support - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-28T12:20:57Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/supportSenior GBC / Gurus Support Vaishnavi Diksa-Gurus in New Videohttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/senior-gbc-gurus-support-vaishnavi-diksa-gurus-in-new-video2020-06-14T05:59:29.000Z2020-06-14T05:59:29.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div id="article_image" style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/06-Jun/vdg1_slideshow.png" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/06-Jun/vdg1_slideshow.png?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="550" alt="vdg1_slideshow.png?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a></div>
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<p>In a video released today featuring Gopal Krishna Goswami, Bhakti Charu Swami, and Jayapataka Swami, these three initiating gurus and senior members of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) explain why they support the GBC resolution empowering women to serve as initiating spiritual masters in ISKCON. </p>
<p>Watch the video here:</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-yXOU3clZ0s" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>The resolution included under “701.6: ISKCON spiritual masters,” and entitled “Vaisnavi Diksa-gurus — 2019” was passed by the GBC at the Midterm General Meeting in October 2019. It was confirmed at the Annual General Meeting at ISKCON’s world headquarters in Mayapur, West Bengal, India in February 2020. </p>
<p>The resolution states that: “Whereas in 2009 the GBC Resolved:</p>
<p>1. The GBC accepts the philosophical conclusion presented in the SAC’s [Sastric Advisory Committee’s] Female Diksa Guru Paper that a mature, qualified, female devotee may accept the role of an initiating spiritual master. </p>
<p>2. The GBC Body authorizes local area committees to put forward for approval as initiating guru any devotee in their area, male or female, who is qualified according to existing GBC Law. </p>
<p>Whereas, since then, the GBC has worked to achieve consensus and implementation of this resolution; </p>
<p>Whereas after much study, dialogue, and research, the GBC has come to the following conclusion.</p>
<p>1. Vaisnavis are eligible to give diksa in ISKCON provided that they: a) Meet all the qualifications listed for ISKCON diksa-guru applicants; b) Are at least 55 years of age and in a stable family situation, living under the protection of a husband, elder son or son-in-law, qualified householder couple or senior Vaisnava or Vaisnavi sanga; c) Receive written permission from the appropriate regional body or its equivalent, or national council, to give diksa in that particular part of the world.</p>
<p>2. After five years the GBC shall review this resolution to determine if the number of Vaisnavis initiating in any region or as a total for the world is in keeping with Srila Prabhupada’s indication of ‘…not so many’.”</p>
<p>Dissenting voices among the GBC called for the resolution to be voted down, tabled, or amended at the 2020 AGM. The GBC decided not to amend the decision, but agreed to continue dialogue with other leaders – especially within India, where some had voiced opposition to the Vaishnavi diksa-guru decision – before any amendments are adopted.<br /> <br /> <strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://iskconnews.org/senior-gbc-gurus-support-vaishnavi-diksa-gurus-in-new-video,7394/">https://iskconnews.org/senior-gbc-gurus-support-vaishnavi-diksa-gurus-in-new-video,7394/</a></p>
</div></div>ISKCON Strategic Planning Support Team to Assist Temples Tackle Challenges Due to Pandemichttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/iskcon-strategic-planning-support-team-to-assist-temples-tackle-c2020-04-21T12:56:01.000Z2020-04-21T12:56:01.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div id="article_image" style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/04-Apr/spt_logo_slideshow_slideshow.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/04-Apr/spt_logo_slideshow_slideshow.jpg?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="500" alt="spt_logo_slideshow_slideshow.jpg?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a></div>
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<p>ISKCON Strategic Planning Support Team, which is a unit of the GBC Strategic Planning Team is extending their support to help devotee communities worldwide to survive, maintain and grow. Below is their letter to ISKCON leaders: </p>
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<p>"Dear ISKCON Leaders, </p>
<p>The GBC SPT’s Strategic Planning Support unit (SPS) is at your service. Should you require assistance in strategizing how to deal with the current and future challenges you face due to COVID-19, we can help.</p>
<p>Our objective is to assist you to ensure the survival, growth and sustainability of your centers and devotee communities impacted by COVID-19. It is never too late to develop a focused action plan that will ensure we emerge from this disruption as a stronger ISKCON.</p>
<p>We will listen to your situation and help you come up with a clear, customized plan. We envision three general stages a plan would include:</p>
<p><strong>• Stage 1 </strong>– Survival (Immediate Action Plan): This is aimed at helping you to survive the current crisis and its impact on your centers and devotee communities. We will assist you to make sense of COVID-19 and how it impacts your centers and devotee communities. The goal is to identify your major risks and develop solutions and a plan of action to ensure survival.</p>
<p><strong>• Stage 2</strong> – Reposition (Short term Plan): What you determine to be key ways forward in your yatra in the short term, once immediate crises are dealt with? Once your major crises are controlled and your centers stabilized, we will then help you determine what strategies should be adopted and actioned in the short term to stay relevant to the mission. Example, how to continue preaching during COVID-19? etc.</p>
<p><strong>• Stage 3</strong> – Transform, Post COVID-19: Help you envision dynamic ways forward in an ISKCON and world that may be quite different than what we have been experiencing. We will assist you with post COVID-19 Strategic Planning exploring what you need to change to be relevant and relatable in a changing world, what strategies and new program you need to implement and a practical plan for implementation to ensure the long term sustainability and growth of your centers and devotee communities.</p>
<p>The Strategic Planning Support (SPS) unit consist of long-standing devotees with both devotional and secular experience. They have served as National Council members, Directors, Temple Presidents, and more.</p>
<p>Contact the Strategic Planning Support unit at: sps@gbcstrategicplanningteam.com</p>
<p>NOTE: ALL INFORMATION SHARED WITH THE SPS TEAM WILL BE TREATED WITH THE UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Your servants,</p>
<p>Strategic Planning Support"<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-strategic-planning-support-team-to-assist-temples-tackle-challenges-due-to-pandemic,7333/">https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-strategic-planning-support-team-to-assist-temples-tackle-challenges-due-to-pandemic,7333/</a></p>
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<p> </p></div>GBC Strategic Planning Team Offers Devotees Support to Face COVID-19 Challengeshttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/gbc-strategic-planning-team-offers-devotees-support-to-face-covid2020-03-31T07:27:04.000Z2020-03-31T07:27:04.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div id="article_image" style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/03-Mar/spt_logo_slideshow.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://iskconnews.org/media/img_versions/2020/03-Mar/spt_logo_slideshow.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="spt_logo_slideshow.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" /></a></div>
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<p>For many years, the ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) has been serving the GBC by offering strategic advice, guidance and solutions for the benefit of the whole of ISKCON. Now, to help devotees stay safe and cope with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the SPT has put together a global task force team that gathers and disseminate both spiritually uplifting and materially useful information. </p>
<p>They collect content from anywhere in ISKCON (and beyond) and will share: </p>
<p>1. Ideas on how to productively engage in Krishna consciousness while being confined at home, and also on how to engage children and teenagers.</p>
<p>2. Ideas on how to associate with each other in various ways while not leaving your place.</p>
<p>3. Best practices adopted in various ISKCON communities in the world to take care of the devotees and protect each other. </p>
<p>4. Ideas on how to do outreach from home.</p>
<p>5. Useful information on the virus and on ways to prevent infection and the spreading of infection. </p>
<p>6. Reminders of standards of safety - individual and collective. </p>
<p>7. Analysis of developments in areas such as economy, geopolitics, security, etc. </p>
<p>8. Anything else that could be useful to the devotees. </p>
<p>Devotees our requested to please share this information as widely as possible through email, websites, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)</p>
<p>All the relevant information will be disseminated through ISKCON News, Dandavats and via various other channels on a daily basis, and all the sent out materials will be categorized and archived for easy research on <a href="http://gbcstrategicplanningteam.com/">http://gbcstrategicplanningteam.com/</a></p>
<p>Devotees can write to the SPT at: <a href="mailto:contact@gbcstrategicplanningteam.com">contact@gbcstrategicplanningteam.com</a></p>
<p>And specifically for prayers' requests - for devotees infected: <a href="mailto:prayers@gbcstrategicplanningteam.com">prayers@gbcstrategicplanningteam.com</a> </p>
<p>Stay home and stay safe. </p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://iskconnews.org/gbc-strategic-planning-team-offers-devotees-support-to-face-covid-19-challenges,7310/">https://iskconnews.org/gbc-strategic-planning-team-offers-devotees-support-to-face-covid-19-challenges,7310/</a></p>
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