By GBC Chairman HH Bhanu Swami
Dear Members of ISKCON,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Below you will find the resolutions from our recently completed GBC meetings help in Sri Dhama Mayapura. Please excuse us for the delay. We will try to avoid it for next year.
For the second year in a row, we are including the “Whereas” section of the resolutions for you to read. The Whereas’s are meant to give the reasons for the resolutions. Hopefully they will give you a better idea of some of the rationale behind the decisions.
You will find there are much fewer resolutions this year than in the past. There are only fourteen, and even some of those are routine decisions, such as when the next meeting will be in Mayapura. Devotees (including GBC members) have been telling us for years that rather than coming out with numerous resolutions that many don’t even read, better to concentrate on key areas to best serve Srila Prabhupada’s society.
We have to weigh that consideration with another important principle: that any member of ISKCON can, with the support of a GBC sponsor, submit a proposal for consideration at the GBC meetings. We want to be open to devotee’s suggestions, while at the same time concentrate our time on key areas that need attention in our society.
In that regards, this year, as reported on Dandavats.com and elsewhere, we spent three days discussing plans for ISKCON’s future. This is an on-going task, and will be the main topic of discussion in our upcoming June meeting in New Vrindavan. We understand that while the preliminary work of this planning may entail discussions amongst GBC members, we will need to hear from all the varieties of members of our society. There are devotees senior to most GBC members, direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada’s, second generation and third generation members, congregation members as well as those living in our ashramas. And there is such variety in terms of locale. While we share the same basic tenets of Krishna Consciousness as per Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, there is tremendous diversity in the details of ISKCON practices in such a global community as ours. In the upcoming months and years we will want to work with all such devotees to help create an ISKCON Srila Prabhupada will be pleased with.
Being the GBC chairman is no doubt a challenging service. I hope I can serve the needs of our society properly this year.
Your servant, Bhanu Swami
http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/GBCresolutions/GBCRES07.htm
Personally, I am observing Prbahupada’s mission of spreading Krsna Consciousness is becoming very successful day after day. It will reach to the height of Goloka Vrindavan supreme abode of Hari. Above all there is desire of Mohaprabhu and His successor Prabhupada on this divine mission. This mission is currently leading whole world into Krsna Consciousness. So, there should not be any doubt about resolve of Krsna by His golden avatar of Mohaprabhu, that in this age of Kali, only “Hari Nam” is only way for salvation and getting mercy of supreme Lord Krsna. That has been realized by many of Prabhupada’s devotees today and also by 2nd, 3rd, 4th generations of devotees. Even it is realized by many those who are still not direct devotees in ISKCON though following this Krsna Consciousness movement. This movement will go forward with blessing of Mohaprabhu and Prabhupada without any doubt. All followers must be cheered knowing that they are following right directions from their Guru Moharaj, senior devotees,,Prabhupada, Mohaprabhu who is Krsna Himself.
First thing one need to do, must follow directions from one’s direct Guru Moharaj and try to please him as much as possible. Above all if Guru is not happy, his Guru will not happy and then Krsna will not be happy at the end. So following directions from immediate Guru is first and foremost thing in Krsna Consciousness.
Second thing, chanting name of Lord as directed by Guru Moharaj is always desirable. At least remembering Lord always in heart is very much pleasurable. So thinking about Prabhupada, Mohaprabhu or Krsna is always better. When one thinks about Lord, Lord always shows one right path and right direction.
Third, One must try to do whatever services one can do to their nearest centers like distributing Prabhupada’s books, giving donations whatever possible to support this movement, working with devotees, maintaining temple duties, developing Krsna’s societies, making internet preaching, collecting nice thoughts and teaching of Prabhupada and His successful disciples, even selling Prbahupada’s books through internet, attending Bhavat classes, writing books for children about Krsna and other Vaisanavs etc. Thus giving services one can push this Krsna Consciousness movement forward.
Fourthly, the current project in Mayapur should be completed as per Prabhupada’s wish.
All glory to GBC and Prabhupada! All glory to Mohaprabhu! All glory to Pancha Tattva, Hare Krsna! Haribol!
Hare Krsna,
I would like to give my support and encouragement to the GBC for their action in finally removing Dhanurdhar as an initiating guru.
This decision has been a long time coming, and has been hard fought, so it is a relief to finally see it put to rest.
The key statement in their current resolutions are:
Part B. Clarification of the Term „Positions of Leadership”
[Statement]
RESOLVED:
Whenever the ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection rules that an offense is such as to restrict a person from serving in ISKCON in „positions of leadership” (including but not limited to offices of GBC, minister, zonal secretary or temple officer), the restriction must include the position of initiating guru. This restriction shall apply to all previous and future decisions of the Central Office of Child Protection.
This clarification unambiguously outlines Dhanurdhar’s restriction on being an initiating guru.
In fairness, this matter has required a delicate balancing act which the GBC introduction to this point addresses.
It must be accepted scripturaly and religiously that sincere chanting of the holy name is liberating devotional service.
A fair society must also leave room for punishment, forgiveness, and rehabilitation.
Balanced against such principles of rehabilitation and transformation must be the overall reputation, function, and well being of the wider society.
It is indisputable that Dhanurdar was responsible for many physical atrocities against the children in his care, scars that are still resonating for a number of individuals.
It is also quite simple that it was always up to Krsna’s youth who suffered abuse to find the space and desire to forgive Dhanurdhar, and no others can do this.
However, ISKCON as a spiritual movement must always attempt to offer shelter, encouragement and guidance to those seeking a spiritual path. Therefore I also support their letter of apology to Dhanurdhar (although equally they could apologise to those victims of his abuse who have also had to suffer ISKCON’s indecision in this matter), and I also see their invitation to him to remain inside ISKCON as one with merit.
As an example of why such an invitation has merit I would say that we still still invite those serving criminal sentences to chant, to change their lives, and to become productive members of society, as well as follow sincerely a path of devotional service.
Having been indecisive about this issue for so long, it is right that the GBC apologize. Having stripped Dhanurdar of his ability to initiate inside of ISKCON (he obviously can’t be restricted from initiating outside of ISKCON), it is best that they encourage him to stay humbly within ISKCON, providing positive association to those who seek it from him, and gaining positive association where he can, but without the plaudits of title, position, and recognition.
I pray that this issue is now closed. Although it is certainly not for me to judge when he has been forgiven by those who can forgive him, I feel that from a social perspective the GBC have made the right choice, and have found the right balance in this particular matter.
Sincerely,
Kapila Kuli