Resolution from the annual meeting of the NA GBC&TP,
January 11, 2020
We, the ISKCON North American GBC Members and Temple Presidents, profoundly thank the international GBC body for its resolution allowing qualified Vaishnavis to give initiation under the GBC specified circumstances.
This resolution is in line with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and example as well as our longstanding Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. It will allow us to more effectively reach diverse North American audiences in our preaching. We find it is exactly in accord with Srila Prabhupada’s intentions and desire to encourage preachers of all backgrounds.
We note that the GBC resolution also allows regional leaders to opt out of the practice in their regions if they so choose. Thus we strongly oppose the call of some ISKCON leaders in India for the GBC to rescind the resolution. We believe that so doing would irreparably damage ISKCON’s preaching and reputation in North America and possibly the faith of devotees around the world in the GBC’s objectivity and leadership.
The GBC has shown great wisdom in courageously following Srila Prabhupada’s call for ‘unity in diversity.’ ISKCON’s North American leaders strongly and respectfully request the GBC to stand firm and not rescind its wise, reasonable, and Krishna conscious decision.
Vote: 45 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions.
“North American GBC strongly opposes the call of ISKCON India to rescind the resolution on Female Diksha Gurus”
Well I “strongly” think they should pass a resolution first on how to awaken KC in North America. The whole scene is dead. That is their first business. Not to interfere in ISKCON India.
Well written, Prabhu! You have presented the factual situation existing in North American ISKCON temples, to some extent. It’s not totally dead, but active preaching of KC as was extent in the 1970s, is way, way down.
Still, they aren’t “interfering” in ISKCON India, as such. What they have done with this resolution is to dismiss the serious concerns about the shastric basis of the concept of female diksha guru in ISKCON, as expressed by the ISKCON India Governing Council aka the “Bureau”, in it’s resolution adopted on November 25, 2019.
They did not deal at all with what is written within what the ISKCON India leaders passed. The need to establish their siddhanta – conclusion – based on guru, sadhu, and shastra, and they HAVE NOT DONE SO.
Here is the Bureau’s Resolution on the subject of the GBCs authorization of female diksha gurus:
[On the last day of the meeting of the ISKCON India Governing Council (Bureau) at Ahmedabad, November 25, 2019, the following resolution was adopted by the Bureau: a response to ISKCON’s GBC having passed a resolution at Tirupati last month, sanctioning female diksha gurus].
Whereas, the GBC has passed a resolution at their mid-term meeting at Tirupati 2019, authorizing female diksha gurus. However, the Bureau had passed a resolution during its February 2019 meeting at Pune, calling on the GBC not to pass any resolution on female diksha gurus, before entering into a dialogue with the Bureau, but regretfully the GBC did not do so, and the Bureau feels distressed and disheartened by the disregard shown by the GBC towards the Bureau,
Whereas, we all know that “books are the basis”, and in our foundational book, Srimad Bhagavatam, 4.12.32, Prabhupada clearly stated that “being a woman” Suniti could not be Dhruva’s diksha guru”. The Bureau finds that the said resolution instituting female diksha gurus is in our understanding a contravention of this specific instruction of Srila Prabhupada,
Whereas, the resolution passed by the GBC on female diksha gurus is having a divisive effect on the worldwide community of devotees,
Whereas, the members of the Bureau find the said resolution instituting female diksha gurus to contradict established vaishnava practices, traditions, and the culture of the Saraswat line of Gaudiyas, as set down in various vedic scriptures,
Whereas, the effort to institute female diksha-gurus in ISKCON contravenes Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to institute varnashrama-dharma as the social system for ISKCON,
Whereas, Srila Prabhupada did not confer the sacred thread to women, therefore we understand that they are thus unauthorized to confer it to others,
Whereas, Srila Prabhupada had so many sincere and senior female disicples, but still he never appointed a single woman as a TP, GBC, or ritvik (guru – as per the July 9 letter), thus establishing his intent that as per teaching of the shastra that woman should always be protected and not have authority over men,
Whereas, the Bureau is afraid that since the GBC has the tendency to appoint women as TPs and GBCs, and now female diksha gurus, it will open the doors to more Western liberal egalitarian ideas that men and women are absolutely equal, a view that Prabhupada condemned time and again,
Whereas, this resolution and consequent implementation will cause the leaders of the four Vaishnava sampradayas and bona fide followers of Sanatana Dharma to call into question the authenticity of ISKCON,
Whereas, the members of the Bureau feel that the GBC resolution authorizing female diksha gurus even on a regional basis will adversely affect ISKCON India. As devotees around the world treat ISKCON as one united institution and not compartmentally, with each area having it’s own systems of initiation. So anyone who is initiated by a female guru outside of India cannot be denied as a bona fide initiated devotee within India. We wish to point out that ISKCON India has the most temples, the largest group of both fully dedicated and congregational devotees, and the most book distribution in the world. Moreover, we wish to point out that the vast majority of ISKCON’s congregation in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, as well as to some extent in Western Europe, are Indians, and they naturally have a relationship with ISKCON in India,
Whereas, the Bureau takes cognizance of the vote in the ICC – Indian temple presidents and managers meeting – (vote was seventy six in favor, three opposed, with four abstentions), and in the IIAC – divisional council representatives and Bureau members’ joint meeting – (twenty one in favor, three opposed, and six abstentions) wherein both bodies voted overwhelmingly to reject this resolution of the GBC, and called upon us to convey their desire to the GBC for this resolution to be rescinded,
Whereas, this resolution that may have far reaching effects was passed by the GBC with only a simple majority, whereas to be confirmed as a GBC member a 4/5 majority is required,
Therefore, in view of the above, it is hereby resolved, that,
The Bureau hereby expresses its strong opposition to the GBC resolution on female diksha gurus, passed during their 2019 meeting, at Tirupati,
The Bureau calls on the GBC body to rescind the resolution on female diksha gurus during its 2020 AGM, and, as requested by the Bureau in February 2019, to enter into a dialogue on the issue with us, to come to a mutually agreeable solution on the basis of guru, sadhu, and shastra,
Further, the Bureau calls on the GBC body to reconstitute the Shastric Advisory Council (SAC), in consultation with the Bureau, as it appears that the conclusions of the SAC papers of 2005 and 2013 on the topic of female diksha gurus, which informed the GBC’s resolution, are incorrect.
We read this in the article:
“This resolution is in line with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and example as well as our longstanding Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. It will allow us to more effectively reach diverse North American audiences in our preaching. We find it is exactly in accord with Srila Prabhupada’s intentions and desire to encourage preachers of all backgrounds.”
Just a statement, with no evidence from shastras to prove their contentions!
Prabhupada’s example: he did NOT appoint EVEN ONE WOMAN as an officer in ISKCON – what to speak of a diksha guru! Not one woman was appointed as TP, GBC, BBT Trustee, or MVT trustee. Prabhupada condemned the idea of a woman being a “sannyasini” – which will come next if this resolution stands.
Read the Bureau resolution to understand the logic and reasoning – the rationale – for the ISKCON India leadership’s rejection of the GBC Resolution – here on this website:
https://akincana.net/2019/11/30/iskcon-india-calls-on-the-gbc-body-to-rescind-the-resolution-on-female-diksha-gurus/
Approving gurus is a malpractice not found anywhere in the sastra, and thus, “approving” gurus, both male and female, is a sign of a deviation, and interference of the corrupt, corporate structures in the way how sampradaya is supposed to work.
Definitely !!! An institution should serve sampradaya, not otherwise, never contrarily. And corrupted compromised institution is like malignant lesion sponging on sampradaya.
Approving gurus is part of “utility is the principle”. Prabhupada wanted oversight of his institution. There are those who will argue that there should not be an institution. Prabhupada did comment that guruship does NOT depend on ecclesiastical considerations, and yet, he created and legally registered his institution, ISKCON, and did direct that a GBC should continue to function to oversee that affairs were conducted according to his instructions.
But “bottom line”: more or less all of our diksha gurus aren’t actually “qualified”. They are more like officers in the military during a major conflict who are “commissioned on the battlefield”, in the absence or lack of sufficient officers to lead the army.
You see, “veda paathaad bhavet vipra”. By study of the vedas – and that means the vedic gurukula system of “aavartana” – memorization of at least one of the vedas, then study – again by memorization – of the vedangas, and then study of “darshana shastras” – vedic philosophy, one of which is vedanta philosophy (that Prabhupada commented in a purport in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, “should be studied by Gaudiya Vaishnavas”) – one becomes a brahmana! The brahmanas are the gurus – shiksha and diksha – for society. The women-folk – females – are charged with assisting their husbands, who they should view as a demigod, according to Srimad Bhagavatam 6.18.33-34:
“A husband is the supreme demigod for a woman. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vāsudeva, the husband of the goddess of fortune, is situated in everyone’s heart and is worshiped through the various names and forms of the demigods by fruitive workers. Similarly, a husband represents the Lord as the object of worship for a woman.”
Your criticism misses the point of the present struggle. The liberal devotees on the GBC want to usher in an era of “gender equality”, aka feminism, and egalitarianism through “affirmative action”: the authorization of female diksha gurus in ISKCON. Our dilemma is that this group if powerful, holding the majority position within the GBC, and they are flaunting and disregarding not only what Prabhupada taught about the role of women in society, but actually challenging the authority of vedic shastras, that are the basis of vaishnava and sanaatan dharma.
A very slippery slope to say the least, for those who are entrusted with Prabhupada’s legacy!
It’s funny they say “we strongly oppose the call of some ISKCON leaders in India” when actually 95% of them called for the resolution to be rescinded. 95% is certainly not my definition of “some”.
“Some ISKCON leaders in India”? The ICC – ISKCON India Continental Committee (temple presidents and managers meeting), the IIAC – ISKCON India Advisory Committee (zonal representatives from North, South, East, and West, along with Bureau members), and the ISKCON India Governing Council (aka, “the Bureau” – that includes seven GBC members for India) ALL voted to request the GBC to rescind their FDG resolution.
That’s a LOT MORE than “some”!