A Crisis in Leadership

…One issue that many find shocking is the extent to which Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is was edited without having been authorized by His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada. He was never a fan of extensive editing of any of his published works. What’s more, the over-edited edition published in 1983 removed thirty-two color pages that Srila Prabhupada insisted be included in his great opus. Three of those eliminated color pages were of the predecessor acaryas, namely Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaja and Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode.

Even the pocket Gita printed in India included all of the color plates found in the Macmillan edition.

If you are just hearing about this for the first time, please contact the GBC representative in your area and humbly request that this offense be rectified with the next printing. Doing so will attract Srila Prabhupada’s blessings. Do not fear when the cause is just.

A CRISIS IN LEADERSHIP

by Locan Ananda dasa

Many followers of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings have been calling for the worldwide reformation of the leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The charge being made is that leaders and managers need to adhere more closely to the specific instructions of our Founder Acarya. There should be greater vigilance and the immediate correction of inappropriate behavior on the part of errant leaders.

A large number of devotees feel that, in general, those who hold positions of power and responsibility seem to be out of touch, insensitive and unresponsive when there is a persistent need for them to be open and available to communicate with concerned devotees. This need intensifies whenever there are reports and testimony pointing out serious deviations from standards that are obligatory for anyone wishing to remain in good standing within the society.

There is a saying, “Great necessities call forth great leaders.” It is also true that transformative leadership inspires followers to take action by clearly and convincingly communicating the mission objectives that were set forth by the founder acarya of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada. The expertise of a qualified leader is the ability to balance the group’s cohesion with the individuality of its members. That requires open lines of communication and a willingness to empower others.

A leader must have firm faith in the future of the Krishna consciousness movement. That leader must focus on articulating spiritual goals and values to all classes of devotees. Strong leadership and open communication go hand in hand. An important aspect of holding such a powerful position is the wise use of that power without intimidation. In many cases, it is the fear of confrontation that keeps experienced devotees from participating in the future of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

One issue that many find shocking is the extent to which Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is was edited without having been authorized by His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada. He was never a fan of extensive editing of any of his published works. What’s more, the over-edited edition published in 1983 removed thirty-two color pages that Srila Prabhupada insisted be included in his great opus. Three of those eliminated color pages were of the predecessor acaryas, namely Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaja and Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode.

Even the pocket Gita printed in India included all of the color plates found in the Macmillan edition.