ISKCON Devotees' Right to Vote, Part 2
BY: VOICE OF ISKCON
Apr 23, 2012 — WORLDWIDE (SUN) — "When the father asked his children to break the bundle of sticks wrapped in a bag, none of them could do it. But, when they removed the sticks from the bag, and tried one by one, the sticks were easily broken. So this is the strength in unity. If we are bunched up, we can never be broken, but when divided, then we can become broken very easily." (SPL to Kirtanananda Maharaja, 18th October, 1973)
"VOICE of ISKCON" comprises of devotees from different countries around the world who have experienced similar problems for many years due to not getting the right to vote for our Temple President. A cry is heard in every continent around the world. We feel strongly that many of the problems we are facing will not have happened if we followed the instructions of Srila Prabhupada where he on numerous occasions insisted on voting for the local Temple President. That is why we have set-up this petition.
So far have got 83 signatures. Not many devotees are aware of this petition "ISKCON Devotees' Right to Vote." We really need your help to promote this campaign to as many devotees as possible. Please help us do that. And those of you who have not signed up yet, please do so soon. It's time for all of us to come together as one and do the right thing. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.
a. The Facebook is a good way to do it. But you need to cut and paste the link below on your devotee friend's wall so they definitely will be aware of this campaign. Encourage them to join us and recruit more devotees. Please also add us as friend in Facebook. Our name is "Voice ISKCON" in Facebook.
b. Email as many devotee friends with the link below and encourage them to do the same. If each of you can send to at least 10 devotee friends, we would have reached 800 devotees, and if they reach out to another 10, we would reach 8000 devotees ISKCON and soon it will create a viral effect.
Please note however that this petition is not intended to encourage bringing Ritvik influence into ISKCON temples. We are seeking the support of genuine voters from non-Ritvik ISKCON temples/centers.
The remarks we have got so far from this petition is interesting. Here are some of them. There are many facing the same plight as we are around the world. Get more devotees to sign up for this petition. Tell someone everyday...Every effort counts. Just make sure the your email-id and location is correct and valid, City, State and Country. We have to make our story known to ISKCON GBC.
Paste this link on your devotee friend's wall or send the link in email:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/iskcon-devotees-right-to-vote.html
View our signature map so far:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/iskcon-devotees-right-to-vote/signature-map.html
Some very interesting remarks from our petition page
from devotees worldwide:
Ilinois, USA:
I would like to have a place to recommend aspiring new devotees to go. The temple was the center of our lives and association most important. Lets all try to right the wrong.
Florida, USA:
Along with the voting system, there need to be in place a system, or a set of agreements by eligible members, that will prevent manipulative voting campaigns, and insure that those in place are acting out of a mood to serve the devotees. There are many doors through which deceit, and other Kali-yuga influences can enter. Let us prevent that by establishing clear behavioral guidelines, clear consequences for not following them, and a fail-safe method to enforce that system. Purity is the force.
North Carolina, USA:
ISKCON devotees have the right to vote!
Florence, Italy:
hare krsna It is the perfect way extablised by our divine Srila Prabhupada.The one more qualifed and with the approval of the local devotees has to be in charge. Hari Bol
Mysore, India:
In the present situation it is very much appropriate to elect the leader. Otherwise the current bad situation worsens. The Leaders will have their own long term plans to grow personally ignoring Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. Politics as we see currently we see in all the temples will come down drastically and peace will prevail if there is freaquent change in the leaders.
Jai Srila Prabhupada.
Hawaii, USA:
It will probably not happen in my lifetime, such autocracy in Iskcon its sickening
Georgia, USA:
I believe this will improve the functions in all the temples.
Montreal, Canada:
je suggère aussi le vote pour la présidence des temple de ISKCON.
Translation: " I also suggest the vote for president of the ISKCON temple "
North Carolina, USA:
Great service to The Greatest saint Srila Prabhupada Of Kali Yuga.
North Carolina, USA:
"Therefore we have created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a sudra. Although Yamaraja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He was punished to become a sudra. So those who are GBC's, they should be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they will be punished. As the post is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great" Srila Prabhupada
Vicenza, Italy:
i hope that sri krsna will gave his mercy for this project.
Charlottetown, Canada:
Enough of this tyranny! It's been a crazy ride and now it's time to grow up and get on with Srila Prabhupadas mission and that begins with having leaders that can actually lead.Let's vote in leaders who possess genuine empathy for the suffering masses and shun fame and fortune. All glories to His Divine Grace for he is the best of the freedom fighters.
Vicenza, Italy:
Finaly we start, yes, for a better spiritual Daivy Varnashrama Dharma Society we need good leaders, and a good leader is not attached to that position and is happy to leave that service after some time to other brothers happy to serve the mission of The Harinam Sankirtan movement by Sri Caitanya and HDG Srila Prabhupada.
Vicenza, Italy:
It could be nice to have a Temple presidet that inspire the devotees and the people that come for the first time. To be on cherge for long time is not always good becouse it is easy that one become to much powerful with his false ego, I speak for personal experience. Thank you
North Carolina, USA:
This just makes sense. I'm a fourth generation preacher's kid; my father was deeply traumatized by Mormonism in his youth and ended up atheistic due to the authoritarian nature of that church. I have seen devotees flee ISKCON for similar reasons.
Uddevalla, Sweden:
FULLY SUPPORT THIS .... LONG OVER-DUE
Bangalore, India:
We have to take Srila Prabhupad's instructions as our life and soul. Responsible positions cannot be taken for granted.
Gautemala City, Gautemala:
Long overdue. Hare Krishna.
Gauteng, South Africa:
Let's get this rolling
Moscow, Russia:
HDG Srila Prabhupada said ''DO NOT CENTRALIZE ANYTHING'' '' DO NOT CHANGE -ANYTHING'' WHAT IS THE DIFFICULTY ?
Perpignan, France:
Time to vote for the most qualified possible devotee to lead our temple
Arizona, USA:
it could begin to help with a big problem in iskcon. i encourage everyone to vote in favor of this resolution.
Vrindavan, India:
What IS the difficulty?
Tauveni, Fiji:
Hare Krishna. All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. I pray to Lord Krishna that He will allow the simple, grateful, loyal and obedient disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada to reclaim His movement and always protect them from nasty desires for profit, adoration and distinction, which have spoiled our current leaders; again bringing all honor and attention, which Prabhupada so much deserves, from the world.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
We could not question the temple management without being shunned by them. A problem that would have been solved if we had election yearly but took 10 years to be discovered and dismantled.
Brisbane, Australia:
Yes, Why not? we are supposed to follow Prabhupada, so his instruction is that we should chose temple president by voting, Jai Prabhupada.
Bangkok, Thailand:
His Divine Grace was never in favor of dictatorships where one is lording it over the many. Transparency in leadership is required.
Lorgues, France:
let us get the chance of a change in iskcon
Gautemala City, Gautemala:
Long overdue. Thank you for this valuable service.
Hawaii, USA:
This is needed in Honolulu now more than ever!!!!
London, UK:
We accept voting, but the old guard never will. Why do you think Krishna sang Bhagavad Gita? Because the opposing party could not be reasoned with! Which leaves only war as the solution to this problem. We are not dealing with gentlemen here.
Virginia, USA:
Very good step taken. Now, let all of us sign this and be responsible !
Atlanta, USA:
It will be heartening & soul-satisfying to see the instructions of Srila Prabhupada being followed in his temples.
California, USA:
The article says it all. We need to put Srila Prabhupada's instructions into place thereby having all the devotees understanding that it is by his mercy that we can make progress in KC. By neglecting this we only live in a fools paradise. The laguna beach temple is a good example of of this corruption where the TP sells Porno calenders to make money and then goes on the altar to worship the Pancha Tattva, Is everyone asleep? Hold elections for TP.
San Jose, Costa Rica:
En este esfuerzo no hay perdida ni disminucion. Por favor, no hay nada que temer.
Translation: "In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution. Please, there is nothing to fear."
Texas, USA:
Srila Prabhupada gave perfect instructions on this voting so that local devotees can participate in having a voice
Wisconsin, USA:
Is time to follow the instruction of our spiritual master HDG Srila Prabhupada. They change this instruction for there own advantage, to stay in power for life and enjoy a good retirement. We can see "if we ignore the instruction of the guru we will not be effective" (SP). ISKCON needs a fundamental change to be effective, there is no other way, we already wasted 34 years .
Vicenza, Italy:
I think you really touched the heart of the problem. Thank you for your initiative and for creating an international appeal. I hope something good will come out of this, I still have some hope.
Your servants,
Voice of ISKCON
