{"id":11313,"date":"2013-03-02T16:57:53","date_gmt":"2013-03-02T15:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=11313"},"modified":"2013-03-02T16:59:47","modified_gmt":"2013-03-02T15:59:47","slug":"sanga-for-gbcs-gurus-and-sannyasis-day-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=11313","title":{"rendered":"Sanga for GBCs, Gurus, and Sannyasis: Day two"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the GBC Community Relations Office<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The second day of the Sanga for GBCs, Gurus, and Sannyasis (SGGS) in Sridham Mayapur began on February 27 with Laxmimoni Prabhu reading of a collection of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s instructions on the importance of cooperation to successfully spread Krishna consciousness all over the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Then Gopal Bhatta Prabhu invited the facilitators of three of the previous day\u2019s breakout sessions to present the results of their groups\u2019 discussions. Atul Krishna Prabhu, facilitator for \u201cBecoming Guru in ISKCON,\u201d shared with the SGGS both his group\u2019s concerns and their support for the current system of devotees becoming initiating gurus in ISKCON. At the moment, to become an initiating guru requires that a group of ten senior devotees who know the candidate recommend him to the GBC, who either has no objection, because of the devotee\u2019s standing, or wishes to discuss the proposal further at their next Annual General Meeting.<\/p>\n

The SGGS breakout session identified several pitfalls of the current system. For example, having senior devotees and the GBC give no objection to a devotee initiating can tend to decrease the responsibility aspiring disciples should have to properly examine their prospective gurus; \u201cno objection\u201d is tantamount in many devotees\u2019 minds to \u201capproval.\u201d The current system also has the potential to imply that siksa-gurus \u2013 usually an aspiring devotee\u2019s first spiritual caregivers \u2013 are in some way less than diksa-gurus in importance or spiritual development \u2013 an impression ISKCON does not want to give.<\/p>\n

The advantage, however, in maintaining the current system of recommendations and \u201cno objection\u201d is that it may help reduce the risk of unqualified persons becoming initiating gurus and ensure that ISKCON initiating gurus and their disciples are indeed following Srila Prabhupada\u2019s instructions and mood, and that they remain within his mission.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

To manage both positive and negative aspects of the system, the group recommended the GBC better educate devotees on guru-tattva. They also suggested more training programs and peer support for ISKCON gurus, that gurus sign oath of allegiance Srila Prabhupada asked his leaders to sign, and to continue having local, ten-devotee committees providing the \u201cno-objection\u201d statement, but consider foregoing the GBC review.<\/p>\n

The second group, facilitated by Gauri Prabhu, discussed \u201cRedressing the \u2018Hinduization\u2019 of ISKCON.\u201d Gauri Prabhu first delineated the issues, which included an overdependence on the Hindu community for service and financial support \u2013 something that can lead to temple leaders narrowing preaching agendas; that there is a potential for an interpolation of beliefs and practices; and that those not of Indian ethnicity may not feel comfortable in predominantly Hindu congregations. The group did not have immediate solutions to these issues but felt that solving them required more discussion.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Kalakantha Prabhu presented on behalf of a group discussing the Sannyasa Ministry and the GBC Resolution on sannyasi deployment. In October 2012 the GBC resolved that for at least a few months a year newly initiated sannyasis should remain available to be sent to areas of the world needing special attention or to serve in other ways necessary for ISKCON\u2019s well-being and expansion.<\/p>\n

ISKCON currently has eighty-eight sannyasis, twenty of whom have zonal responsibilities. At the moment there are thirty-two sannyasa candidates. Given that some areas and temples attract many visiting sannyasis while others very few, and that sannyasis could contribute significantly to a number of special projects, the group agreed with the GBC resolution for the strategic placement of sannyasis. More specifically, the group recommended to the GBC that sannyasis be strategically engaged eight months of the year since ISKCON\u2019s need is great in so many places; they felt the remaining four months were adequate time for sannyasis to visit disciples, attend retreats, or do whatever other preaching inspires them. The eight months of strategic placement would include sannyasis\u2019 current service and preaching zones \u2013 the intention is not to disrupt current preaching programs but to cover more areas of the world. This eight-month requirement would apply mainly to new sannyasis and sannyasa candidates and not ISKCON\u2019s senior sannyasis. Details of how this will be set into motion are being worked out.<\/p>\n

For the remainder of the morning, SGGS participants rejoined their breakout sessions for further discussion, then met again in plenary after lunch to hear two additional group presentations, starting with \u201cAssessment of Leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

This group\u2019s facilitator, Naresvara Prabhu, explained that the idea of assessing leaders\u2019 performance was meant to help develop a sense of stronger accountability. Initially the GBC wishes to begin these assessments with their own members and to perform them annually. These assessments will be done sensitively. The idea is to help leaders identify their strengths and weaknesses and to help them overcome any deficiencies by providing them additional support, training, or, in some cases, an adjustment of service. Before these assessments can take place, the GBC has to clearly define what is expected of a GBC member, a definition that\u2019s been in development for some months as devotees cull all of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s instructions on the matter and write an actual service description for the GBC.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Vraja Lila Prabhu gave the last presentation of the day. Her group\u2019s topic was \u201cRelevant and Relatable Outreach.\u201d The group identified what they felt were the core values that should be upheld in all outreach projects, including chastity to Srila Prabhupada instructions and teachings, maintaining the importance of following the four regulative principles, not mixing our teachings with Mayavada or sahajiya<\/i> philosophy, and a central focus on bhakti. Without these elements, people can become attracted to the \u201cexternal package\u201d of Krishna consciousness and miss out on the deeper, bhakti essence and Srila Prabhupada\u2019s association.<\/p>\n

Rather than try to decide what is a bona fide ISKCON outreach program and what is not, the group suggested we be supportive of anyone who maintains the above standards whether their outreach programs tend toward the conservative or the innovative. The group also suggested that the GBC form a subcommittee to produce a guidelines and standards paper for devotees designing outreach programs.<\/p>\n

The remainder of the day was spent in breakout sessions. Since the GBC meetings officially begin on day three of the SGGS, the third day of the Sanga will be reserved for an exposition on the GBC\u2019s strategic plan. The GBC will rejoin the SGGS for the final fourth and fifth days.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the GBC Community Relations Office<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second day of the Sanga for GBCs, Gurus, and Sannyasis (SGGS) in Sridham Mayapur began on February 27 with Laxmimoni Prabhu reading of a collection of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s instructions on the importance of cooperation to successfully spread Krishna consciousness all over the world<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11313\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}