Beszámoló a GBC üléséről (2010 február 7-9.)
Sraddhadevi dasi írta:
ISKCON vezetőtestületének (GBC) 2010. évi közgyűlésén a 2-4. nap központi témája az ISKCON jövőjére vonatkozó stratégiai tervezés volt. A vezetőtestület 2006-ban egyöntetűen úgy határozott, hogy nagyobb figyelmet szentel a stratégiai tervek elkészítésének, különös tekintettel arra, hogy Srila Prabhupada küldetésével összhangban meghatározza és megtervezze az ISKCON céljait és működését a jövő nemzedéke számára.
A stratégiai tervezés folyamán kisebb testületeket állítottak föl egy-egy stratégiai terv megvalósítása érdekében. A hat jelentősebb ilyen testület céljai a következők:
1)Srila Prabhupada helyzetének meghatározása: annak tisztázása, milyen speciális szerepet játszik Srila Prabhupada az ISKCON alapító ácsárjájaként a szervezetben és annak kidolgozása, hogy az ebből levont gyakorlati és teológiai következtetéseket hogyan örökítsük át a következő nemzedékeknek.
2) A második bizottság feladata annak kidolgozása, a jövőben hogyan jelöljék ki, hogyan inspirálják és hogyan képezzék a szervezet vezetőit.
3) Alkotmányozó bizottság: Az ISKCON alkotmányának kidolgozása.
4) A negyedik bizottság feladata a képzés, és olyan rendszerek kiépítése, amelyek elősegítik a bhakták fizikai, érzelmi, mentális és lelki szükségleteinek kielégítését.
5) Az ötödik bizottság feladata egyensúlyt teremteni a vezetők olyan szintjei között, mint a GBC titkárok, az avató guruk és a szannyászík, emellett pedig munkaköri leírás és pénzügyi útmutató biztosítása a különböző szintű vezetőknek.
6) A hatodik bizottság szerepe a fő prédikálótevékenységek, mint például a könyvosztás, varnásrama, a gyermekek képzése stb. Sríla Prabhupáda útmutatásainak megfelelő meghatározása és fejlődésének elősegítése.
A különböző bizottságok három teljes napig üléseztek, hogy részletesen kidolgozzák a saját feladataikat. A stratégiai tervezés nem csak tervek megalkotását igényli a különböző bizottságoktól, hanem azt is, hogy előmozdítsák az általuk létrehozott tervek és kezdeményezések kivitelezését. Következésképp gyakran lelkes és élénk eszmecsere alakul ki a stratégiai tervek megalkotása alatt mind a gyűlések előre meghatározott idejében, mind azon kívül.
Ezalatt a három nap alatt plenáris ülésekre is sor került, melyeken a különböző bizottságok bemutatták, meddig jutottak el, és kikérték a GBC testület véleményét.
A testület tagjai az év folyamán a saját javaslataik kidolgozásával tovább folytatják a bizottságokon belüli munkájukat, mígnem ősszel személyesen is találkoznak a GBC Mumbay-i ülésén.
Add comment February 19th, 2010
How do we convince our parents that the decision to become Krishna Conscious is the right one?
I would really appreciate it if you could guide me as to how i can overcome this problem. / Ravi Talsania, London
Add comment February 19th, 2010
Hogyan győzzük meg a szüleinket, hogy Krisna tudatossá válni a jó döntés?
Igazán nagyra értékelném, ha segítenél megoldani ezt a problémát. / Ravi Talsania, London
Add comment February 19th, 2010
Evening kirtan with Sivarama Swami and Yadubara Prabhu
Embedded from http://bhagavatamclass.blogspot.com. (Something is wrong with the videos.)
Add comment February 19th, 2010
How would you define what is pre-determined (pre-ordained), what is random and what is free will
… and how would a person identify which of these is acting in there life or others lives at any given time. / Varsana dd
Add comment February 18th, 2010
Hogyan határoznád meg, hogy mi előre elrendelt, mi véletlen és mi szabad akarat?
… és hogyan tudjuk azonosítani, hogy éppen melyik történik velünk vagy másokkal?
Add comment February 18th, 2010
GBC Meeting Report #5
February 13th
The GBC deputies began the eighth day of the Annual General Meeting of
ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission with another session of voting. GBC
members discussed and voted on GBC Ministry and GBC Committee member
appointments, such as the Minister of Book Distribution, Minister of
Education, and Guru Services Committee members.
A report was also given by Praghosa dasa on behalf of Mayapur management.
After requesting and receiving suggestions from a financial and
organizational audit, Praghosa dasa informed the GBC that approximately 80%
of the financial recommendations have been put in place for ISKCON Mayapur
and that Mayapur management is currently working on incorporating the
organizational suggestions as well. There is still a large amount of work to
be done in Mayapur, however, and Praghosa dasa humbly requested the
blessings of the GBC Body for the Mayapur management to continue working
toward meeting their goals.
ISKCON’s Child Protection Office (CPO) was the next topic of discussion in
the morning session. The Child Protection Office is ISKCON’s ecclesiastical
body that provides education and manages reports of alleged child abuse
within ISKCON communities. The CPO does not supersede or replace state or
national judicial systems, but rather provides additional support and
education within the organization to insure the protection of children
within ISKCON.
Tamohara dasa, who was the CPO Director for five years, introduced to the
GBC Champakalata devi dasi, the new CPO Director from Durban, South Africa.
Having grown up as an active member of ISKCON and being a highly skilled
lawyer, Champakalata devi dasi carries immense qualification to take on the
service of CPO Director.
Following an introduction from Tamohara dasa, Champakalata devi dasi gave an
impressive report to the GBC on the status and goals of the Child Protection
Office. In the presentation, Champakalata devi dasi stated that a major
challenge for the CPO is to locate and train more devotees who can serve on
review boards and assess reports of child abuse. She also stated that all
ISKCON temples, according to ISKCON law, are required to form a Child
Protection Team. A Child Protection Team consists of responsible devotees
who are knowledgeable in local child abuse laws and trained to properly
respond to reports of child abuse in their community. If a temple does not
yet have a Child Protection Team, they are required to assemble a team
immediately. Training from the CPO is provided for those needing to create
or desiring to serve on a Child Protection Team. For more details, please
see www.childprotectionoffice.org.
All members of the GBC were thoroughly impressed with Champakalata devi
dasi’s knowledge and capabilities. A vote was called and Champakalata devi
dasi was unanimously appointed as the new Director of ISKCON’s Child
Protection Office. In turn, Tamohara dasa officially resigned from the
position of CPO Director as GBC Members offered words of thanks and applause
for his years of CPO service.
Add comment February 18th, 2010
GBC Meeting Report #4
February 11-12th
By Sraddhadevi dasi
Governance of ISKCON’s managerial bodies was the main topic of discussion
for the sixth day of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission’s Annual General
Meeting in Mayapur, India.
At present, ISKCON not only has an international Governing Body Commission
(GBC) which is responsible for the overall management of ISKCON, but in some
regions there are additional lower level governing bodies such as Regional
Governing Bodies (RGBs), National Councils, and Continental Committees. What
was at question is how these bodies, which hold regular meetings and pass
resolutions, interact with and report to the overall managerial authority,
the GBC.
Given the intricacy and importance of the topic, the GBC proposed to form a
Rules of Order committee composed of representatives from the lower-level
managerial bodies who will explore the topic in greater detail. The
committee will consider not only practical issues of management, but also
the desired management structure of Srila Prabhupada. The issue will then be
discussed with more information and in greater detail during the GBC meeting
next fall in Juhu.
The following day, another complex topic was brought to the GBC Body for
discussion by Sivarama Maharaja. This was the topic of membership in
ISKCON—who should be considered a member of ISKCON as a spiritual society
and by what standards?
Romapada Maharaja, the GBC Chairman, made clear that Sivarama Maharaja’s
presentation is not the official position of the GBC, nor is it a formal
proposal to the GBC. Rather, the intention of the presentation was simply to
reflect on the question and engage in thoughtful discussion.
Sivarama Maharaja initiated the conversation regarding the definition of
ISKCON and ISKCON membership by first exploring the notion of “society.” He
pointed out that in general, citizens within a society hold common rights
and individual rights. For example, there are general laws to be followed in
a country, but individuality can also be expressed within the country as
long as a citizen acts within the constraints of the common law. Therefore,
a citizen is someone who allows his or her individuality to be subservient
to the common law of the society.
Following this logic, Sivarama Maharaja asked if ISKCON, a spiritual
society, should require devotees to follow defined standards in order to be
considered a member of ISKCON. Such standards could include anything from
following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds of the
Hare Krishna Maha-mantra daily to perhaps even not watching television for
enjoyment. More general standards would be loyalty to Srila Prabhupada,
following the GBC as the ultimate managerial authority of ISKCON, and
actively engaging in some service within one’s local devotional community.
Sivarama Maharaja suggested that if we clearly define rules of membership
for ISKCON, there is still a place for those who are not at the point of
complying with the common laws of the spiritual society and yet who still
hold faith in Krishna consciousness. Those who are not official ISKCON
members, Sivarama Maharaja suggested, would share some of the same rights as
ISKCON members, such as attending the temple functions, but would not
receive the same benefits as official ISKCON members, for instance being
allowed to reside in ISKCON temples or farms, serve in official leadership
positions within ISKCON, or take part in ISKCON initiative projects.
Gopal Krishna Maharaja pointed out that in ISKCON we have members at various
levels in their spiritual life. Creating strict membership guidelines for
ISKCON could exclude from ISKCON a substantial number of sincere devotees
who are not practicing at such high levels.
Sivarama Maharaja responded with understanding to this point and again
explained that his intention was simply to present ideas to consider and
discuss, rather than a fixed idea on how ISKCON membership should be
defined. However, he did express that a clear definition of what it means to
be a member of ISKCON should be further discussed and explored.
Following Sivarama Maharaja’s presentation, Radha Krishna Prabhu and
Radhradhya Prabhu gave an inspiring update on the Eco Valley project in
Hungary, a model village working toward self-sustainability. Eco Valley,
through its Sustainable Science Research Center, recently began a program
where university students live at Eco Valley for two months to study and
train in developing self-sustainable communities. Radha Krishna Prabhu also
reported that Eco Valley now has eight university affiliations and eleven
university students writing dissertations on the Eco Valley project. For
more information on the Eco Valley project, visit www.ecovalley.hu.
Hari Sauri Prabhu concluded the evening with an enlivening presentation on
the new Bhaktivedanta Research Centre located in Kolkata. The Bhaktivedanta
Research Centre, dedicated to gathering, preserving, and making available
Vaisnava and Vedic Cosmology texts, officially opened in June 2009.
The Bhaktivedanta Research Centre initiated from a need to house and make
available texts related to Vedic cosmology for the Temple of the Vedic
Planetarium’s Cosmology Project. The building, kindly donated to ISKCON by
Mr. MC Shamsukha in 2000, was completely renovated to create an excellent
library space for 15,000 books along with comfortable guest rooms for
visiting devotees and scholars. Suitable space is also available in the
building to function as a temple and lecture hall.
Most astonishing was a recent library acquisition that contained many rare
and valuable pieces including a personal diary of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura, a postcard written to Bhaktivinoda Thakura by his daughter, and a
400-year old manuscript of the Madhya Lila of Caitanya Caritamrta. The
Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, under the academic direction of Pranava
Prabhu and Krishna Abhiseka Prabhu, is currently working to catalog and
professionally preserve this acquisition before the texts disintegrate even
further.
Thousands of Vaisnava manuscripts and texts have yet to be located and
preserved, and due to the effects of time, these texts are disappearing.
Hari Sauri Prabhu thus conveyed the important work the Centre is already
doing and the immediate need to support furthering the work of the
Bhaktivedanta Research Centre. For more information on the Bhaktivedanta
Research Centre, please contact iskconbrc@gmail.com.
Add comment February 16th, 2010
Amikor egy bhakta könyvet oszt, és adományt kap, azzal vesz át az adományozótól karmát?
Ékádasin a praszádamot hogy érintheti a bűn, ha az lelki? / Abhinanda és Damodara-rati, Magyarország
Add comment February 16th, 2010
Further conversation about Tamal Krsna Maharaja with B. Carl and others
Add comment February 16th, 2010
GBC Meeting Report #3
Reporting by Sraddhadevi Dasi
February 10th, 2010
Day five of the Annual General Meeting of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission
began with presentations by the Succession and Leadership Training Committee
and Devotee Care Committee.
Tamohara dasa, on behalf of the Succession and Leadership Training Committee
reported that replacement of GBC and Zonal Secretary positions most often
occur in emergency situations and are subsequently rapid appointments, many
times without thorough training. In order to better this situation, the
Succession and Leadership Training Committee developed and initiated a
second stage of Leadership Training Courses in North America, Europe, and
India.
The first stage of training includes individual, short-term leadership and
management courses, such as the long-standing VTE Leadership and Management
Training Course. The new second stage of training consists of six, two-week
modules offered over the period of two years. Training includes topics such
as public speaking, pastoral counseling, strategic planning, and qualities
of leadership as well spiritual foundations for leadership and management as
outlined by sastra and Srila Prabhupada. Devotees with such training will
thereafter be able to skillfully take on managerial and leadership positions
within ISKCON.
Following Tamohara dasa, Prasanta dasi led a presentation on behalf of the
Devotee Care Committee. The Devotee Care Committee strives to address the
physical, mental, and spiritual needs of all devotees, and with such an
important task has sought out numerous highly qualified devotees from around
the world to assist with the project. Since the October 2009 GBC meeting in
Juhu the committee published a second “Devotee Care” informational booklet.
The committee also organized an educational program with trained educators
prepared to give presentations on Devotee Care to any ISKCON center. Gopal
Bhatta Prabhu, a lead coordinator of GBC Strategic Planning, especially
praised the Devotee Care Committee for their work and efforts in organizing
such a large number of skilled devotees to move forward in this initiative.
The morning session concluded with an astounding presentation of Srila Rupa
Gosvami’s Citra Kavitvani, a collection of verses in praise of Lord Krishna.
This presentation was assembled by and given on behalf of the Srimad
Bhagavata Vidyapitham, a Sanskrit school run by Gopiparanadhana Prabhu in
Govardhana, India.
Prasanta dasi beautifully sang the verses while Lokanatha Maharaja explained
the construction of the Sanskrit and Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja recited the
English translation. The verses of the Citra Kavitvani are not only
incredible in content, but also in construction. For example, the first two
verses only use two consonants along with vowels in the entirety of verse
formation. Another verse uses the construction of a chakra, or wheel,
wherein the first three lines of the verse comprise the three spokes of the
chakra, requiring the middle syllable of each line to match and form the
central syllable of the entire chakra. Then the fourth line of the verse
rounds it way across the spokes to create the rim of the chakra, and even
more elaborately requires six syllables to match where the spokes and rim
meet. The verse construction only became increasingly artful and ornate as
the verses progressed, moving into formations such as the snake, lotus, and
drum constructions.
The presentation not only pointed out the amazing mind of Srila Rupa
Gosvami, but also the importance of strongly supporting the Srimad
Bhagavatam Vidyapitham school in their endeavor to study and translate such
wonderful Gaudiya Vaisnava literature.
In the afternoon, members of the GBC congregated in Sri Prabhupada’s
quarters in the Lotus Building to hear and chant the Holy Name. Bhajans were
led by HG Praghosa Prabhu, HG Anuttama Prabhu, HH Lokanath Maharaja, HH
Ramai Maharaja, and HH Radhanath Maharaja. Chanting the Holy Name together
with beautiful melodies and association left everyone feeling inspired and
rejuvenated.
Add comment February 16th, 2010
Did the animal sacrifices of yore please the Lord and can one think of philosophy while chanting Hare Krsna?
Loka-bandhu dasa / Hungary
Add comment February 15th, 2010
Hajdanán elégedetté tették az Urat az állatáldozatok?
Gondolhatunk a filozófiára a Haré Krisna éneklése közben? Loka-bandhu dasa / Magyarország
Add comment February 15th, 2010
GBC Meeting Report #2
Reporting by Sraddhadevi Dasi
GBC Report: February 7th-9th, 2010
Strategic Planning for ISKCON’s future was the central focus for the second
through fourth days of the 2010 Annual General Meeting for ISKCON’s
Governing Body Commission. In 2006, the GBC Body collectively decided to
increase their attention on Strategic Planning, more specifically to spend
additional energy on defining and planning ISKCON’s direction and management
for Srila Prabhupada’s mission to be passed down to future generations.
Through the process of Strategic Planning, sub-committees were formed to
address specific Strategic Planning issues. The six standing sub-committees
include:
1)Establishing Srila Prabhupada’s Position: To clarify the special role
Srila Prabhupada plays as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and work to pass the
theological and practical implications of Srila Prabhupada’s unique position
to future generations.
2)Succession Committee: To identify, inspire, and train future ISKCON
leaders.
3)Constitution Committee: To formulate a constitutuion for ISKCON.
4)Devotee Care: To educate and develop systems to assist in meeting the
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of devotees.
5)Parallel Lines of Authority and Finances: To create a balance between
various levels of leadership in ISKCON, such as GBC members, initiating
spiritual masters, and sannyasis. Also, to develop job descriptions and
financial guidelines for leaders at various levels.
6)Core Preaching Strategies: To identify and promote the main preaching
activities, such a book distribution, varnasrama, education of children,
etc. as outlined by Srila Prabhupada.
For three full days, individual committees convened to further develop and
realize specific committee goals. Strategic Planning requires committees to
not only plan, but also move forward in implementing the committee’s
strategies and initiatives. Consequently, enthusiasm and lively discussion,
both within and outside of allocated meeting time, often develop through
this process of Strategic Planning.
During these three days, time was also alloted to plenary sessions during
which individual groups presented their progress thus far and requested
feedback from the GBC Body.
GBC members will continue to collaberate with their committee members on
their specific initiatives throughout the year and committees will reconvene
in person next fall during the GBC meeting in Bombay.
Add comment February 14th, 2010
Miért nincs az Úr Csaitanjának szikhája vagy nyaklánca?
Tamal Krsna Maharádzsról és a mai Vastu ceremóniáról.
Add comment February 14th, 2010
Conversation with B. Carl, Tamal Krsna Maharaja’s brother and remembrances of TKG
Add comment February 14th, 2010
Gondolatok néhány javaslatról a kirtanok szabványosításával kapcsolatban
Add comment February 13th, 2010
Eco-Valleys and Sustainability, Internationally
Radha Krsna’s presentation to the GBC.
1 comment February 13th, 2010
What is ISKCON and Who is a Member
GBC presentation. What_is_ISKCON_v7.ppt
19 comments February 13th, 2010
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