Dear Devotees and Friends,
Please accept our dandavats pranams, all glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga and all glories to Sri Sri Radha Vinode Bihariji.
Srila Gurudeva has been requesting that his society is properly established and structured since some years. He has preached for last 65 years, out of which world-wide for fourteen years, since 1996, providing shelter and instruction to so many Prabhupada and ISKCON disciples, as well as new disciples.
Much thought has gone into how we carry out the above request. We are mindful of the fact that on previous occasions when a great Acarya and Guru has disappeared, schisms and fighting have ensued. While none of us like to think about when Srila Gurudeva is no longer on the planet, it is his desire that preparations are made to continue his legacy so that we will continue to serve his mission effectively for the rest of our lives, and future generations will be able to do the same.
Srila Gurudeva has repeatedly instructed that we “stay together”. This is something he often emphasizes.
When embarking on this process we have been mindful of the following principles.
First, that the world-wide sanga is actively included in formulating the design of the society. Nothing should be imposed. The structure will benefit from the legitimacy earned by airing it amongst the sanga first and incorporating valuable feedback.
Second, the purpose of the structure is to facilitate the flow and growth of our bhakti. If something does not do this or risks impeding bhakti, then it is not included.
Thirdly, we have a special respect for local initiative and service. We wish to avoid overly centralized or authoritarian set ups. Seva is rendered by inspired devotees who come together as like-minded souls to serve Radha-Krsna and Srila Gurudeva. Genuine seva is not inspired through hands on management and control.
With the above in mind we have produced a first draft of the proposed structure. It needs to be read with today in mind but also within the context of a day, hopefully in many, many years, when Srila Gurudeva is no longer with us in his physical form.
Your comments or suggestions are important!
There is nothing final about this draft. It is for your feedback, both positive and negative. You are also invited to ask questions in case something is not clear or you want to understand why we have proposed this or that.
Take part in the discussion by submitting your comments on www.backtobhakti.com in the comments box below this post. (Feel free to speak your mind but please refrain from any Vaisnava aparadha and observe Vaisnava etiquette for a Krishna conscious outcome.)
As your feedback comes in, by mid September we will try to adjust and update the draft structure; once more we will ask for your feedback and thus hope to present a somewhat final draft when we are at Kartik time.
We humbly offer this as our service to Srila Gurudeva. We appreciate that we are very imperfect and ask you to forgive our faults in this endeavor.
Hare Krsna,
With love and affection.
Your aspiring servants,
Brajanath das & Yasodananda das
FIRST AND FOREMOST LIMB OF THE SOCIETY:
“THE HEART”
1st CHAMBER
The Presiding Board, consisting of:
- Srila Gurudeva
- Sripad BV Tirtha Maharaja & Sripad Premananda das Brahmacari
- Sripad BV Madhava Maharaja & Sripad BV Vana Maharaja &
- Sripad Rasananda das Brahmacari
2nd CHAMBER
Consisting primarily of our respected Sannyasis and Senior Preachers.
Responsibilities:
- Teaching and Demonstrating Ideal Vaisnava Behaviour
- Look After Publication and Distribution of Transcendental Literatures and Hari-katha in Organized Ways
- Continuation of Kartik, Vraja Mandala Parikrama & Gaura Mandala Parikrama as well as Yearly Festivals
(THIS IS THE HEART OF THE SOCIETY)
SECOND LIMB OF THE SOCIETY:
SEVA TEAMS
Consisting of all Types of Transcendental Seva Teams Including:
- Book Publishing Seva Team
- Math and Preaching Center Seva Team
- Regional Seva Team
- Ombuds Seva Team
- Book Distribution Seva Team
- Communication Seva Team
- Education Seva Team
- Co-ordination Seva Team
- Finance Seva Team
- Trust Seva Team, Etc.
THIRD LIMB OF THE SOCIETY:
ADVISORY BOARD
Consisting of Srila Gurudeva, Respected Sannyasis, Senior Vaisnavis and Vaisnavas, as well as Representatives of the Different Seva Teams
Responsibilities:
- Approve Methods and Guidelines to Nourish the Transcendental Life of the Society’s Members
- Schedule and Conduct Official Meetings at the time of Kartika and Gaura Purnima
PLEASE TAKE PART IN THE DISCUSSION.
Send us your feedback and suggestions!
* Many thanks to Premananda prabhu from Italyfor using his picture in the banner above.
4 Responses to “For Your Feedback”
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Dandavat Pranams !Srila Gurudeva Ki Jay!
“Organisation Chart” implies the organisation of the devotees activities . First we need agree upon what the prime activities of our Organisation are actually going to be .If its congregational chanting and Hari katar on at least daily basis , transcendental literature printing and distribution , outreaching and parakrama and festival organisation, gurukula,s etc —that will require a lot of infrastructure and an economic base .We will need land and buildings to accomodate those activities and an economic base to support those activities and support , feed and cloth those full time devotes undertaking them.
Most of our functions require infrastructure .The activities that the Society is being created to organize will have to take place somewhere .
Organisation also implies that protocol,format , location and time of day and time of week etc be somewhat standardized for the purpose of familiarizing the new persons and general public . And also to give the members a sense of uniformity , continuity and that their society has an identifiable shared culture .
Therefore to be effective and efficient we need a blueprint . A practical plan as to how the activities we are intending to organize will in fact be instigated , enhanced and replicated .
The present society at large was termed by Prabhupad as an “oil based society”and He indicated it was inherently unsustainable .Prabhupads vision was for Self sufficient Vedic farming communities
It is my humble suggestion that we embrace Srila Prabhupadas model as a stable material platform for our new society .
..
To reiterate :- [1] wee need our own permanent centers where daily kirtan and pravachand go on
[2]we need places for the travelling preachers to be accommodate and speak hari katar and train and accommodate new people ,
[3]places for the translators and publishers and book distributors to live and work and feed them selves .
[4]places for our own schools and for the teachers and students to live and be supported
[5]The preachers , publishers , pujaries , book distributers, teachers ,gurukula students all need somewhere to live and be supported to do their seva
[6]house holders need a mode of goodness livelihood [farming , cottage industries]with the scope for attending devotional programs and the ability to support the preachers and those fully engaged in seva
It is my fervent belief that all these aims can be achieved by implementing Srila Swami Maharaja Prabhupadas blueprint for self sufficient vedic farming communities .
Without buildings land , and infrastructure we wont have a tangible society and wont even need any organisation – there will be nothing and no one to organize .And without a stable economic base we wont be able to support the infrastructure and the full time sevaks.We also need meaningfully engagement for our children , new devotees and householders .
To not embrace Srila Prabupadas perfect plan and blueprint for a a perfect society is to really miss a golden opportunity to establish a society that will be really sustainable .If we create a unique and distinctive , sustainable culture ,separate and superior to the mainstream it will grow like wildfire . Otherwise we will remain invisible and soon disappear.
I believe Srila Gurudeva sees His sanga collapsing after He leaves as a distinct possibility and thats why He is pushing for a new society . That means a substantial change in direction .A few cosmetic changes and business as usual wont do it .We need a substantial change of policy throughout .An agrarian economic base , support for our members , a district cultural identity and our own rural based temple/school/communities where as many devotes as wish can live a Vedic lifestyle
Just my humble opinion — time will tell all.
Radhe Radhe !!
Dear Mathuranath prabhu,
please accept my dandavats pranams. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga and all glories to Sri Sri Radha Vinode Bihariji.
Excellent point, thank you so much for your input. Your spiritual passion for developing the ideal blueprint is most welcome. I propose you form a small seva team and by your own example you establish an ideal farm community which possesses all the ingredients that you describe.
aspiring for the service of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas
Brajanath das
One should understand Krishna in truth, and this one can do only by serving a pure devotee.
Srimad Bhagavatham, 7.9.24
Temples or Maths and Centers
We are YET to have procedures/policies/guidelines in place as to what our Maths (if any) should actually be in the west.
Obviously in India we see the beautiful functioning Kesavji Gaudiya Matha and others, but we don’t have any real math in the west. Why is this??
If we don’t establish some real math’s in the West then where are the single and sincere devotees supposed to go? There are so many devotees who want to be involved full-time, and who are not grhastas, and are not able to stay in India permanently.
As a society we should take care of these people, and not only that, but in an organized, dare I say it, controlled way.
In Houston they are building a Temple.. but they are unsure as to which direction to take. Though they are now building and have invested over $800,000 into the structure already, they are still un-sure if Bramacaris will stay there, how many kitchens to have (one for the deities and one for devotees) etc etc and basically the whole functioning of the place.
In Los Angeles I recently asked if I could stay there and they said “no room”. I am trying to be a bramacari. If one is a bramacari and cant stay in a temple, then where is he supposed to go? Is he to go get a house and a job etc like everyone else??.. currently he really has to.
I know one bramacari who has been a devotee for over 40years. He was with Srila Prabhupada, then Srila Sridara Maharaja, then Srila Gurudeva from the early 90′s. He was actually asked by Srila Gurudeva to take Sanyasa way back in the 90′s. But because there is nowhere for him to go, he is in saffron but has to stay with family! This is NOT RIGHT! As we are a spiritual society we have to look after the brahmans and the senior full-time devotees.. not continue to neglect them. I think this is one of the most important things that needs to be done right now in our sanga. It is a centralized thing around which our ‘society’ can live.
To properly develop and maintain math’s in the west some ‘control’ from above must be there (in regards to defining their roles) and also financial support from the sanga at large must be there too, to help support and maintain them. Many millions of dollars has gone into building different math’s in India… but there is nothing in the west. Shouldn’t we also look after ourselves here in the west?
Where are YOU going to go when you are ready to leave grhasta life?… India?… Very few can do that permanently.
Dear Sacinanda prabhu,
please accept my dandavats pranams. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga and all glories to Sri Sri Radha Vinode Bihariji.
Thank you for your excellent words, a cry out for shelter. As a reply may I suggest that we look at that what is working/functioning well and apply this in our own situation? We actually do have well functioning centers in the West where brahmacharinis and single mothers can go. In London, in Brighton, and now in Brazil, the single ladies can find shelter and be inspired in their bhakti. Srila Gurudeva is very pleased with his daughters for their selfless seva. And guess what, our sisters are also extremely eager for attending Harikatha festivals in India and other parts of the world.
Why not follow that which is already working well? Perhaps the Gangamatas can share with us how they are performing this seva?
aspiring for the service of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas
Brajanath das
One should understand Krishna in truth, and this one can do only by serving a pure devotee.
Srimad Bhagavatham, 7.9.24