March 2, 2013 marked the final day of the Sanga for GBCs, Gurus, and Sannyasis (SGGS) in Sridham Mayapur. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) presented first.
A panel of six devotees concerned with the BBT – trustees/directors Gopal Krishna Maharaja, Naresvara Prabhu, Madhu Sevita Prabhu, and Hanuman Prabhu, GBC Badrinarayana Prabhu, and book distribution leader Vaisesika Prabhu spoke on a number of related topics. Gopal Krishna Maharaja spoke with some energy about Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on book distribution and assured the participants if they remained enthusiastic and constantly encouraged book distribution, they would see great results.
[styled_image w=”300″ h=”199″ image=”http://gbc.iskcondesiretree.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Day-Five-Sanga-for-GBCs-Gurus-and-Sannyasis-02.jpg” align=”right”]Then Hanuman Prabhu and Madhu Sevita Prabhu spoke on the importance of cooperation between the BBT and ISKCON. Hanuman Prabhu commented that the BBT is really meant to serve ISKCON and wants to better understand the needs ISKCON devotees have in their outreach. Madhu Sevita Prabhu added that if the BBT and ISKCON cooperate, it would make a major positive impact on global preaching activities.
Badrinarayana Prabhu described the BBT-GBC team meetings that have been going on for some years now–to build cooperation between the two organizations and to set and achieve the related goals of both. Vaisesika Prabhu concluded the presentation by encouraging all leaders to actively promote book distribution in their preaching fields. “We’ve barely scratched the surface,” he said, “on what we can actually do to further distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. By a collective effort, we will see significant, enlivening results.”
Badrinarayana Prabhu gave the second presentation of the day addressing the paper produced by the GBC’s Lines of Authority committee. The paper addresses issues of multiple lines of authority existing in ISKCON, specifically the line between guru and disciple and the line between devotees and their local managing authorities. In this paper the committee addresses the principles associated with the issue, such as proper education of disciples, conduct of gurus, duties of ISKCON managers, etc. The goal is to set guidelines and cultivate a cooperative, mutually respectful spirit between ISKCON’s various lines of authority for the benefit of everyone involved. Additionally, the Lines of Authority committee desires to develop educational material to support this paper and are proposing to make the paper required reading for any devotee aspiring for initiation.
After the presentations, SGGS members thanked the GBC’s Strategic Planning Committee for their several months’ of work spent organizing the SGGS. GBC Chairman, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, then spoke a special thank you to Gopal Bhatta Prabhu for leading the SGGS efforts. In response, Gopal Bhatta Prabhu and all the participants concluded the SGGS by offering their humble obeisances to one another.