To Co-operate or Not to Co-operate With the GBC?

Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasized, "Your love for me will be tested how after my departure you maintain this institution. 

—TKG Diary, May 23, 1977

"Your love for me," said Śrīla Prabhupāda, "will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution together after I am gone."

—Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, 52

The above quote of Srila Prabhupada is one of the most popular among ISKCON devotees and leaders. To keep ISKCON together as one institute strong enough to spread Lord Caitanya’s Mission all over the world, it is imperative to follow this instruction; one cannot bypass it.

However, to be able to correctly follow this statement it is imperative that we also properly understand the meaning of this statement. This is required because this is one of the most misunderstood statement of Srila Prabhupada. How? We will examine in this article along with its proper understanding.

Summary of the Article:

·        As long as the authorities represent Guru-sadhu-sastra one should cooperate with them, not otherwise; Gurorapyavaliptasya kāryākāram-ajānataḥ, utpatha-pratipannaysya parityāgo vidīyate ^[1]

·        Here the word ‘api’ is used to show that even the guru must be rejected if they do not follow guru-sadhu-sastra, what to speak of other authorities,

·        This gives an idea of how much one should ‘co-operate’, in the famous quote of Srila Prabhupada above.

·        Any opinion against guru-sadhu-sastra is whimsical

·     If your opinion is different from that of your authority even though both opinions are according to guru-sadhu-sastra, then you should follow the authority’s opinion. This is cooperation.

·        However, if the opinion of your authority is against guru-sadhu-sastra, then that opinion should not be followed. There need not be cooperation.

·        And, if your opinion is against guru-sadhu-sastra then your opinion should be rejected, and your authority should not cooperate with your whimsical behaviour.

[Fn.1] SB 1.16.36, Tokyo, Jan 20, 1974

Below is a sample discussion that would happen between a temple devotee and his immediate authority (devotee in Red).

Why to co-operate?

Because that will push forward the mission of Lord Caitanya.

How to understand that mission of Lord Caitanya is correctly represented by you?

Because I am following the Temple president.

How do we understand that the Temple President is correctly representing Lord Caitanya’s mission?

Because he follows the IDC.

How do we understand that the IDC is correctly representing Lord Caitanya’s mission?

Because the IDC follows the IIAC.

How do we understand that the IIAC is correctly representing Lord Caitanya’s mission?

Because the IIAC follows the Bureau.

How do we understand that the Bureau is correctly representing Lord Caitanya’s mission?

Because it is following the GBC.

How do we understand that the GBC is correctly representing Lord Caitanya’s mission?

We have to blindly accept the GBC. Who will certify what GBC is doing is right or wrong? Because Srila Prabhupada established the GBC and initially also appointed its members, we have to believe that it has divine powers by which it cannot make mistakes.

This is a typical example of a fundamental misunderstanding that devotees have about cooperation. All other answers shown above are correct except  the last one where it stops tracing the sequence back to Srila Prabhupada, guru-sadhu-sastras and ultimately to Lord Krishna.

Authoritative Heirarchy is:

Lord Krishna (The Ultimate Authority)

Sastras (Authoritative because given by Krishna)

Sadhus (Authoritative because follow Sastras)

Guru (Authoritative because follows Sadhus and Sastras)

Srila Prabhupada (Authoritative because follows Guru-sadhu-sastras)

GBC (Authoritative because follows Srila Prabhupada)

Bureau (Authoritative because follows GBC)

IIAC (Authoritative because follows Bureau)

IDCs (Authoritative because follows IIAC)

Temple Presidents (Authoritative because follows IDC)

Departmental Heads (Authoritative because follow TP)

Devotees

Therefore, a Devotee has to cooperate with their departmental head and in doing so actually follows the order of Lord Krishna which is passed through this hierarchy. Blind following is not advocated anywhere in this system.

Ultimately the constitutional position of the soul is that he is supposed to cooperate with the desires of the Lord; and thus, only in this way can he be happy.

The higher the position one has in this hierarchy, the higher his responsibility and the more severe the punishment in case of misrepresenting his authority.

Srila Prabhupada says (emphasis mine):

So Vidura was Yamarāja. Not only he was Yamarāja, ordinary, but he is one of the great authorities. There are twelve authorities mentioned in the śāstra. One of them is Yamarāja. Balir vaiyāsakir vayam. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yamarāja is one of the GBC of Kṛṣṇa. Yes. As we have got twelve GBC’s, similarly Kṛṣṇa has got GBC’s. Now,

       svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ  kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

       prahlādo janako bhīṣmo  balir vaiyāsakir vayam

That twelve men are authorized to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186].

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 śūdra. Although Yamarāja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He was punished to become a śūdra. 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. That is the difficulty. You can see from this example, Vidura. He was immediately punished. He did little mistake at Maṇḍūka... Because the ṛṣis, the munis, they will curse. Dealing is very... Even Yamarāja is not taking.  

—SB 1.13.15, Geneva, 1975-06-04

This point applies to all levels of authority and not just the GBCs.

What is the basic principle of cooperation?

When there is a difference of opinion between two people, for successful completion of the work, one of them has to compromise his opinion in favor of the other. The person who compromises his opinion is cooperating with the person whose opinion is followed.

The Question is; who will compromise their opinion?

The Answer is; the one on the lower level of authority in the hierarchy will have to compromise his opinion in favor of the person on the higher level.

But what if the opinion of my superior is not in accordance with his authority?

Then you are not supposed to cooperate.

Is the GBC the Ultimate Authority?

No it is not. Srila Prabhupada and Guru-sadhu-sastras are authorities above the GBC with whom they must comply with. Srila Prabhupada himself never said that he is the ultimate authority but rather that he is the authority only because he follows the parampara and teaches according to guru-sadhu-sastras. So how can the GBC, which is established by and given authority by Srila Prabhupada, be the ultimate authority?

The Ultimate Authority is exclusively Lord Krishna. His instructions are present in this world through the agency of Guru-sadhu-sastras, which are thus authoritative.

Then why did Srila Prabhupada say that the GBC is the Ultimate Managerial Authority for ISKCON?^[2] 

Please note the word managerial. It means that the GBC has a superior managerial role, specifically meant for ensuring that all the ISKCON members and the whole world follow the teachings of Guru-sadhu-sastras as established by Srila Prabhupada. However, Guru-sadhu-sastras and Srila Prabhupada are authorities higher than the GBC, which the GBC must comply with.

[Fn.2] The Governing Body Commission (GBC) will be the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness. (Declaration of Will, June 1977, Folio 2003)

Mahārāja Pṛthu, he performed so many yajñas that on the surface of the earth, there were only kuśa grass scattered. Yajña, they require kuśa grass. Kuśa grass. So all over the world it was simply scattered, after yajñas, I have given my comment in this. Similarly, we shall perform this saṅkīrtana yajña all over the world, town to town, town to town. Now we have got GBC all over the world. Let them organize. What they’ll do? Organize yajña after yajña, yajña after yajña. So that as at the present moment even if we go somewhere, are known to: "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" They say.

— Room Conversation, August 15, 1971, London

After complying with Guru-sadhu-sastras and Srila Prabhupada, there may still be many ways left in which one can implement these bonafide teachings in the world. The GBC is free to select from any of these ways and if Bureau has a different opinion then Bureau has to co-operate with the GBC. Similarly, from the options left after GBC has selected, the Bureau is free to select its own choices and if the IIAC has a different opinion then the IIAC has to co-operate. And so on...

For instance, book distribution is a major activity for us as mentioned by Srila Prabhupada and Guru-sadhu-sastras. Now there are thousands of ways in which books can be distributed and strategies have to be selected by GBCs of different zones. Each temple can select strategies from those selected by the GBCs of their zone and in case they happen to differ in their opinion (want to select a strategy not approved by their GBC), then they should co-operate with the GBC. Temple devotees, real book distributors, can select from the options given by the temple and if they happen to differ in their opinion then they need to cooperate with the temple.

However, if the temple president comes up with an idea to not distribute books of Srila Prabhupada for some reason, say because people are turned off by reading some of his sexist statements, then residents and congregation members of the temple should not cooperate with the temple president because the authority of this decision is not tracing back to guru-sadhu-sastra through the hierarchy.

Another example is Female Diksha Gurus (FDGs). If the GBC wants to institute this and it is not according to Guru-sadhu-sastras and Srila Prabhupada’s teachings in his books (which are non-different from Sastra), then the subordinates of the GBC like the Bureau, GBC subzones, Sannyasis and Temple presidents, need not follow it as the GBC acted whimsically and not in accordance with their authority, Srila Prabhupada and Krishna’s Vedic literature. If the GBC continues to act whimsically then the Bureau and other subordinates of the GBC may reject the GBC’s authority completely, without any offence at all as they (GBC) would have rejected their own authority, Srila Prabhupada (please see BG 16.7 purport) and Lord Krishna.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, all the levels of authority must act strictly according to the orders of guru-sadhu-sastra and thus be bonafide representatives of it. If they do so, they deserve to be followed and get the cooperation of their subordinates, not otherwise.

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. One should accept a thing as genuine by studying the words of saintly people, the spiritual master and the śāstra. The actual center is the śāstra, the revealed scripture. If a spiritual master does not speak according to the revealed scripture, he is not to be accepted. Similarly, if a saintly person does not speak according to the śāstra, he is not a saintly person. The śāstra is the center for all. Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not refer to the śāstras.

—     Cc Madhya 20.352, Purport

What to speak of the GBC and other authorities, even the Guru is to be rejected if he doesn’t follow and instruct as per the instructions of guru-sadhu-sastras (note the word api):

That reason is also given in the śāstra, gurur api avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ. Kārya akārya. If the spiritual master does not know what is actually to be done, what is actually not to be done, and he acts against the rules and regulations of the śāstra, then such spiritual master may be given up.

—SB 1.16.36, Tokyo, Jan 20, 1974

Also,

yo vyakti nyāya rahitam   anyāyena śṛṇoti yaḥ

tāv ubhau narakaṁ ghoraṁ   vrajataḥ kālam akṣayam

Any person posing as an ācārya, but speaking unauthorized philosophy contrary to the teachings of the śāstra and any one who claims to be his disciple and hears such, thereby lending credibility to such nonsense, both of these are bound for Hell.

—Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.62

[1] SB 1.16.36, Tokyo, Jan 20, 1974

[2] The Governing Body Commission (GBC) will be the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness. (Declaration of Will, June 1977, Folio 2003)