Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

I dont know.
Do they know?
Who knows!

We should go to Srila Prabhupada for the answer to this question. In a lecture of the Srimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.3 Melbourne 4/5/72 Prabhupada says, "Similarly, the GBC member means they will see that in every temple these books are very thoroughly being read and discussed and understood and applied in practical life. That is wanted, not to see the vouchers only, "How many books you have sold, and how many books are in the stock?" That is secondary. You may keep vouchers... If one is engaged in K'e5'f1'ebas service, there is no need of vouchers. That is... Everyone is doing his best. Thats all. So we have to see that things are going on very nicely. So in that way the GBC members should divide some zones and see very nicely that things are going on, that they are chanting sixteen rounds, and temple management is doing according to the routine work, and the books are being thoroughly discussed, being read, understood practically. These things are required. "

Conversation with GBC, May 25, 1972 Los Angeles, "GBC means now they should tour very extensive. That is the first principle, the GBC. Not sit down (in) one place and pass resolution. No, they must be active. They must act like me. As I am old man, I am traveling all over the world. Now to give me relief, the GBC members... I shall expand into twelve more so that they can exactly work like me. Gradually they will be initiators. At least first initiation. You must make advance. That is my motive. So, in that way I want to divide it in twelve zones. And we have to make more propaganda throughout the whole world. Now if you think that the world is so big, twelve members are insufficient, then you can increase more than that and make the zone similarly divided. It is world affair after all."

"The GBC can supervise that things are going on. The first management is that each and every member in the temple is chanting sixteen rounds regularly and following the regulations, thats all. Otherwise we have no... That is our spiritual strength. "

Morning Walk, Feb 3 1975, Hawaii, "There should be ideal life, at least the leaders, the president, the GBC. They will show the example, and they will follow. Then it is beneficial. "

Conversation with the GBC March 27, 1975, M'e4y'e4pur discusses GBC responsibilites - too lengthy to post here but is on vedabase.

There are many instructions in conversations and letters concerning the duties of the GBC. Perhaps someone can help to post these as I need to head off to work right now.

Thanks

[quote][cite] Hari Bhakta dasa:[/cite]

Conversation with the GBC March 27, 1975, M'e4y'e4pur discusses GBC responsibilites - too lengthy to post here but is on vedabase.

[/quote]
http://vanisource.org/wiki/Conversation_with_the_GBC_--_March_27,_1975,_Mayapur

When the GBC was first formed by Srila Prabhupada one of the first crises they faced was a philosophical deviation on the part of four newly initiated sannyasis back in 1970 (Brahmananda, Gargamuni, Vishnujana and Subal). Prabhupada saved the situation and after a temporary removal the four eventually returned to the shelter of Srila Prabhupadas lotus feet.

Before Prabhupada ordered him to take sannyas, Brahmananda was in charge of ISKCON Press in Boston. I was Brahmanandas assistant/secretary and I was also managing what was then the fledgling mailorder department, book shipments to all the centers and I was typsetting Prabhupadas manuscripts.

As a backlash of the whole episode with the four sannyasis, the GBC decided that they needed to cleanse the "poisonous influence" of Brahmananda and they came to Boston (the "scene of the crime"). They invaded the office where Brahmananda and I worked (and I still was working) -- and decided that desks and filing cabinets were maya -- and those of us engaged in service with ISKCON Press werent going out on Sankirtana enough and our consciousness was too mundane. They disrupted my service, that of Advaita Prabhu who ran the printing press and some others among us who were in charge of printing the books.

Advaita Prabhu and myself wrote a letter to Srila Prabhupada (who was in India at the time) telling him what was going on. Prabhupada immediately wrote to the GBC members and told them to stop interfering with the work we were doing and that they had gone beyond the scope of their function and authority. He told them "your main job is ensuring that our members are following the regulative principles, chanting their rounds and washing their hands after they eat (i.e. maintaining brahminical standards of behavior).

I tell that story to illustrate the tendency of the governing board to overstep the boundaries of their jurisdiction as originally intended by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

Attached is a comprehensive compilation of GBC duties, compiled by one Dwarakadisha dasa from the Sikshamrta. In summary, the major GBC responsibilities identified by Srila Prabhupada include:

'95 Incorporate the highest devotional standards and assure that they are followed
'95 Develop challenging and satisfying devotional service opportunities for devotees
'95 Care for and serve the devotees
'95 Provide example of ideal Vaisnava behavior and inspire others to become ideal Vaisnavas
'95 Provide spiritual training
'95 Provide vision for a cooperative, influential, worldwide organization
'95 Ensure integrity of ISKCON'97ensure accountability through management systems and training
'95 Develop strategy and annual plans for accomplishing ISKCON mission
'95 Develop fundamental management policies and processes, and rules for members
'95 Monitor and advise the progressive development of members and centers

Something can be judged by its result....if a temple is not engaged in book distribution (and compensates for this by selling prasadam at high prices, or is dependant on a congregation for donations)....if there is no harinam sankirtan or rathayatra and there are no new devotees being made, then we can conclude that the managerial authority needs to give attention to this and insist on changes to satisfy how Srila Prabhupada desired our temples to be....or if a farm has become a nice place to live and there is no self sufficiency being implemented, if there is no system of engaging devotees as Srila Prabhupada envisioned, then the managerial authority has to insist on these changes to bring the farm in line with Srila Prabhupadas vision...we can talk about job descriptions but if the result isnt in line with SPs desire, then this needs to be recified at the managerial authority level....the question is by whom?