Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

mmm, i think it happens with a lott of cheering devotees and discipline.. that can do over power a person you say !?

Whatever your service is, you always benefit from the experience of others, and the support of peers.

You also benefit from being in an environment where people treat you as an equal or just as a normal devotee, rather than always treating you according to your institutional role. This allows you to be a normal devotee and focus on your identity as a servant of Krishna free from designations.

Definitely sharing experience is beneficial. There are certain traps that people can fall into that can be avoided if they are discussed ahead of time. When I was in charge of a temple I definitely appreciated going outside my area and just being a normal devotee in kirtan, and also spending time with others who had more experience and hearing from them what they had learned.

That hasnt changed since I became "guru" for my wife and my son. I still appreciate spending time with peers and learning from superiors with more experience.

...just another silly idea from the same dozen and a half devotees who will now have another reason to hold meetings,get a piece of the GBC budget pie and give them a sence of feeling important...so whats new ?

a big problem I see coming again and again is that we mix different perspectives all the time.

When Sitapati Prabhu talks about support from peers, he is talking at once of his guru, any guru and himself, all in one basket.
That is wrong.

From the point of view of you in relation to your guru yo should seek uttama adhikari, so if the uttama adhikari needs a "guruship course" that might be a problem (for you).
From the point of view of ISKCON gurus they might seek refuge in peers, that is alright and totally natural, but do not confuse peer association to taking a seminar in guruship type of thing.
your personal `point of view must be always, "I am smoke in the water", clear enough.

But mix them in one philosophical broth and you have the recipe for trouble and confusion.

OK Mishra, so why dont you lay out your plan for how the gurus should do it, and then well run the society according to that... :-)

I think youll have to demonstrate a superior result through your actions to get some traction though...

please do not kill the messenger (with jokes this time) just because brings bad news.

I never said that I have the answer yet, that is precisely why I am asking a question here, because I feel it should be done in cooperation.

If you agree that something can be done on our part, we can start drawing a plan, Until now I do not know exactly even if you think that as necessary.

If the powers that be would have to hear me for what I have done, probably I would have earned at least a couple hours worth of a GBC meeting. But you know how things are.

But, we have the internet... he he

I dont think they will ever get in any kind of guru training program because that will make them appear as not ready to be gurus and you dont want to look like that.