  • Srila Prabhupada said that his disciples would become "regular gurus" and that each of their disciples would thus be a "disciple of my disciple."
  • On the strength of our Vaisnava tradition and the statements of Srila Prabhupada, the GBC concludes that Srila Prabhupada intended his disciples to become "regular gurus" after he physically departed.
  • As a matter of utmost ecclesiastical responsibility, ISKCON's ultimate managing authority, the GBC, regulates who within ISKCON may perform the service of initiating disciples.
  • When the GBC allows a devotee to take up the service of initiating, it does not thereby endorse him as an uttama adhikäri or "pure devotee" or certify his having achieved any specific state of realization. Rather, the GBC indicates that it has no objection to his initiating disciples within ISKCON.
  • Each prospective disciple, before initiation, should become familiar with the qualifications mentioned in Srila Prabhupada's books as those that a spiritual master ought to have and decide for himself which senior devotee, if any, to approach for initiation.
  • Within this context, the choice of whom to select as one's spiritual master is ultimately the prospective disciple's own responsibility.

• There is a need for improved efficiency and accountability in ISKCON's evangelical operations in Europe,
• The GBC body has encouraged the establishment of continental committees (GBC Resolution 404/2002. Regional and Continental Governing Bodies),
• The Euro RGB has been working for the past 18 months on developing a proposal to suit the specific needs of Europe. Work which included the following:
  • continuous e-mail communication among European ISKCON leaders
  • discussion among European National Councils
  • five Euro RGB Executive Committee meetings (a total of fifteen days) assimilating all the feedback of National Councils and individual devotees
  • meeting with key GBC members with responsibility in Europe
  • three-day meeting with over 60 European leaders reviewing and fine tuning the proposal and determining their level of support

• There is a need for the GBC to ensure that ISKCON centers predominantly distribute the books of the BBT, rather than those of other publishers,

• The 108th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's appearance can bring special inspiration to the devotee community by glorifying Srila Prabhupada,
• H.H. Lokanath Swami was successful in performing the service of Srila Prabhupada Centennial Global Minister,

• The current ISKCON Law provides that a ten-person committee, by a simple majority, may nominate a candidate for serving as a guru,
• A simple majority allows a thin margin of support,
• When the GBC Secretary sends the GBC members the name of a candidate, he does not send the full report of how the members of the nominating committee voted and their reasons,

---

quote:

A candidate for guru in ISKCON must first receive a three-fourths majority vote of approval in a council composed of all the GBC zonal secretaries of his current preaching area and at least ten other senior devotees residing in his area of activity. The council will be organized and convened by the GBC zonal secretary(s).

---

---

quote:

The council shall evaluate the candidate according to the qualifications for guru given by Srila Prabhupada in his oral and written teachings and by the GBC Body in its standards and guidelines. Each member of the Area Council shall fill out the Guru Qualifications Checklist and return it to be compiled by the Area Council chairman.

---

---

quote:

After verifying that the candidate has been properly endorsed, the GBC Corresponding Secretary shall send the candidate's name with the full letter of endorsement and the compilation of responses by the local nominating committee to all members of the GBC.

---