Although this letter is delayed by the unforeseen change of agenda at the Midterm General Meetings in Ujjain, please accept our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the decades of service you have rendered on behalf of Srila Prabhupada's GBC Body. For twenty years, you have shouldered the responsibility for the Russian yatra, which is not only one of our largest yatras, but also one of the most successful under your capable leadership. Over and over again, the future of K...

We write to you with saddened hearts. As you well know, HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja has been faithfully and steadily serving his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, and the global ISKCON society for more than four decades. From his years of preaching and serving in temples in the United States and India, up to his taking sannyasa so that he could even more fully dedicate his life to Srila Prabhupada's mission, Maharaja has been an example of loyal and humble service...

The GBC directs the Mayapur Executive Board (MEB) to approve the request from the Jayapataka Swami Sisya Samuha to build a structure designated for the purposes of a Guest House, Devotee Care Facility, Offices, Archives and Museum on the five acre plot of land as proposed to the GBC on February 16, 2018. The MEB should ensure the project goes through the standard review procedures with special attention to guarantee proper green space and height limitations. Also, there shou...

Whereas someone skilled and experienced is required to establish and develop the new ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office); Whereas Champakalata dd has volunteered to take up this service; Resolved: That Champakalata Devi Dasi is appointed as the Director of the ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office) for a period of two years from March 2018 to February 2020. It is further resolved that the ...

Whereas the issues of implementation of Vaishnavi diksa-gurus and disciples initiating in the presence of their initiating guru in ISKCON remain unresolved; Whereas there is a critical need for many more devotees to serve as diksa-guru in ISKCON; Whereas there are at least 9 million congregational members in ISKCON; Whereas ISKCON has less than 80 devotees available to give diksa to potentially 9 million people; Whereas if every congregational member sought initiation eac...

Whereas the Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database was started in 1995 as part of the Srila Prabhupada Centennial Project under the petal of Uniting Srila Prabhupada’s Family and is based on the “Initiation Name Book” which was compiled by Srila Prabhupada’s secretaries; Whereas Mahamaya-devi dasi (ACBSP) has expanded the approximate 3,900 names from the last version of the initiation name book that she typed in 1977 by compiling through research of Srila Prabhupada’s...

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is committed to the well being of all individuals involved with ISKCON, especially children and other more vulnerable participants. ISKCON recognizes that children, for their full and harmonious development, need to be raised in an atmosphere of love, support, guidance and understanding. ISKCON acknowledges that children, when so raised, are likely to play a vital role in the future of our Society. Thus, placing the...

A sannyasi, in the varnasrama society, is expected to have material and spiritual qualifications even more exalted than those possessed by a brahmana. According to the Bhagavad-gita, a brahmana should possess the following qualities: Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness – these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work. Bg. 18.42 Therefore, a bona fide sannyasi is expected to possess the above qua...

Establishing the Spiritual Advisors Bhagavata Assembly, or SABHA, has manifold functions. It aims at strengthening unity among ISKCON’s global spiritual leaders. It facilitates their cooperation, communication and working relation for the progress of Srila Prabhupada’s movement. The SABHA provides checks and balances on the authority of the GBC and course-correction for its decisions. More consultation, more dialogue and more interaction can be conducive to better, wise...

ISKCON center officials shall be responsible to ensure that any and all web sites published by the center prominently feature a picture of Srila Prabhupada on the introductory page. This picture should be larger than any other individual’s photo (such as the GBC, center President, or guru). Srila Prabhupada should be addressed by his formal name and title: “His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness,” or “...

One World Team (passed by Correspondence Vote in September 2017) Summary: "Inspired by the success of the goal-driven model for increasing book distribution in North America, the BBT Marketing and Communications Department would like to propose a "One World Team" approach with an aim to increase book distribution in all temples around the world. By setting a unified worldwide goal and by providing methods by which congregations can be engaged in systematic book distribut...

Many years ago, a relatively small group of devotees claimed that some of Srila Prabhupada's devoted servants had poisoned their beloved guru and caused his disappearance from this world. These conspiracy theorists accused dedicated Vaisnavas of the greatest evil, and they did so with no credible evidence. No reliable science or witnesses supported their ghastly accusations, and so the Vaisnava community in general rejected their unjust claims.

The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin on February 3, 2018. Following the ISKCON GBC Society's Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by TWO GBC members, to be submitted by December 31, 2017. This will allow adequate time for the GBC Deputies to prepare the proposals for presentation at the meeting. Please follow the format for GBC Proposals, attached as a fillable PDF. Plain text submissions are also acceptable

On October 15th and 16th, HH Hridayananda Das Goswami and HG Brahma Tirtha Prabhu met with the GBC Body and a special subcommittee to discuss some mutual philosophical concerns and Krishna West. The committee members included the GBC Executive Committee--Bhakti Charu Swami, Madhu Sevita Das & Bhaktivaibhava Swami--as well as Sivarama Swami, Radhanath Swami, Guru Prasad Swami, Prahladananda Swami, Badrinarayan Swami, Bir Krishna Das Goswami and Praghosa Das.

Next January there will be an examination on this Bhagavad-gita. Papers will be sent by me to all centers, and those securing the minimum passing grade will be given the title as Bhakti-sastri. Similarly, another examination will be held on Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day in February, 1970 and it will be upon Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Those passing will get the title of Bhakti-vaibhava. Another examination will be held sometimes in 1971 on the four books, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and Nectar of Devotion. One wh...

The spiritual qualification to serve as a member of the GBC, therefore, isn’t some extraordinarily elevated inner realization but tangible following. As Srila Prabhupada wrote in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.18.15: “This Krsna consciousness movement directly receives instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead via persons who are strictly following His instructions. Although a follower may not be a liberated person, if he follows the supreme, liberated Personality of Godhead, his actions are naturally liberated from the contamination of the material nature.”...

In the document establishing the GBC, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “So far my books are concerned, I am setting up a different body of management known as the BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST. The trustees of this body are also members of the GBC, but their function is not dependent on the GBC.” (Direction of Management, July 28, 1970) The next day, in the BBT founding document, Srila Prabhupada described that the BBT and ISKCON were indissolubly connected but legally separated: “PURPOSE OF TRUST – This trust is created and shall be operated exclusivel...

Three months after establishing the GBC, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “Formerly I issued one circular letter requesting all GBC members who are zonal secretaries also, to give me a fortnightly report of the activities in his jurisdiction, but I am not receiving. I’ve received no letter since a very long time from Karandhara, and I’m very interested to know how things are going in L.A. We have a great responsibility to pay $2,000. monthly to the church trustees.” (Letter to Rupanuga, October 28, 1970) Srila Prabhupada acted as overseer of the (t...

Srila Prabhupada expressed in the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.3.23, purport) his own protective feelings about ISKCON: “Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed by Kamsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kamsa’s previous atrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that Krsna would be killed. This is why the word suvismita has been used. Similarly, we are also astounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by the asuras or will ...

Srila Prabhupada wrote: “I have formed this GBC for that purpose, to keep the devotional standards at the highest level and at the same time to manage a world-wide 14 organization.” (Letter to Rupanuga, November 4, 1970) Although most management takes place locally, a number of global functions for which the GBC is responsible need funding and staffing for effective operation. As Srila Prabhupada explains in the Bhagavad-gita (12.10, purport): “Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization, and labor. Just as in business one requires a...