GBC Meeting Report #6
February 15-17th
Reporting by Sraddhadevi Dasi
During the last three days of the Annual General Meeting of ISKCON's
Governing Body Commission, GBC members gave presentations on new
publications and the status of various projects.
Anuttama Prabhu, representing the GBC's Guru Services Committee, reported on
the Guru Seminars and Guru Retreats program. These programs allow devotees
who are serving as initiating or instructing gurus to associate with one
another and share their experiences serving Srila Prabhupada in the role of
guru. The Guru Seminars and Retreats also aim to enhance skills in
counseling disciples and caring for one’s own physical, emotional, and
spiritual well-being.
Members of the GBC, including Bhaktimarga Swami, Bhakti Chaitanya Swami,
Prahladananda Swami, and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, who attended the Guru
Retreat in Ujjain last October related their experiences. They all expressed
enthusiasm and thanks for having such a wonderful retreat last year and
strongly urged others to attend future Guru Seminars or Retreats. A Guru
Seminar and Retreat will be held in Tirupati next October before the GBC
meetings in Juhu, Bombay.
The Guru Services Committee also presented the progress made on developing a
seminar for disciples. The idea of such a course is to educate devotees
before they receive initiation on the theological, institutional, and
practical issues pertaining to discipleship. Some topics include the
special position Srila Prabhupada plays in ISKCON as the Founder-Acarya, a
theological understanding of Guru-tattva, issues of etiquette between guru
and disciple, understanding the initiation ceremony, and the qualifications
of a disciple and a guru. Over the course of this year a committee will
continue to develop curriculum for this course.
Following the Guru Services Committee, ISKCON's Minister of Education,
Sesa Prabhu, updated the GBC Body on the current educational institutions
within ISKCON. He reported that the Bhaktivedanta College in Budapest
currently has 200 students and offers two Bachelor Degree programs.
Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh is also growing with 30 full-time
students and is looking toward offering degrees in management as well as
theology.
Sesa Prabhu also presented to the GBC Body profiles of various religious
educational institutions that maintain lifestyle values similar to those
of ISKCON. He pointed out that Amrita University, founded by the Mata
Amritanandamayi Math in 1994, now has over 13,000 students and 13 university
departments. Likewise, Maharishi University of Management in Iowa started
off slow, but now has 1,200 students. Maharishi University has seen a 125%
student growth rate in the last five years. Moreover, Brigham Young
University, a successful Mormon university in Utah has an enrollment of more
than 30,000 students. Brigham Young University lists “purity” as a
requirement for graduation and funds 70% of student tuition through church
tithing.
After presenting these examples, Sesa Prabhu urged that ISKCON look toward
the future and put additional energy into further developing our own
educational programs. Everyone was in agreement. A directional straw vote
was taken, and unanimously the GBC decided to place strong emphasis on the
development of education within ISKCON.
Kaunteya Prabhu on behalf of ISKCON's Congregational Development Ministry
presented two new publications to the GBC. The first book, Holy Jail, is a
compilation by Candramauli Swami on the activities and stories of ISKCON's
Prison Ministry. In the thirty years that the ISKCON Prison Ministry has
been in operation, hundred of lives of inmates have changed due to the
practice of Krishna consciousness and the support received by devotees. For
more information on the ISKCON Prison Ministry, please visit
www.ipm.bbnow.org.
The second title presented by Kaunteya Prabhu is an English translation of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Sri Godruma Kalpatavi (The Desire-tree Grove of
Godruma.) Sri Godruma Kalpatavi was originally a newsletter produced in
Bengal 120 years ago by Bhaktivinoda Thakura to guide leaders and members in
his preaching movement. The topics discussed are very practical issues often
faced by those with families and careers who also want to fully engage in
practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness. Jayapataka Swami felt the
Godruma Kalpatavi to be so relevant to lives of devotee today that he
translated the text and inspired the current publication. For more
information on the Godruma Kalpatavi, please visit www.namahatta.org.
The GBC meetings concluded with words of praise and a standing ovation for
this year's GBC Chairman, Romapada Maharaja. Several GBC members expressed
their gratitude toward Romapada Maharaja for putting so much time, effort,
and care into chairing the GBC. Over the course of the year, he addressed
many difficult issues and diligently offered support to ISKCON programs and
leaders throughout the world. Many GBC members felt that Romapada Maharaja
raised the bar and set a new standard for the position of GBC Chairman.
The GBC Body also welcomed the new GBC Chairman, Madhusevita Prabhu, as well
as Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu and Bhakti Caitanya Swami as members of the
incoming GBC Executive Committee.
After twelve days of meetings, members of the GBC appeared satisfied with
the amount of work accomplished during the 2010 Annual General Meeting. The
GBC will meet again next October at the ISKCON Juhu temple in Bombay.
Governing Body Commission, GBC members gave presentations on new
publications and the status of various projects.
Anuttama Prabhu, representing the GBC's Guru Services Committee, reported on
the Guru Seminars and Guru Retreats program. These programs allow devotees
who are serving as initiating or instructing gurus to associate with one
another and share their experiences serving Srila Prabhupada in the role of
guru. The Guru Seminars and Retreats also aim to enhance skills in
counseling disciples and caring for one’s own physical, emotional, and
spiritual well-being.
Members of the GBC, including Bhaktimarga Swami, Bhakti Chaitanya Swami,
Prahladananda Swami, and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, who attended the Guru
Retreat in Ujjain last October related their experiences. They all expressed
enthusiasm and thanks for having such a wonderful retreat last year and
strongly urged others to attend future Guru Seminars or Retreats. A Guru
Seminar and Retreat will be held in Tirupati next October before the GBC
meetings in Juhu, Bombay.
The Guru Services Committee also presented the progress made on developing a
seminar for disciples. The idea of such a course is to educate devotees
before they receive initiation on the theological, institutional, and
practical issues pertaining to discipleship. Some topics include the
special position Srila Prabhupada plays in ISKCON as the Founder-Acarya, a
theological understanding of Guru-tattva, issues of etiquette between guru
and disciple, understanding the initiation ceremony, and the qualifications
of a disciple and a guru. Over the course of this year a committee will
continue to develop curriculum for this course.
Following the Guru Services Committee, ISKCON's Minister of Education,
Sesa Prabhu, updated the GBC Body on the current educational institutions
within ISKCON. He reported that the Bhaktivedanta College in Budapest
currently has 200 students and offers two Bachelor Degree programs.
Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh is also growing with 30 full-time
students and is looking toward offering degrees in management as well as
theology.
Sesa Prabhu also presented to the GBC Body profiles of various religious
educational institutions that maintain lifestyle values similar to those
of ISKCON. He pointed out that Amrita University, founded by the Mata
Amritanandamayi Math in 1994, now has over 13,000 students and 13 university
departments. Likewise, Maharishi University of Management in Iowa started
off slow, but now has 1,200 students. Maharishi University has seen a 125%
student growth rate in the last five years. Moreover, Brigham Young
University, a successful Mormon university in Utah has an enrollment of more
than 30,000 students. Brigham Young University lists “purity” as a
requirement for graduation and funds 70% of student tuition through church
tithing.
After presenting these examples, Sesa Prabhu urged that ISKCON look toward
the future and put additional energy into further developing our own
educational programs. Everyone was in agreement. A directional straw vote
was taken, and unanimously the GBC decided to place strong emphasis on the
development of education within ISKCON.
Kaunteya Prabhu on behalf of ISKCON's Congregational Development Ministry
presented two new publications to the GBC. The first book, Holy Jail, is a
compilation by Candramauli Swami on the activities and stories of ISKCON's
Prison Ministry. In the thirty years that the ISKCON Prison Ministry has
been in operation, hundred of lives of inmates have changed due to the
practice of Krishna consciousness and the support received by devotees. For
more information on the ISKCON Prison Ministry, please visit
www.ipm.bbnow.org.
The second title presented by Kaunteya Prabhu is an English translation of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Sri Godruma Kalpatavi (The Desire-tree Grove of
Godruma.) Sri Godruma Kalpatavi was originally a newsletter produced in
Bengal 120 years ago by Bhaktivinoda Thakura to guide leaders and members in
his preaching movement. The topics discussed are very practical issues often
faced by those with families and careers who also want to fully engage in
practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness. Jayapataka Swami felt the
Godruma Kalpatavi to be so relevant to lives of devotee today that he
translated the text and inspired the current publication. For more
information on the Godruma Kalpatavi, please visit www.namahatta.org.
The GBC meetings concluded with words of praise and a standing ovation for
this year's GBC Chairman, Romapada Maharaja. Several GBC members expressed
their gratitude toward Romapada Maharaja for putting so much time, effort,
and care into chairing the GBC. Over the course of the year, he addressed
many difficult issues and diligently offered support to ISKCON programs and
leaders throughout the world. Many GBC members felt that Romapada Maharaja
raised the bar and set a new standard for the position of GBC Chairman.
The GBC Body also welcomed the new GBC Chairman, Madhusevita Prabhu, as well
as Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu and Bhakti Caitanya Swami as members of the
incoming GBC Executive Committee.
After twelve days of meetings, members of the GBC appeared satisfied with
the amount of work accomplished during the 2010 Annual General Meeting. The
GBC will meet again next October at the ISKCON Juhu temple in Bombay.
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