GBC Apologizes / Nothing Changes

Ram: There are now lots of senior ISKCON-ites - even those who live outside the movement - who state that there is nothing wrong with the GBC all their gurus who fell down. They aggressively oppose the idea that Srila Prabhupada is still the guru for his movement. Do they have a right to oppose like that (stroppy tone) in consideration of all that damage fallen gurus have inflicted upon thousands of innocent devotees?

Ritvik simply says not to take any risk of having whole yatras destroyed when one single individual - immature guru - falls down. Now there is bold statement that fallen gurus is water under the bridge - it just won't happen anymore. Never. Ever.

But didn't they say this every time?

GBC published apologies like below because they figured they made mistakes. Question is, is this apology for almost destroying Prabhupada's movement not rather a halfhearted?

[PADA: The GBC is now saying that gurus are defective beings, who are subject to illusion, attachment, fall down and so on. For example Mukunda Swami was recently on Australian TV where he said that the gurus in ISKCON are "subject to human frailty." So the guru is now an ordinary conditioned man, that is what they are preaching now, even to the public media.]

GBC Resolution, 1999

403 [ACTION ORDER] CONCERNING GURUS IN ISKCON

Whereas Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON in 1966, and prior to his disappearance in November 1977, he stated in his will that the GBC Body is “the ultimate managerial authority” for the Society. Unfortunately, shortly after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance, the GBC Body allowed for an unauthorized “zonal acarya” system to evolve in ISKCON, elevating eleven exclusive successor diksa gurus;

[PADA: And the remaining 11 are still gurus, and they still have zones, nothing has changed.]

Whereas ISKCON leaders at the time then introduced the concept that ISKCON diksa gurus were mahabhagavatas and the only current links to Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession;

[PADA: And some of the leaders buried Tamal and more recently Kirtanananda in a samadhi, still claiming that the 11 are mahabhagavatas who deserve such sacred burials. Nothing has changed.]

Whereas some ISKCON diksa gurus who had formerly practiced vairagya vidya, but in the process of expanding the movement began living opulently, accumulated property, wealth, disciples and prestige far beyond the necessities for effective preaching;

Whereas in their overemphasis on diksa gurus, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and followers failed in various ways to properly establish and sustain Srila Prabhupada’s unique role and personal relationship with all ISKCON devotees as the Founder-Acarya and preeminent siksa guru in ISKCON; ISKCON leaders failed to also properly establish the importance and role of siksa gurus in ISKCON;

Whereas the authority and resources of the GBC Body were minimized by the exaggerated prominence of ISKCON diksa gurus, resulting in a fragmented ISKCON composed of many guru-zones instead of a united ISKCON movement under the auspices of the GBC Body.

Whereas despite warnings by Pradyumna Prabhu and others, for many years the Governing Body Commission, being weakened due to the Zonal Acarya deviation, failed to correct these errors to the detriment of many ISKCON members;

And whereas, despite GBC Body efforts to correct the Zonal Acarya deviation as flaws in the system surfaced and many of the Zonal Acaryas left ISKCON, our society continues to be affected by the misunderstandings of that system:

It is hereby resolved THAT:

A. APOLOGY TO SOCIETY FROM THE GBC BODY

The GBC Body offers the following apology to the members and friends of ISKCON:

As humble followers of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, it is the GBC Body’s duty to execute his will to the best of our ability as we collectively understand it. During Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence, he simultaneously empowered the GBC Body and guided us when we erred. We continue to pray for his guidance and feel it is his will that we now correct the misunderstandings of the past. Thus, the GBC Body, both individually and collectively, wishes to express its deepest apologies to, and beg the forgiveness of, the followers of Srila Prabhupada who were offended or hurt by our past decisions resulting in the excesses and abuses of the zonal acarya system and its ongoing ramifications.

[PADA: Well OK but the original 11 are still gurus, they voted in another wave of gurus, all of them still have zones, every year the GBC appoints more gurus and zones to its gurus. What has changed? ys pd]