Authority in ISKCON: Between the Collective GBC and Zonal Management
Dear Gurudeva,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
I have a concern regarding the authority structure bequeathed to us by our Founder-Acharya. Srila Prabhupada established the GBC (Governing Body Commission) as the ultimate managing authority, based on the instruction that his own godbrothers disobeyed after the departure of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.
HpS - AgtSP. I would say that it may not have been only based upon the instruction that Srila Bh. Siddhanta gave at that one time but efforts he made many other times, that culminated thus at the time of his departure, and SP working base upon own intelligent inspiration from Guru and Krsna.
As explained in the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi-lila 12.8, purport), those who disobey the Guru’s order to work collectively become asara, or "useless."
However, in current practice, we observe that in many regions, the "Zonal GBC" role falls upon a single individual. This presents two challenges that I would like to consult with you:
- Burden and Purity: Being a single person (who often is not an uttama-adhikari like Srila Prabhupada), they may become overburdened with service or commit errors in judgment due to the lack of an immediate counterbalance.
- Distance from Local Reality: Although Regional Governing Bodies (RGB) exist, sometimes the GBC is not fully immersed in what is happening "on the ground" or on the daily battlefield, which makes it difficult to make precise decisions for very specific, local problems.
My question is: How should we view and assist this authority when it seems to approach the "Zonal Acharya" model that caused so many problems in the 1980s? How can we, the local devotees, collaborate so that Prabhupada's will for "collective management" remains alive and functional, preventing the zonal leader from standing alone with such a heavy responsibility?
Thank you very much for your reflections and realizations on this matter.
Your servant,
Nikunja Bihari Das.
HpS - Your question seems like a big, broad one. I think there will be a lot of significant variety within the individual GBC people.
I think that a wife in ISKCON has a similar problem in relating to her husband... and children their parents.
In Kali yuga VAD does not work so well. So, we try to have Kirtan relationships with people and on that basis develop the VAD, management relations.
O.K?
We are struggling to be Sannyasis. The GBC is struggling to be GBC Secretaries.
Help everyone, GBC people et al, in their Mangala arati Kirtan, daily street Kirtan, etc. Then deal with our Management relations kind of like any other organization such as city, business, professional and national management in Argentina.
La Autoridad en ISKCON: Entre el GBC Colectivo y la Gestión Zonal
Querido Gurudeva,
Todas las glorias sean a Srila Prabhupada,
Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias.
Tengo una inquietud respecto a la estructura de autoridad que nos legó nuestro Fundador-Acharya. Srila Prabhupada estableció el GBC (Governing Body Commission) como la máxima autoridad administrativa, basándose en la instrucción que sus propios hermanos espirituales desobedecieron tras la partida de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Como se explica en el Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi-lila 12.8, significado), quien desobedece la orden del Guru de trabajar en conjunto se vuelve un asara o "inútil".
Sin embargo, en la práctica actual, observamos que en muchas regiones el "GBC Zonal" recae sobre una sola persona. Esto presenta dos desafíos que me gustaría consultar con usted:
1. La carga y la pureza: Al ser una sola persona (quien a menudo no es un uttama-adhikari como Srila Prabhupada), puede sobrecargarse de servicio o cometer errores de juicio por falta de un contrapeso inmediato.
2. La distancia de la realidad local: Aunque existen los Consejos Regionales (RGB), a veces el GBC no está plenamente empapado de lo que sucede "en el terreno" o en el campo de batalla diario, lo que dificulta la toma de decisiones precisas para problemas muy específicos.
Mi pregunta es: ¿Cómo debemos ver y ayudar a esta autoridad cuando parece acercarse al modelo de "Acharya Zonal" que tantos problemas causó en la década de los 80? ¿Cómo podemos los devotos locales colaborar para que la voluntad de Prabhupada de una "gestión colectiva" se mantenga viva y funcional, evitando que el líder zonal se quede solo ante tanta responsabilidad?
Muchas gracias por sus reflexiones y realizaciones al respecto.
Su sirviente,
Nikunja Bihari Das.
