From the ISKCON GBC – Minutes Of The Annual General Meeting – February 2017
313: Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission
[ISKCON Law]
Whereas the GBC wishes to formalize the understanding of its global services to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness;
Whereas it is important that duties and responsibilities be clarified at all levels of the Society;
Whereas the GBC wishes to produce a legacy document for the instruction and training of future GBC members:
RESOLVED:
That the document “Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission (GBC)” is accepted as an official statement and shall be part of ISKCON Law.
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(The following is an excerpt from the above mentioned document)
Strategizing & Leading ISKCON’s Qualitative & Quantitative Growth
Srila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member: “I have issued a letter to all the GBC members only for this purpose that each one of you should always think how to improve the cause and advance our society and as soon as there is some good point you can communicate with your colleagues . . . So you should not remain for a moment without thought of improving ISKCON activity.” (Letter to Tamal Krishna, September 1, 1971) To another member of the GBC Srila Prabhupada wrote: “[N]ow you may, along with the other men of GBC, take over from me management of ISKCON affairs and work combinedly to open as many centers as possible all over the world.” (Letter to Satsvarupa, November 4, 1970) On the same day he wrote to another member of the GBC: “That is what I wish to see from the GBC members; that they work combinedly to open as many centers as possible all over the world . . . So please work closely together and do everything in cooperation.” (Letter to Sudama, November 4, 1970) Srila Prabhupada also said: “[W]e shall perform this sankirtana yajna all over the world, town to town, town to town. Now we have got GBC all over the world. Let them organize.” (Room Conversation, London, August 15, 1971)
The GBC needs to offer direction for shaping the future. The GBC as the global governing body, needs to create strategic goals for both the stabilization of ISKCON and for its expansion. Such strategic goals should be short-term and long-term. This includes planning for making Krishna consciousness relevant to everyone. As Srila Prabhupada wrote to a member of the GBC: “These festivals will be successful all over the world. As GBC member it is your duty to carefully make a broad program for implementing Krsna Consciousness in every sphere of life, in this way we will become respected as the most important members of human society.” (Letter to Hamsaduta, May 6, 1973)
As visionaries for the movement, the GBC should establish whatever administrative departments, educational initiatives, and information campaigns necessary to ensure the health and development of Srila Prabhupada’s movement. In particular, the GBC should give special attention to international projects, such as developing Sridham Mayapur. There should be clear service descriptions for all roles of responsibility within ISKCON, and appropriate training and regular performance assessments. All projects should be fully accountable financially, legally, morally, and spiritually. The GBC should promote a culture of succession to guarantee that all important functions remain covered in the future.
Ensuring that Srila Prabhupada’s Books Are Distributed, Studied and Assimilated
Srila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member: “I am so pleased that you are thinking of distributing my books to the largest extent. Distribution of books means propagation of our mission. If we can distribute KRSNA book in thousands upon thousands, automatically the Krsna Consciousness Movement will be spread up. You have rightly drawn the attention of the GBC on this point.” (Letter to Bali Mardana, January 6, 1971) Srila Prabhupada also said: “So now you all GBC make a plan how to introduce the books in every home.” (Room Conversation, Bhuvanesvara, January 29, 1977)
But Srila Prabhupada did not want devotees to only distribute his books; he often stressed the importance for devotees to study his books both regularly and scrutinizingly: “GBC member means they will see that in every temple these books are very thoroughly being read and discussed and understood and applied in practical life.” (Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.3, Melbourne, April 5, 1972) Srila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member: “Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in your zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness philosophy.” (Letter to Satsvarupa, June 16, 1972) To another member of the GBC, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “[Y]ou all leaders, especially the GBC members, must become very much responsible and do the work that I am doing to the same standard. So I want you leaders especially to become very much absorbed in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and become yourselves completely convinced and free from all doubt. On this platform you shall be able to carry on the work satisfactorily, but if there is lack of knowledge, or if there is forgetfulness, everything will be spoiled in time. So especially you must encourage the students to read our books throughout the day as much as possible, and give them all good advice how to understand the books, and inspire them to study the things from every point of view . . . Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way that we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk. Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet, that is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so 13 many ways instruct them in the right propositions.” (Letter to Hamsaduta, June 22, 1972)
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