ISKCON GOVERNING BODY COMMISSION SOCIETY

Registration Number S/74662 under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961
P.O. Shree Mayapur Dham, Dist. Nadia, West Bengal 741313

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, FEBRUARY 10 – 21, 2012

Go to 2012 Zonal Assignments


Section 100: APPOINTMENTS

101. GBC Officers and Members

1. His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami is elected GBC Chairman.

2. His Grace Tamohara Das is elected First Vice-Chairman.

3. His Grace Anuttama Das is elected Second Vice-Chairman.

4. His Holiness Bhakti Purusottama Swami is elected GBC Secretary.

5. His Grace Candrasekhara Acarya Das continues as Acting GBC member.

6. His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Das is appointed as Acting GBC member.

7. The resignation of His Grace Prabhavisnu Das as GBC member is accepted.

The following are the candidates for sannyasa for 2012 along with their respective waiting periods:

103. Reaffirmation of Ministries and Standing Committees

The following are the Ministry and Standing Committees and their membership assignments for 2012-2013:

104. Appointments for Deputies for Three Years

Whereas at the 2011 AGM the term of the current slate of GBC Deputies was decided to be only one year, which thus expires at the conclusion of the 2012 AGM;
 

Whereas the procedural reasons why the term was limited to only one year, as opposed to the normal course of affairs which would have been three years, have now been satisfied, and thus it is appropriate to appoint a slate of Deputies for the next three years:

RESOLVED:

The following devotees are appointed as GBC Deputies to serve through the AGM of 2015:

Acintya Rupa Dasi

Acyuta Priya Das

Akrura Das

Aniruddha Das

Bhaktarupa Das

Bhakti Vinoda Swami

Devaki Nandana Das (Botswana)

Ekalavya Das

Hanuman Das

Hari Das

Jagajivana Das

Kalasamvara Das

Krsnadasa Kaviraja Das

Laxmimoni Dasi

Madana-mohana Das

Paratma Nistha Tridandi Goswami Das

Prasanta Dasi

Rasaraja Das

Srivasa Pandit Das

Tirtharaja Das

Vedavyasa Priya Swami

Section 200: FINANCE

201. GBC Budget

The GBC budget for 2012-13 is (in INR):

Section 300: INTERNAL ISKCON

301. Midterm Meeting 2012

The Midterm meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society shall take place from October 21-26, 2012, at ISKCON Tirupati, AP, India.


302. Annual General Meeting 2013

The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society shall take place from February 26-March 10, 2013, at ISKCON Mayapur, WB, India.

303. Areas of the World

RESOLVED:
 

1.  To provide a framework to identify zones, fourteen broad territories of the world are hereby identified as Areas.

2.  The GBC Zonal Secretaries currently active in those Areas shall submit suggestions for zonal configuration – to the GBC Organizational Development Committee – by the end of June 2012.

3.  The suggested zones shall have to be ratified, by vote, by the GBC. 

This resolution doesn’t affect or modify existing continental, regional or national bodies. The fourteen Areas are:

1.     Indian Subcontinent (including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh)

2.    Russian Sphere (Russia, CIS countries and Mongolia)

3.    Europe

4.    Arab League (in North Africa and the Middle East)

5.    Sub-Saharan Africa

6.    North America (US and Canada)

7.    Mexico and Central America

8.    Caribbean

9.    South America (Spanish-speaking countries)

10. Brazil

11. Japan and Koreas

12. China

13.  Southeast Asia

14. Australia and Oceania

 Area Details:

Indian Subcontinent: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal & Sri Lanka

Russian Sphere: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Mongolia    

Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom & Vatican City

Arab League: Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Maldives, Iran & Afghanistan

Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe

North America: USA & Canada

Mexico & Central America: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua & Panama 

Carribean: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Rep., Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Grenada & Haiti 

Spanish South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay & Venezuela 

Brazil: Brazil

Japan & the Koreas: Japan, South Korea & North Korea

China: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau

Southeast Asia: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam

Australia & Oceania: Australia, New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu & Vanuatu

304. Zonal Configuration of North America

RESOLVED:

North America (USA & Canada) shall include eight zones:

1.  Canada (whole)

2.  North East – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, eastern and central Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC and three counties in Virginia (Lowden, Prince Williams and Fairfax)

3.  South East – Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia (except counties surrounding Washington DC), Mississippi (except New Talavan and surrounding area), Alabama, Georgia and Florida

4.  Great Lakes – West Virginia, western Pennsylvania (including Pittsburgh), Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan

5.  Midwest – North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana

6.  South West – New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Talavan (with surrounding area)

7.  Pacific – California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Hawaii

8.  Northwest – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska

 
Note: the implementation of the above zones shall take place gradually.

305. Disciple Course

[Guideline]

Whereas there is a continued need to educate new devotees in ISKCON about the pre-eminent position of Srila Prabhupada as (a) Our Founder-Acarya and (b) The primary siksa-guru for all ISKCON members;

Whereas it will benefit both individual devotees and the ISKCON society at large to improve the standards of discipleship within our movement;

And whereas there is a lack of formal training regarding what it means to be a disciple within ISKCON and how to properly execute the duties of a disciple towards one’s diksa- and siksa-gurus as well as the mission of Srila Prabhupada:

RESOLVED:

1. That the Governing Body Commission recommends that all prospective disciples and aspiring initiates attend the ISKCON Disciple Course prior to their initiation, preferably before choosing an initiating spiritual master. Other members of ISKCON are also encouraged to take the course.

2. That ISKCON leaders are requested to facilitate the course in their respective areas by (a) encouraging senior devotees to become authorized to teach the course, and (b) by sponsoring the course in their respective areas as it becomes available in the appropriate languages.

306. Regulation of Deity Installations

Whereas at the 2002 AGM, the GBC passed the following resolution:

609. Regulation of Deity Installations in ISKCON

Whereas, there are currently deities that are being neglected or not worshiped properly;

Whereas, according to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions a minimum standard of worship for deities in ISKCON should be maintained;

Whereas, deities are being installed without sufficient consideration of their on-going worship;

Whereas, there are several upcoming installations that are of a questionable nature;

[ISKCON LAW] Resolved, That ISKCON centers shall consult with and take guidance from the Deity Worship Ministry before installing or beginning worship of any deities.

Whereas this measure has not proven to be effective;

Whereas according to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, a minimum standard of worship for Deities in ISKCON must be maintained;

Whereas in almost 150 letters, Srila Prabhupada gave instructions about installing Deities, and in 43 of these letters, he either instructed the devotees not to install Deities or cautioned them;

Whereas it is unacceptable that ISKCON centers install Deities without sufficient preparedness or understanding of the worship process and the reasons for installing Deities which increases the burden on ISKCON and its members, as well as risking offenses at the lotus feet of the Deities;

Whereas there are many long-established centers with Deities that are being neglected or improperly worshiped, yet new Deity installations are occurring in proximity to these existing centers;

And whereas the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry has the capacity to assess the ability of an ISKCON center to worship Deities:

RESOLVED:

That the above ISKCON law is amended to read as follows:

Any ISKCON center wishing to install any Deities for public temple worship or commence the worship of any Deity in an ISKCON center must first receive a “Certificate of Readiness for Worship” for the said Deities.

Centers may not make any commitments or agreements regarding procuring and/or worshiping Deities until the “Certificate of Readiness for Worship” is granted. This “Certificate of Readiness for Worship” applies only to the Deities for which it is granted and is not a generic permanent approval.

The readiness for worship will be assessed by a panel consisting of one local representative (either from the temple concerned, the local GBC or a representative from the National Council or RGB, etc.), a GBC appointed by the EC, and an ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry representative.

This law shall fully go into effect no later than Gaura Purnima 2012.

Any center that has already finalized plans for installation and publicly advertised the installation must consult the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry, which will assist them in preparing for the worship of the Deities.

307. Guru Paper

Whereas the GBC has received inquiries concerning the validity of the current ISKCON process of approving diksa-gurus:

RESOLVED:
 

The GBC hereby commissions the production of a paper presenting the reasons and supporting evidence for the validity of the current process. The Guru Services Committee shall take responsibility for this paper to be finalized latest by December 31, 2012.

308. Vrindavan Samadhi Standing Committee

Whereas the place where Srila Prabhupada’s divine body is buried is a most sacred and holy place;

Whereas Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi in Vrindavan was originally conceived as a unit consisting of two separate buildings—the Samadhi temple dedicated to his Vapu form, and the Museum dedicated to his Vani;

Whereas at present the first floor of the Museum is dedicated to commercial activities, not the original purpose of glorifying Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to the world, thus creating a situation in which the sanctity of the place is greatly disturbed;

Whereas the international BBT, along with other senior members of ISKCON, has expressed its dissatisfaction at the present situation and its interest in helping make a long-term arrangement for suitably using the Samadhi Museum and ensuring its sanctity;

Whereas the commercial activities in the first floor of the Samadhi Museum represent an important part of the income for the maintenance of the Vrindavan temple;

And whereas the Vrindavan temple administration is willing to work together with the BBT to come up with a plan to overcome the present challenges and to reestablish the sanctity of the complete Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada:

RESOLVED:

The GBC hereby creates the “Srila Prabhupada Samadhi Standing Committee” with the following mandates:

1.    To design an overall master plan to protect and uplift the sanctity of Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi and Museum in Vrindavan. This will entail looking at the overall situation, including legal, traffic flow, Gurukula protection, etc., as well as the long-term maintenance of the Samadhi.

2.   As a short-term goal, to come up with an immediate plan for the downstairs area of the Museum and to upgrade the area as a whole, including the presentation of the people working there.

3.     As a long-term goal, to re-establish and maintain the sacred space contained with the Samadhi and Museum as per the original intention of the design (Srila Prabhupada's Vapu on one side and Vani on the other).

4.    To send quarterly reports on the development of their service to the Vrindavan Executive Board, International BBT Board, and the GBC EC.

The members of the Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi Standing Committee for this first year are Gopal Krsna Goswami, Malati Devi Dasi, Satyanarayana Das, Naresvara Das, and Pancagauda Das (convener).

309. Founder-Acarya on ISKCON Guru Websites

[Guideline]

Whereas the proliferation of official and unofficial websites of ISKCON gurus currently do not, in large part, prominently feature the personality and teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness on the introduction page as well as on many other pages;

And whereas it is necessary to establish guidelines for such websites so that as far as possible visitors are made aware that whatever inspiration the devotees are receiving from the guru is due to the great mercy of Srila Prabhupada:

RESOLVED:

ISKCON gurus shall be responsible for ensuring that their own official websites adhere to the following guidelines:

1.     They prominently feature a picture of Srila Prabhupada on the introductory page

2.     They credit him as the “Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness”

3.     They contain a brief summary of his accomplishments and provide authorized website links to his teachings

The Guru Services Committee will compile a suggested comprehensive template for use in guru websites.

310. Size of the Governing Body Commission

[Rule of Order]

Whereas establishing a minimum and a maximum number of voting GBC members offers advantages in the realm of planning, succession, meeting management, internal dynamics, and interaction with the rest of the Society;

Whereas experience and other considerations – such as communication requirements, manageability and need for diversity and representation – indicate that it would be advisable to maintain the membership at a level comparable to, or slightly larger than, the present configuration:

RESOLVED:

The target for the size of the GBC Body shall be a minimum of thirty-three and a maximum of forty voting members. The GBC Body intends to achieve the minimum level by the end of the 2013 AGM. Increasing beyond forty members should only be done if two-thirds of the voting members consider that it is essential to do so.

311. Prabhavisnu Das’s Resignation

Part One: Resignation

Whereas in a letter to the GBC Body dated January 7 2012, Prabhavisnu Das stated as follows: “I have resigned from all positions of leadership within ISKCON, including GBC member, sannyasa and initiating guru;”

And whereas the GBC Body wishes to record these resignations while looking forward to the future active participation of Prabhavisnu Das in ISKCON as he is able:

RESOLVED:

The GBC accepts Prabhavisnu Das’s resignation as stated above.

Those devotees initiated by Prabhavisnu Das continue to be connected to Srila Prabhupada and our entire Vaisnava parampara.

Part Two: Guidance

Whereas Prabhavisnu Das has expressed loyalty to Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON and the GBC;

Whereas Prabhavisnu Das has expressed his determination to continue spiritual practices;

Whereas the ISKCON society offers its appreciation for his many years of pioneering and dedicated devotional service to the mission of spreading Krsna consciousness in many places around the world:

RESOLVED:

That the GBC Body offers the following as a statement of guidance:

All devotees who have taken initiation from Prabhavisnu Das are encouraged to remain in ISKCON association and continue with their services in Krsna consciousness and to pray for Prabhavisnu Das’s continued engagement in devotional service.

Prabhavisnu Das is still available to them, according to his statement: “If any of you would like to keep in touch and write me by e-mail from to time to time I will be happy to answer and give you any encouragement that I can. Not so much in the official role of a guru giving siksa to disciples but rather as a friend and well-wisher.”

Thus, they are encouraged to take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and siksa gurus or other senior devotees as per their faith. One’s faith is nourished by hearing the revealed scriptures from Vaisnavas.

Part Three: Reaching Out

Whereas it is incumbent upon the management of the ISKCON society to arrange for personal guidance and direction to disciples and others affected by the recent resignation of Prabhavisnu Das:

RESOLVED:

That all Zonal Secretaries, either personally or via suitable deputed representatives, including senior disciples of Prabhavisnu Das, should make it their urgent priority to ensure that all disciples and others affected by the recent resignation of Prabhavisnu Das, collectively and individually, including in remote areas, are offered suitable care and guidance on an on-going basis. All Zonal Secretaries must send monthly reports of their progress to the EC until the situation in their zones has normalised. The GBC Corresponding Secretary shall ensure that these reports are received on a prompt and on-going basis.

If anyone requires further clarification and/or support, or if they know of disciples in remote areas who may require support, they may write to GBCEC.secretary@gmail.com

312. Murali Krsna Das

Whereas Murali Krsna Das has fulfilled the conditions of the probation he was placed on in 2010:

RESOLVED:

Murali Krsna Das is placed on the one year waiting-list for sannyasa, under the supervision of the Sannyasa Ministry.

He may only visit areas where he has been invited by the local GBC and Temple Presidents and other leaders. He may not visit areas he has not been invited to by these devotees. These invitations will be on a visit-by-visit basis.

313. ISKCON Addresses

RESOLVED: