However, we still see that the Society, which is designed to cure the ills of the world, is itself suffering from the same evils. Something is drastically wrong. We need to take care of the young generation of ISKCON, the widows, the older devotees, all devotees who have dedicated their lives for Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. Even the members of the ISKCON GBC Society of West Bengal. Yes, even they need to be helped by us by not letting them have absolute power, not designed by Srila Prabhupada, for any of his disciples.
The GBC of ISKCON needs to be elected by the Temple presidents, from AMONG the Temple presidents, who themselves can be changed by a vote of the temple members, hence there is accountability and restrain on all. The Ishwara mentality of a leader in ISKCON can be controlled, by following these protective orders of Srila Prabhupada.
Mostly humble caring mature devotees will emerge as leaders, given the general devotional character of most of the voters. If not the first time, then the next election can change the problematic leaders.. As the leaders will be, they will attract followers of the same kind.
My appeal to all the responsible Temple presidents, leaders and members of ISKCON is, please do not allow this transgression to Srila Prabhupada’s direct strict order to happen. This will continually harm the devotees of ISKCON, the leaders of ISKCON, and hence the whole world. Instead, we should elect a GBC as instructed to us by Srila Prabhupada.
By following this dictate of the members of the foreign “ISKCON GBC Society” of West Bengal, all the temple members will lose their rights forever. All the Temple presidents will be always kowtowing, (act in an excessively subservient manner), to these members, otherwise they can be removed any time. Is this what you see your life to be like?
Will you sit idle and give away all your legitimate powers, given by Srila Prabhupada to protect you?
Do you think history will look kindly upon all of you if you disobey this direct order of Srila Prabhupada and not elect your Own GBC, from amongst You, the Temple presidents?
As leaders, do you not have responsibility to take care of the spiritual and to some extent the material lives of your dependents, is it not your duty to stand up on their behalf?
As parent, is it not your duty to guard the future life of your innocent children?
Can you really give these lives over completely to somebody — without the accountability designed by Srila Prabhupada?
The first step to reclaiming the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is to implement the DOM, our God-given constitutional rights from Srila Prabhupada Srila Prabhupada, and electing a true GBC. Such a GBC will act as the servants of the Temple presidents, who will act as the servants of the congregations, rather than the other way around.
ISKCON by the DOM, means a perfectly internally balanced system of checks and balances, giving autonomy and self-rule to each Temple and in fact to every individual comprising the ISKCON body. In this way ISKCON can spread unlimitedly without threat from any person or group, inside or outside, giving its members the freedom to work cooperatively together to expand the Movement, and gradually take over the modern world with the highest Vedic standards of Daiva Varnasrama Dharma[1], Srila Prabhupada’s Vision for the world in this Golden Age of Kali Yuga.
This is our first step to a Krishna Conscious world, and the deliverance of mankind from this world of illusion. By the Direction of Management, we can, and will pave the path to a perfect world, through the total prevention of corruption, and deviation found only where one man believes himself to be inferior to another.
We have the responsibility to liberate ourselves from such a material conception of life, via the implementation of Srila Prabhupada’s DOM order, and thus embark upon the path of self-realization, which exists exclusively upon the Spiritual Platform, and is available to all living beings.
Another major legal point that has come out of this is that no one actually has legal ownership over the name or phrase ISKCON. There is no true legal umbrella corporation called ISKCON, so anyone can use this name as they like provided they follow their local incorporation laws.
For example, there are probably around 100 registered religious corporations in the United States that use this phrase ISKCON in their name; “ISKCON of New York, ISKCON of LA, ISKCON of the Bay Area, ISKCON of….”. None of these 100, or so, religious corporations are legally connected to each other. There is no legal mother corporation, who oversees all the 100 temples. Thus, each of these 100 registered corporations that use the name ISKCON are legally independent and each has a legal right to use the name ISKCON.
FOOT NOTE: