The GBC Oath of Allegiance: Is Something
Wrong Here?
BY: KUTAMUDGARA DAS
Jun 28, 2011 — AFRICA (SUN) — In an article on Dandavats.con by Sraddhadevi dasi, entitled "GBC Members Renew Oath of Allegiance", the GBC's yearly renewal of faith is demonstrated for the eyes and ears of ISKCON's less important members. Now from whence this GBC pledge has come, we are left to wonder. Like so many other mayavadic trends in ISKCON, it seems to have descended from out of the antarisksha, just like ISKCON Interfaith or ISKCON News. It is another stepping stone along the path away from the parampara in the slow transformation of Krishna consciousness into another mundane religion by the Society's clique of current party-line faithfuls.
In fact, the Founder-Acarya never required devotees to stand before him as a group and make such yearly pledges. Therefore, why does the GBC feel that this on-camera stagecraft is necessary? It is nothing less than a histrionic show by the Society's leaders, who obviously feel the urge to impress their inferiors that they are looking out for them. Apparently our leaders think that devotees are so dumb that they will be impressed when the Giant Body of Corporates emerges from their closed-door meetings to make a public spectacle, vowing to keep their noses clean for the coming year. But it is a ticking time bomb that will explode when all Society members will be likewise forced by the Great Brother Committee to take a similar non-parampara pledge each morning, or be issued walking papers.
The mass renewal of vows that our exclusive Good Boys Club takes once a year smacks of a Christian revival or patriotic gathering of American Republicans. Standing transfixed like mass-hypnotized Yankee Doodle Dandies with their hands over their hearts while saluting the Old Glory at a baseball game was never a direction of the Sampradaya Acarya. No way, not now, not ever. It has never been a part of the Gaudiya Sampradaya, or any other bona fide line. Can you imagine the Six Goswamis forming a body and taking such an oath? It is nothing less than an invention and a concoction.
Such GBC "oath posturing" in front of the clicking cameras smacks of a staged and cultish mentality. When a devotee takes his vow to serve the order of the spiritual master at the time of initiation, that vow is meant to stand forever. As far as renewing the vow is concerned, that takes place in the true disciple's heart every time the Holy Names of the Lord emanates from the lips. It is a personal, individual and private matter. The genuine disciple's vows are renewed a thousand times a day, whether in the sankirtan or performing japa, and that is why the Hare Krishna chant is called the "mahamantra." The great chant for deliverance is the great Restorer of Faith every second of the day.
In her Corporate Line Propaganda (CLP), Shraddha devi (SD) writes:
"Every year during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ISKCON's Governing Body Commission (GBC), GBC members reaffirm their Oath of Allegiance. This year GBC members gathered in Srila Prabhupada's samadhi in Sridham Mayapur for the event, and Bhakti Marga Swami led the recitation of the Oath. The following is the Oath of Allegiance and photos of the occasion."
Srila Prabhupada presented all his shastras on a word-for-word basis. Let us so analyze for the benefit of the Sun's readership, this "Oath of Allegiance" performed by the committee for Gigantic Blunders of Change. Here then is their OOA, with commentary:
1. "To accept His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as the Founder-Acarya and Supreme Authority of ISKCON. To follow his teachings, instructions and directions."
Good idea. But it is too bad that it is only that, a mere idea. Neither is their truncated OOA grammatically correct. To be a proper vow, it should read, "We, the members of the Governing Body of ISKCON herewith vow to accept…" A prepositional phrase does not an oath make, and the void created by a missing subject and verb makes the OOA as voided as the many shunyavadi ideas introduced by the GBC itself.
The fact is that the GBC does not follow Srila Prabhupada's example. Their long-standing excuse that they have seen the error in the ways of their concocted Zonal Acarya system is no excuse at all. They have simply substituted another nonsense for the zonalism that they protected until it came tumbling down on the heads of innocent devotees like a building in planned demolition. Their excuse that they cleaned up their act and exorcised the Society of one concoction (which they can not take credit for) does not stand, because they have merely substituted zonalism with a new variety of softer, more user-friendly concoctions. They sat on their thumbs for many years until their protection of murderous leaders, drunks, druggies, child molesters and on-line Casanova swamis practically dismantled the entire organization. Today they have simply substituted new varieties of their mental speculations in a political game of Two-card Monty. The pure and simple fact is that the very change-up techniques that they once authorized for book distributors have now been turned on the devotees. The formula in their corporate card game remains the same: you will be the loser and the leaders will be the winners, whether they adopt the hard line approach or the back-slapping one. But the root cause of the problem is one: mayavada.
So, yes, it is, of course any disciple's bounden duty to follow the teachings, instructions and directions of the pure devotee. However, I am not quite sure that there is a great difference between "directions" and "instructions", since they are interchangeable synonyms. And it should be noticed that nowhere are those actual teachings of Srila Prabhupada described in this sanctimonious and ostentatious OOA.
Historically, ISKCON's GBC has demonstrated a knack of making up whatever they feel Prabhupada could have instructed, to suit their own conveniences. For decades this "chosen few" mentality has been conveniently used to lift the pure devotee's instructions out of context and implement those instructions to bludgeon the life force out of the Society.
The essence of Srila Prabhupada's teachings is, of course, to always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna. But for a body that, for one example, supports an Editor at ISKCON News who thinks that Krishna is a "playful Hindu god", we seriously doubt that they have any understanding about the teachings of the Sampradaya Acarya they claim to follow. Hence these words, like the rest of the Oath, are as hollow as a Mayavadi's cranium. Rather than vying for the next Oscar with staged oath-taking, they would be better off spending their time becoming Krishna conscious.
2. "To accept the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON as the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON as directed in Srila Prabhupada's last will and testament."
Well, well, well. It didn't take our elite band of Governors long to turn their OOA on themselves, did it now? Here we see where the Good Boy Club is heading with their hypnotic recitation, like a group of Buddhists chanting "the jewel within the lotus." Just as the impersonalist who practices his own form of self-worship called ahangrahopasana considers himself the Ultimate Object of Worship, so have the GBC donned a dress of divinity of their own stitching. Like one of the gurukuli models at a fashion show, the GBC herewith parades their sacred attire to the applause of the peons in the audience. Sure, it is indisputable that Srila Prabhupada established a GBC. But that was not a license for a rogue GBC, which is what they have become, as demonstrated by so many mayavadic programmes of theirs that Srila Prabhupada never authorized. A GBC that thinks Krishna is "their playful Hindu god" does not even belong in ISKCON, what to speak of sitting at the helm of management posturing in quasi-acaryaship.
Only when the GBC actually deigns to follow Srila Prabhupada's direction of management can they be accepted as bona fide. Imposters who do not follow Prabhupada's directions cannot be accepted as authorized representatives of the Sampradaya Acarya.
Neither did Srila Prabhupada ever instruct that the post of GBC had been created as a lifelong position. The Founder-Acarya directed that the GBC should be elected every three years by the temple presidents. Instead, GBC representatives often invade sovereign temples like zealous Hiranyakashipus, only to throw the temple presidents over the cliffs of Maya like Prahlada. And what about entire countries where temples are struggling with no direction whatsoever and wherein no GBC has visited for years? Those who wish to take the post of the Ultimate Managing Authority should do the job they claim they were assigned, instead of performing a smoke and mirrors show that would make the Great Houdini proud.
3. "To abide by the Society's spiritual rules, namely no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating and chant a minimum of sixteen rounds of maha-mantra japa every day. To follow the principles set forth in Srila Prabhupada's books."
This is another blunder. That the GBC considers the four regulative principles as "spiritual rules" is but another indication of their lack of faith in the actual spiritual rules of "always remembering Krishna and never forgetting Krishna." The four regulative principles are standard practice for any lady or gentleman. They are merely the springboard to spiritual life. Herewith the GBC reveals that they think the rules of morality are the essence of spiritual life. This misconception, as demonstrated by this stanza of their OOA, is yet another indication of their utter lack of vision and faithlessness in the genuine spiritual instructions of Krishna consciousness. And that is why the GBC has authorized Interfaith Ministers -- because they do not even know the difference any longer between Krishna consciousness and mundane so-called religious piety. It is all One in the land of the Great Big Counterfeiters. Neither do they even follow the prescribed restrictions, when daily they dismember the "no gambling" rule with their mental speculation. When the Founder-Acarya, with practically every breath, has identified Shri Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we as parts and parcels are His eternal servants, is it not speculation to allow the Editor of the GBC's propaganda machine, ISKCON News, to identify Krishna as "a playful Hindu god"? But mental speculation is the name of the game in ISKCON nowadays, thanks to a GBC that obviously does not know what is written in Srila Prabhupada's books. The GBC should be disbanded and each one of them sent for re-education in a new Bhakta programme that teaches them what is written in the Bhaktivedanta Purports.
4. "To accept that all ISKCON's funds, assets and properties under my control or direction, including anything ISKCON may have acquired under my direction, is the sole property of ISKCON and in the event of my death, resignation or other relinquishment of all ISKCON responsibilities, all these shall accrue solely to ISKCON and at all times I shall have no claim on them whatsoever."
So this tacit admission of guilt appears to be the essence of their sacred vow. "When you bloop, Prabhu, leave the money for me." It is shameful that such things even have to be spoken, and by solemnizing such words, it raises the question as to how much money has been stolen in the past by such leaders. Or how many are stealing colossal amounts of the Society's funds even while sitting on the GBC? Are there not members of the GBC whose ashrams and therefore bank accounts are registered as independent of ISKCON? Why do GBC swamis have huge accounts totaling millions of dollars when some zones like Austria are impoverished and struggling? They are therefore Guilty By Crime.
5. "To be guided by the spiritual directions of ISKCON's management, to cooperate with the local GBC representative, and to fulfill my duties in a serving spirit never intentionally acting against ISKCON's interests."
It is very noble that the GBC never wishes to act against ISKCON's interest, but unfortunately that is what they do from the moment they crawl out of their silk sheets in the morning. They are acting against the interest of the Society by blessing automobiles, marrying karmis in the temples, making bogus films about Krishna the playful Hindu god, sheltering child molesters, or running mundane schools -- all of which are strictly against the Society's interest. And when a GBC takes a vow to co-operate with the GBC, it is tantamount to handing himself a carte blanche to do whatever he pleases, since he himself is his own self-worshipping authority.
Also, what is meant by "a serving spirit"? Everyone is a servant. The karmi serves his senses, while the GBC serves his own position. ISKCON is not about establishing a "serving spirit". It is about serving the Supreme Lord Who maintains each of us, as His eternal servants. Our concern as devotees is to serve the Supreme Spiritual Whole Personified as Lord Sri Krishna. And when the individual members of the Grandiose Buffoon Council come to that point, then ISKCON can return to the two allegorical tracks of serving Sri Guru and Sri Krishna.
6. "I will maintain the spiritual programs, standards, and teachings established by Srila Prabhupada in the projects and with the devotees placed in my care. I further agree not to involve the Society or those devotees placed under my care in any activities contrary to the above mentioned principles."
Where is Editor Jayadvaita when you need him? This verse is yet another huge contradiction. Here's why. One of the GBC's basic arguments for editing Srila Prabhupada's books was to convert passive tense verbs into active tense. Here we see that "devotees placed in my care" is not only passive, but it is impersonal to boot. Passive tense is a means of writing history in such as way as to pull the wool over the eyes of the student. For example, we read how some country "became" this or that religion. We are never told of the forced conversions or scare tactics by which followers of the old way were coerced into exchanging one dogma for another. It is through such passive verb tense that science and religion are able to subtly warp minds by slathering the masses with carefully-worded, passive propaganda. In the same way, we are herewith asked to believe that "devotees are placed in their care." Who places them is not a question that the absolutists in the Genteel Babysitters Clique care to ask. Srila Prabhupada said that anyone who comes into the temple is directly brought there by Krishna Himself. But here we get a good look at the GBC mentality. They think that new bhaktas will passively, magically materialize from some Never-land to be "placed in their care," with the assumption that these impersonal unfortunates have appeared out of love and devotion for some monarchial member of the GBC to render unflinching service.
Oafs and oaths: Is the GBC Oath part of the sampradaya, or it is just another concoction that is borrowed from the karmis and refurbished to suit the whims of "leaders"?
(left) The GBC pledges allegiance to the GBC… and to the Divine Message of Interfaith, automobile blessings, big bank accounts, ISKCON News and--oh yes-- Krishna the playful Hindu god."
(right) Solemn-faced Americans take their Pledge of Allegiance before a sports game.
ISKCON has grown to a worldwide organization in recent years not due to the management of the GBC, but in spite of their mis-management. Srila Prabhupada's movement should have been a far more influential spiritual force in the world than it presently stands, but that will only happen when the Society's leaders re-educate themselves as to what Srila Prabhupada's desire actually is for the Hare Krishna Movement.
