by Yasodananda das.
I write to you in my personal capacity as a sevak with limited vision but who treasures bhakti yoga and loves our sanga.
Srila Gurudeva has repeatedly asked that there be a Society and that we stay united.
It has been difficult to define the Society that will best serve the devotees.
As western devotees, we are afflicted by two opposite issues.
On the one hand, we don’t want to be oppressed. We don’t like other people telling us what to do. The ISKCON experience has exacerbated this tendency to the maximum. But also, general society in general, is more dissenting, more anarchic and more sceptical of authority than ever.
On the other hand, so often, we also want to be told what to do. It is easy to see problems, criticise what is imperfect and then use this negative perception as a mask to justify our own lack of commitment and action. Sometimes we may be very active but we use this negativity to justify our lack of willingness to play as a member of a team. We operate alone.
Isn’t it true that we attract what we fear?. Srila Gurudeva tells us not to focus on our faults. If we are all fearful about being controlled then we will more likely encourage that tendency. Srila Gurudeva wants us to develop loving relationships with eachother. How can we serve Radha-Krsna if we cannot exhange love with other devotees? This is our chance to build a Society from loving relationships rather than let a Society shape bad relationships through too much structure and control.
The suggested draft structure for the Society seeks to address some of these issues as much by what it seeks NOT to do as it does by what it seeks to do.
When spending time with Raghava Pandit Prabhu in Holland recently, he showed me an excellent piece of research that shows that humans need three things to be in place to be highly motivated – (a) autonomy (b) mastery and (c) purpose.
Autonomy gives the individual the power of choice over his or her daily decisions.
Mastery is the evolution of a person’s skills over time which is a satisfying experience for the practitioner.
Purpose is being clear about your goals and working towards them.
When all three are at work, the individual is happy and effective.
Innovative, modern organisations recognise that too much structure, too many rules and too much management smothers the spark of inspiration of the individual.
In many ways the word “organisation” for our Society is an old fashioned word which restricts our thinking to outmoded ideas.
The most dynamic success stories in today’s world are often made up of networks of networks where people of diverse backgrounds co-operate in loose and fluid structures inspired by commonly held principles. Think Linux, Obama’s 2008 election campaign and the Anonymous programmes such as AA.
The way I see the IPBYS proposal is one that is trying to create a Society not an organisation. Therefore, the Society is more a fountainhead of inspiration and a place of shelter and not a management structure.
As a sevak I want to know that whatever I am doing in my little stream of service is connected to the main torrent of bhakti flowing from the most elevated practioners.
This is what the Society is all about. There is nothing in the IPSYS that stops you or me from rendering service that brings 1, 100 or 1,000 souls to bhakti yoga. What is ensured is that whatever service I render it will be inspired by pure bhakti and I will be able to find shelter in proper sadhu sanga, the foundation for any progress in bhakti-yoga.
There are some who say that the “structure” is too sannyasi based. What about householders? What about all those not in the renounced order?
But this is to misunderstand the nature of the proposed Society in its first phase. This is not the fault of the reader. This is our service to articulate the vision for the society.
The society as proposed is not a management structure. Someone in Birmingham does not need authority from a national chairperson or from any chamber to open a temple, set up and educational programme or render some other service. It is the job of these chambers to inspire and keep the flow of bhakti strong so that the seva teams and emboldened and accomplish more. This is why preachers travel around the world. The top chambers do not “preside over” or “manage” or “control”. Rather, these chambers, the very heart of the Society, serve the seva teams. This is in the same way that the heart pumps blood throughout the body.
The really dynamic part of the society resides in these self-manifesting and self-managing seva teams. This is where most of the activity will ultimately be taking place.
This is our opportunity to develop the IPBYS as we feel inspired. How wonderful. Someone, let us say in Russia, does not need the authority to set up a seva team. An inspired sevak just needs to set one up. That’s it. And if he or she needs others to help then if there is inspiration automatically others will come. This does not need an organisation. It does not need too much structure. But it does need inspiration and shelter. And what Srila Gurudeva wants more than anything is that all the preachers that he has so assiduously trained over years stay together. Because he knows that if preachers go off in many directions then all inspiration will dissipate and devotees world-wide will be discouraged.
When we want to render service we need to manage the material energy in service to Srila Gurudeva. We don’t need an organisation or a structure to do this. We need inspiration, service and willing sevaks. This is the essence of our movement.
Please know that this is a consultative process. We want to know what you want. This is your Society.
If there is someone who you think strongly should be in the first chamber then say so. No problem. Srila Gurudeva can decide.
Some question why there are only five persons in the first chamber and why are they all Indians. The five devotees proposed in the first chamber have all been rendering service to Srila Gurudeva for decades. Their selfless record of seva speaks for itself. After all Srila Gurudeva has been practicing and preaching for decades and has only ventured out of India since 1996. It is self-evident that his longest serving sevaks happen to be from India. Also, it should be noted that the first chamber and the second chamber both provide inspiration and shelter. Bhakti Yoga does not flow through institutions and positions. The example of our Gurudeva shows that every time an institution shuns him, he continues to distribute bhakti irrespective of institutional constraints. He is fearless and so can we be. There is nothing stopping someone in the second chamber setting the world on fire with the flow of bhakti if that is what manifests in his heart.
Notwithstanding this perception, if you feel strongly that someone has been omitted from the first chamber then Srila Gurudeva can consider this request.
We have a wonderful sanga, wonderful people and we are overseen by Srila Gurudeva who somehow manages to reach all our hearts one by one and capture them. Whether he is on the planet or not our relationship with him is eternal and it is our duty and our deepest desire to please him and carry out his orders.
A diversity of opinion is good. At the same time we need to summon up the courage to place our egos to one side, look for the best in eachother, be accepting of our own and others’ shortcomings and co-operate together as much as possible. Only through soft-heartedness and integrity can we successfully represent Srila Gurudeva’s mission.
Sometimes working with another devotee can be very challenging. Sometimes it can be quite disturbing. But trying to find common ground is akin to the struggles we go through on parikrams.
For those who know me you will know that, unlike my wife, I am one of the more useless on parikramas! I may complain about the noise, the food, the this and the that. But when the parikrama is over I feel touched by the mercy of Lord Nityanananda. I somehow, causelessly, benefited. I mention my parikrama experiences because there are some moments when I really want to run away. But I didn’t check out, I didn’t give in and mercy was showered on me. I felt it. It is easy to say “devotees let me down” or “I don’t trust a Society” and “I will wish them luck, say Hare Bol and do my own thing”. But this is our chance for all of us “to stay on the parikrama”. I understand your frustrations, your doubts, your weariness. But let’s do this for Srila Gurudeva. Let’s not give in to all our clever analytical assessments on how the Society may be this or that. The Society is just a seed. You can provide the soil, the water, the love to enable it to grow into a great tree which can render shelter to the world.
In the case of the Society, please do participate. Provide ideas. Be creative. Be committed to putting bhakti into action, on a small or large scale. Overlook the imperfections. It may be a bit abstract right now but this is so much better than an over rigid structure which suffocates us. So many devotees have experienced this in the past.
Reflect and observe and try to bring solutions as well as problems. It is easy to see deficiencies but less easy to take responsibility to improve things.
Our Gurudeva wants us to be responsible. He wants us to be strong, like lions and lionesses. He doesn’t want us to wait for orders. His order is that we are ideal sevaks. He wants us to render the highest service to a Guru which is to be proactive and anticipate the desires of Sri Guru.
Let’s make this happen.
Your servant, Hare Krsna, Yasodananda das
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I hardly comment, but I comment when I’ve some thing to say. It is commonly triggered by the fire within the posting I read. I can see now it’s flaming enough for me to comment:) .anyway thank you. I read bunch of nice posts around here.
IPBYS is a difficult name. Can this be easy. Simple easy to take. You know how branding works. This name will never fly with people.
Correction: affectionately, your humble servant
Please accept my sincere Dandavts pranamas Srila Gurudev and other Vaisnavas!
I am very happy with this decision of Srila Gurudev, all it does is help thinking of all devotees and humanity in the best way to follow the path of pure bhakti.
Soon I am trying to serve Srila Gurudev see that there are many devotees around the idea of making our house a temple is the alge of perfection should we do it, but yes, we are still very weak in faith, I think there should be at least one temple in every major country, and thus, these temples were used as reference for all other existing decentralized in the municipalities. And yet, who should have the education, supervision and monitoring of a full Sannyassi or senior devotee, vanaprastha, which is giving the example of his life in service of Srila Gurudev to motivate and retain strong each center. This is a failing that I see today, with more support because as I mentioned I think would work well. As one devotee in a text above, “the principal is our lack of faith, not money,” then we have a person in giving guidelines (under the guidance of Gurudev) to continue firm and demanding results (service guru) all is arranged.
Nowadays, what happens is this: has a strong distribution sannyassi harikatha, wakes great desire to serve the Guru, attracts other new people, more like we are weak, as soon as sanniassi go elsewhere we tend to esmolecer, reduce the frequency of the service – I speak in general, please do not understand how offense, I think it is constructive criticism to help even understand that I am not worthy to write a word for my beloved Gurudeva.
Another important point I think it would be essential that Srila Gurudev record all their wishes on paper, thus avoiding a long future in which someone will say something in his name without his having said. Note that many say: “Srila Prabhupada said that …” and in fact the subject is just a rumor. This is just ahead to avoid future problems. If the guru wrote the rules and signed then nobody can disobey! This is the point.
The words of the guru and his wishes are paramount and transcendental and, in my eyes, they should all be recorded on paper and signed by the Acharya to avoid future conflicts in decision-desisões for any purpose in the mission of Gurudeva.
Again, in prostomates Dandavats to Sri Guru, the inseparable friend of all jivas and ask your blessings, and sorry if I used a word inappropriate in my explessões above.
fondly his servant and proud,
Krishna Das Mantra
The self-evident truths have been articulated beautifully, thankyou Prabhus. Srila Gurudeva has been asking us for management and structure since he began preaching outside India. I think Srila Gurudeva will not let it succeed unless it is done in the correct mood of loving surrender and he is patiently watching us and waiting for us to get it right. There have been lots of lessons along the way. I was pondering recently with Raghav Panditji and Sripad Padmanabha Maharaj about what the Society was going to “manage” as it is really made up of autonomous pockets of inspiration. But this vision is very nice and will help congeal a sense of ownership and belonging in the sanga.
By the way I think the the inner chamber is natural and perfect. Anybody who thinks that the personalities in the chamber are Indians may need to go back to basics “I am not the body”
Dear Yasodanandaji,
Nice article Prabhuji. Your Cambridge (or was it Oxford) education shows.
Raghavaji is full of these excellent quotes and research findings.. his 3 points for high motivation is great!
So here’s MY 2 CENTS in regards to Raghavaji’s points and local sanga’s.
I truly do NOT believe we will evoke AUTONOMY in our local sangas, until local groups AS A WHOLE believe and understand that the person in charge of their center/temple/community should be a full-time devotee, and more importantly, a VERY simple “yes man” to either Srila Gurudeva or Pramananda Prabhuji.
To be more clear.. someone who has received much training from Sripad Premananda Prabhuji, who LITERALLY wont jump without his permission… THIS is the kind of person I strongly believe needs to be running a local group.. AND for success, the group must understand the reason for such.
A person who is a leader but takes all the responsibility on his OWN head is sure to see failure quickly. CONVERSLY a group who comes under the aspiring devotee who is nothing but a simple dancing puppet of our Diksa and Siksa gurus, is SURE to have success.
For example… Jagan Mohan Prabhu or Venu Gopal Prabhu.. they simple wont do ANYTHING unless Premananda Prabhuji sanctions it. They wont leave the math, they simply wont do anything without his permission. They dote on him night and day even over the simplest of things… THIS is the type of person that needs to be leading a group.. who has an incredibly strong service mood to the diksa or siksa guru, and will always be coming under the advice of Guru.
And SECONDLY, the group must CLEARLY understand the need and reason for such a person to be in cahrge. (ie in effect our Diksa or Siksa gurus will run the group, not a conditioned soul.)
I truly believe this is the formula of success! There are several boys that have spent literally years of their lives living with Premananda Prabhuji learning and cultivating this mood.. and who are very motivated to always try and please him. I think these boys (if they are willing) should be running local groups in different areas of the world to truly branch out the potency of our Gurus.. and also train others in their selfless devotional mood to Guru.
I think this to be a very important part of a formula for increasing success for our sanga globally.
Thank you Yasodaji
dandies
saci
Dear uncle Yashoda,
I’m inspired. At the end you say “let’s make this happen.”
What do want me to do?
Abhirama das
Dandavat Pranams Yasodanandan Prabhu and all devotees .
It is a fundamental principle that fallen conditioned souls [like me]cannot make spiritual advancement on their own .So help is coming in the form of Srila Gurudeva, his near and dear associates and now his new society .
First point the society is meant for helping devotees make spiritual advancement .To make progress as we often hear we need only to do two things . Nama seva and Vaisnava[Guru ]seva .So logically the society should exist to facilitate those two things .
It is true that a small proportion of devottees , on their own initiative , without external help , do manage to organize regular Harinama Sankirtan and full time meaningful direct service to srila Gurudeva and other pure vaisnavas .The reality is though that a large proportion of our societies members do not do substantial amounts of congregational chanting of the Holy Names and do not render substantial amounts of Guru or Vaisnava seva on a daily basis .I believe it is because it is not easily available and if it were ,substantially more devotees would do much more kirtan and seva .Like in the case of ISKcon .Some of our devotees comment they were happier in Iskcon as they had engagement and kirtan daily .It was organised for them and all they had to do was engage . However on their own they dont seem to be able to organize it them selves .That is why traditionally the Guru had His ashram[s] where nama seva and Guruseva were always going on and available .
So personally I am not so concerned what organisational model we have as long as it delivers a substantial improvement in the level of availability of nama seva and Vaisnava seva .But at the moment the new model is not looking good .Its still entirely up to the individuals to organize those two fundamental cornerstones on their own as the “organisation “is not inclined to .
So my humble suggestion is those devotees appointed by Gurudeva to organize a society have been appointed because the do possess organisational abilities, as opposed to the general mass of devotees who generally do not . So rather than passing the buck to the congregation who obviously arn’t getting it together they should do the needful .Why should the only Kiran and service be available at ISKcon in most areas?
I do believe most of our members are sincere and do want to perform harinama sankirtan and serve Guru, Takurji , preach and distribute books etc They used to formally when they were in ISKcon ,and many new members of ISKcon do so now as would our new members if the seva was available .Most devotees are sincere and will do seva if its available . Most however lack the vision and spontaneity to create seva opportunities on their own .Therefore Srila Gurudeva has requested the expert managers , the visionaries and the self motivated raganuga bhaktas to organize our society .
I cant relate to the idea that the “organisation” will “advise” the seva teams .Anyone that can get it together to do some meaningfull seva in our anti institutional environment clearly doesn’t need advice.They should be giving the advice to those that cant find anything to do .
It is a great opportunity for those with vision ,wealth and organisational abilities to provide the general congregation with generous opportunities for Harinama sankirtan seva and menial Guruseva to help spread the Sankirtan Movement of Mahaprabhu. Krishna is watching us to see what we do with what He has given us .Better to err on the side of caution and over-utilize our capacity than under-utilize .
Radhe Radhe !! [the lowly mathuranatha das australia]