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EDITORIAL  Practice Of Sectarianism BY MADHAVANANDA DAS EDITORIAL, Feb 8 (VNN) — Dear Gaura Priya Dasi, (With regard to your recent VNN article about Boise, Idaho). Like you I also don't like the hypocracy of declarations of non- sectarianism and simultaneous practice of sectarianism. This happens not only with Srila Narayan Maharaj but with other of Prabhupada's good friends such as Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami Maharaj (disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Goswami Prabhupada, and great supporter of our Srila Prabhpada), what to speak of the offenses that were committed against Prabhupada's other fast friend and partner in bringing the Movement to the west; namely Srila Bhakti Rakshak ShridharDev Goswami (disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Goswami Prabhupada). The idea that we should discard our god-given power of discrimination when it comes to judging Prabhupada's godbrothers is lunacy. There may have been some who opposed or were jealous of Prabhupada's bold mission to the west; his struggle and his outstanding success, yet there were many who spoke out loudly against those ill informed godbrothers and they are not only our elders but they are our supporters and our heroes. I believe the Lord is wishing us to discard our partisan moods and Co-Operate to help the world become truely happy, peaceful & prosperous. With regard to the GBC, I enclose the original desire of Srila Prabhupada in that regard (from the Archive Vedabase) wherein he clearly states his desire for term limits for GBC members and a decentralized management system with local temple presidents elected by the local congregations of the temples. (See Srila Prabhupada's letters to me 1973/'74 Bhaktivedanta Manor presidential elections, also in the Archive Vedabase) The GBC members who should be serving for 3 years only are to see that Prabhupada's desires are fulfilled, such as his desire for his centers to be non-sectarian in the way he has described in his talk quoted by you in your article. Here you are a sincere follower of Lord Chaitanya, initiated by someone who is no longer interested in Prabhupada or Lord Chaitanya, taking shelter of Narayan Maharaj as Prabhpada instructed us to do in Nov. 1977 and told not to come to Prabhupada's temple! If we don't speak out against this, and if Prabhpada's disciples continue to remain silent in the face of these anti-Iskcon Founder Acharya policies, then we are derilict in our duties to Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and His representatives. Keep up your mood which reminds me of our Lord's defiance of the Chand kasi and His Mercy towards him when he sat down and convinced him in Nabadwip 500+ years ago. Your servant in Srila Prabhupada's service, Madhavananda das (initiated 1970, SKP leader Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, New York, President Calcutta, Paris, Detroit, Life Membership Director England.) madhava58@yahoo.com DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INCORPORATED FOUNDER-ACHARYA: HIS DIVINE GRACE A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT I, the undersigned, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, disciple of Om Visnupad Paramhansa 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj Prabhupada, came in the United States in 1965 on September 18th for the purpose of starting Krishna Consciousness Movement. For one year I had no shelter. I was travelling in many parts of this country. Then in 1966, July, I incorporated the Society under the name and style the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, briefly ISKCON. The lawyer was Mr. J. Goldsmith. Gradually the Society increased, and one after another branches were opened. Now we have got thirty-four (34) branches enlisted herewith: Amsterdam, Holland Atlanta, Georgia.........1476 Oxford Rd. N.E. 30322 Baltimore, Maryland.........1300 N. Calvert St. Berkeley, California.........2710 Durant Avenue 94704 Berlin, West Germany Boston, Massachusetts...... 40 N. Beacon St. 02134 Boulder, Colorado.........623 Concord St. Buffalo, New York.........40 Englewood Ave. 14214 Chicago, Illinois.........2210 N. Halstead St. Columbus,Ohio.........318East20thAve.43201 Detroit, Michigan.........74 West Forest St. 48201 Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. Hamburg, West Germany......2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstrasse 65 Honolulu, Hawaii.........2016 McKinley St. 96822 Laguna Beach, California......130 Woodland Drive 92651 London, England.........7 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, W..C. 1 Los Angeles, California......3764 Watseka Ave. 90034 Montreal, Canada.........3720 Park Ave. New Vrndavana, W. Virginia...RD 3 Moundsville 26041 New York City, New York...... 61 Second Ave. 10003 Paris, France............c/o Serge Elbeze, BO 113 Paris 14 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania......416 South 10th St. 19147 Provincetown, Massachusetts...104 Bradford St. San Diego, California......3689 Park Blvd. San Francisco, California......618 Frederick St. 94117 San Jose, California.........70 Hawthorne Way Santa Barbara, California ......6654 del Playa, Goleta 93017 Seattle, Washington.........n5516 Roosevelt Way N.E. 98105 St. Louis, Missouri.........4544 LaClede Ave. 63110 Sydney, Australia.........298 Birrell St. Bondi, N.S.W. 2026 Tokyo, Japan............6-16, 2 Chome Ohhashi, Meguro-Ku Toronto, Canada.........40 Beverly St., Ontario Vancouver, Canada.........260 Raymur St., No. 305, B.C. Washington, D.C..........2015 Q Street N.W. 20009 As we have increased our volume of activities, now I think a Governing Body Commission (hereinafter referred to as the GBC) should be established. I am getting old, 75 years old, therefore at any time I may be out of the scene, therefore I think it is necessary to give instruction to my disciples how they shall manage the whole institution. They are already individual centers represented by one president, one secretary and one treasurer, and in my opinion they are doing nice. But we want still more improvement in the standard of Temple management, propaganda for Krishna Consciousness, distribution of books and literatures, opening of new centers and educating devotees to the right standard. Therefore, I have decided to adopt the following principles and I hope my beloved disciples will kindly accept them. There was a meeting in San Francisco during the Ratha Yatra festival 1970 and many presidents of the centers were present. In that meeting it was resolved that an ad hoc committee be set up to form the constitution which is taken into consideration. My duty was to first appoint twelve (12) persons to my free choice amongst my disciples and I do it now and their names are as follows: 1. Sriman Rupanuga Das Adhikary 2. Sriman Bhagavandas Adhikary 3. Sriman Syamsundar Das Adhikary 4. Sriman Satsvarupa Das Adhikary 5. Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary 6. Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikary 7. Sriman Tamala Krsna Das Adhikary 8. Sriman Sudama Das Adhikary 9. Sriman Bali Mardan Das Brahmacary 10. Sriman Jagadisa Das Adhikary 11. Sriman Hayagriva Das Adhikary 12. Sriman Krsnadas Adhikary These personalities are now considered as my direct representatives. While I am living they will act as my zonal secretaries and after my demise they will be known as Executors. I have already awarded Sannyas or the renounced order of life to some of my students and they have also got very important duties to perform in this connection. The Sannyasis will travel to our different centers for preaching purpose as well as enlightening the members of the center for spiritual advancement. The Sannyasis will suggest for opening new centers in suitable places and the GBC will take action on it. As was stipulated by the ad hoc committee, the function of the GBC will be as follows with particulars: PARTICULARS OF THE GOVERNING BODY COMMISSION "The purpose of the Governing Body Commission is to act as the instrument for the execution of the Will of His Divine Grace. And further, 1. The GBC oversees all operations and management of ISKCON, as it receives direction from Srila Prabhupada and His Divine Grace has the final approval in all matters. 2. His Divine Grace will select the initial 12 members of the GBC. In the succeeding years the GBC will be elected by a vote of all Temple presidents who will vote for 8 from a ballot of all Temple presidents, which may also include any secretary who is in charge of a Temple. Those 8 with the greatest number of votes will be members for the next term of GBC. Srila Prabhupada will choose to retain four commissioners. In the event of Srila Prabhupada's absence, the retiring members will decide which four will remain. 3. The commissioners will serve for a period of 3 years, and they may be re-elected at the end of this period. 4. The chairman is elected by the GBC for each meeting. He has no veto power, but in event of a vote tie, his vote will decide. The same will apply for votes cast by mail between regular meetings. 5. Throughout the year, each of the commissioners will stay with His Divine Grace for one month at a time and keep the other commissioners informed of His Divine Grace's instructions. 6. The primary objective of the GBC is to organize the opening of new Temples and to maintain the established Temples. 7. Advice will be given by the GBC in cases of real property purchases, which will be in the name of ISKCON, INC. (Trucks or other vehicles will be purchased in the name of the local president). 8. Removal of a Temple president by the GBC requires support by the local Temple members. 9. The GBC has no jurisdiction in the publication of manuscripts, which will be handled by a separate committee; profits to be returned to Srila Prabhupada. 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. ISKCON Press was created for the exclusive publication of my books and literatures and should be continued in that way. During my absence no one shall live in my apartment. ACB A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Witnessed by: Date July 28th 1970 (Robert F. Corens) Rupanuga das Adhikary (William R. Ehrlichman) Bhagavan das Adhikary (Kelly Gifford Smith) Karandhar das Adhikary Date July 28th, 1970 At the World Head Quarters 3764, Watseka Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90034 The 1966 New York Journal of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhup¢da Thursday 7 July CONSTITUTION OF ASSOCIATION 1. The name of the society is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. 2. The headquarters of the Society are located at Radhakrishna Temple, 26 Second Avenue, New York City, 10003, USA. 3. The objectives for which the Society is being established are: (A) To educate the greater human society in the techniques of spiritual life as the basis for a balanced psychic and biological development, and thereby achieve for the first time in human society a real peace and unity among the contending forces in the world today. (B) To propagate the Sense of Godhead, the all attractive Personality of primal and eternal Form, as He Himself revealed in His own words in the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Scripture of the Lord Sri Krishna, the Godhead. (C) To bring together indi viduals in a Society, regardless of nationality and irrespective of creed or caste, in order to develop a nearness to the Godhead and thereby the idea that within the members and humanity-at-large there is an infinitesimal soul-spirit that is part and parcel in quality with the Godhead, and that all life is meant for the satisfaction of said Godhead, the Supreme Soul. (D) To encourage the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who demonstrated practically the transcendental process of approaching the absolute Personality of Godhead by His acts of congregational chanting of the holy name of God, a process known as Samkirtan. (E) To prove by active work and preaching that Lord Sri Krishna is the only enjoyer of all the outcomes of individual and collective sacrifice, penance, meditation, arts, culture, science, because He is the Supreme Proprietor of the whole universe, eternally apart of Him everyone knows Him as a friend. Real peace can be attained when this is realized, in fact. (F) To assist whenever and wherever possible in the building of a social structure on the real foundation of spiritual progress and establishment of peace and unity between men throughout the world. (G) To attempt to save men individually from the chain of victimization the ongoing trend in modern civilization operates by, in the name of ideologies of false sentiment, so that Man may again be a free soul, to act and live freely with spiritual vision. This is possible by individual spiritual initiation, Diksha, when a man can see everything in Godhead and Godhead in everything. (H) To further toward realization this highest truth as revealed by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the six Goswamins headed by Srila Rupa and Sanatana Goswamins. (I) To have for its objectives amongst the others four principles which the Goswamins had in view. They are the following: 1. To erect a holy place of transcendental pastimes as well as a place where members of the Lord Sri Krishna can flourish. 2. To propagate all over the world in the form of missionaries the process of devotion, the transcendental service to the Godhead, and to make known that this devotional service is the main function of the human being. 3. In order to accomplish this, to adopt proselytizing methods of peaceful means and to establish a broader society of association for all members, including scholars and admirers, to engage in this service as put forth in the Srimad Bhagwatam. 4. To install, wherever it is possible, the worship and temple of Radhakrishna and that of Sri Chaitanya, and to give facility to everyone to become trained in the modes of Archan or preparatory principles of devotional service. (J) To introduce to the members of the Society and humanity-at-large a simpler and more natural purpose in life by means suitable to the particular place and time, and as enjoined in the Bhagavad Gita. (K) To organize educational programs, such as classes and lecture tours, and to institute services, such as mailing, for the benefit of the members of the Society and humanity-at-large. (L) To publish periodicals, books and/or pamphlets in all important languages in order to reach human society and give an opportunity to same to communicate with the Society. (M) To invoke the quality of goodness particularly in every member of the Society, individually by the process of Diksha and by establishing one in the status of a Brahmin (good and intelligent man) on the basis of truthfulness, knowledge and faith in the transcendental service of the Lord. (N) Among the secondary objectives of the Society, it shall undertake the following activities: 1. To revive the scientific system of social orders of classification based on intelligence, martial spirit, productivity and common assistance, generally known as the four castes with reference to quality and worth for the common cause of world society. 2. To discharge as a matter of course the vitiated system of supremacy of one man over another by false prestige of birthright or vested interests. 3. To popularize the vegetable-grain diet under approved methods in order that full value of protein, carbohydrate, fat and vitamin benefit may be derived therefrom. 4. To discourage intoxicating or addicting habits of all descriptions and dimensions and to expose such persons thus afflicted to approved methods of spiritual realization. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Acharya Raymond Marais Michael A. Grant Robert Lefkowitz James S. Greene 1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world. 2. To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. 3. TO BRING THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY TOGETHER WITH EACH OTHER and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna). 4. To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 5. To erect for the members and society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the personality of Krishna. 6. TO BRING THE MEMBERS CLOSER TOGETHER for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life. 7. With a view toward achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, books, and other writings. Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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