Authors:
Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Swami
Bhakti Bhagavatamrita Kesava Swami
Govardhan Gopal das
Spiritual leaders’ team formation is one of the most important tasks in the ISKCON. What does it refer to? One of the main foundation on which any progressing society is based on — formation and education of high-performance personnel, pre-eminent leaders.The future of society always depends on qualified individuals. However, in Kali-yuga, when yuga-dharmais sankirtana-yajna,the basic personal qualification of a leader is ability to perform the yajna of management congregationally with other leaders.The ISKCON Founderacarya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada made a special emphasis on this qualification and established linkage between devotees’ cooperation within ISKCON and personal relationships with him. In other words, an ISKCON leader gains the blessings to perform their service from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and ISKCON Founder-acarya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada only on the condition of possessing qualification for congregational service.
Besides blessings, the cooperation abilities also give an effective protection for a leader. Inclination towards attaining leadership (or leader’s position itself) manifests weaknesses (complexes) that smoulder in our hearts, and consequently we either develop a sense of superiority (ego of controller) or vice versa where we reach a state of false dependence on others, i. e. we relieve ourselves from personal responsibilities for the mission (ego of enjoyer). Both of the moods, generated by materialistic duality, are temptations which is fatal to sankirtana Movement and can drastically weaken or even destroy the spiritual life of the devotee who performs leader’s service.
When a leader manifests the ego of controller, they aspire to create a single community, which is disciplined on basis of their au- thority. When the ego of enjoyer predominates, a leader becomes a conformist who supports the false diversity (“Many men, many minds”) that results in deepening of conflicts and community stagnation. However, Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON leaders to learn to act beyond this duality…
Contents
Preface
PART 1. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OF LEADERS’ TEAM FORMATION
— The development of sat-sanga culture
— Formation of a missionary vision
PART 2. PRINCIPLES OF VAISNAVA SANGA
— General principles
— Relationships principles
— Community
— Management
PART 3. ISKCON MISSION