Unity in Diversity

Srila Prabhupada wanted the leaders to discuss how to apply unity in diversity.

Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Kirtanananda, Bombay, 18 October 1973:

“Material nature means dissension and disagreement, especially in this Kali yuga. But, for this Krsna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreement, even though there are varieties of engagements.

“In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement. That is the difference.

“The materialist without being able to adjust the varieties and the disagreements makes everything zero. They cannot come into agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krsna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is called unity in diversity.

“I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity.

“But, if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful.

“One section of men have already gone out, therefore we must be very careful to maintain unity in diversity, and remember the story in Aesop's Fables of the father of many children with the bundle of sticks. When the father asked his children to break the bundle of sticks wrapped in a bag, none of them could do it.

“But, when they removed the sticks from the bag, and tried one by one, the sticks were easily broken. So this is the strength in unity. If we are bunched up, we can never be broken, but when divided, then we can become broken very easily.”

How to make the unity in ISKCON strong?

We need strong unity…

With the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada as the glue keeping us bound tightly, we can have great diversity.

So much freedom for individual expression with the center strong.

We need strong unity…to have a vast and creative diversity

Many ISKCON Gurus; all must be servants of Srila Prabhupada. Must be passed on to all future generations

Zonal Acarya system made gurus successors of Prabhupada. Didn’t teach cooperation under Prabhupada.

Books are the basis

Practical Unity in Diversity:

Diversity without strong unity leads to chaos and anarchy.

Unity in name without following instructions is another problem.

No unity? What happens?

True with principles; false for details

With details encourage diversity. Healthy. Embrace it!

Only one way to do things?

It’s naturalDifferent samskaras, training, cultures, association…

Don’t jump to conclusions: Dialogue

Slippery slope to criticism… questioning sincerity

Vaisnava aparadha

What if we don’t agree with a detail?

Are there limits to Diversity?

Principles and detailsCreativity and adherenceVedic culture and relevanceKeep the unity in mind. That’s

goodness:(Bg 18.20) ”That knowledge by

which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness.”

Finding the Balance

(Bg 18.21) “That knowledge by which one sees that in every different body there is a different type of living entity you should understand to be in the mode of passion.”

Theologically speaking, our understanding is unity in diversity:

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam on the strength of His philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. That philosophy holds that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. That is to say, there is unity in diversity.”

Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya-lila 9.360, purport:

Therefore unity in diversity naturally should inform and permeate also our social structures and interactions.

Srila Prabhupada demonstrated the unity in diversity approach by encouraging, alongside the creation of ‘official’ temples, the establishment of home-based preaching programs and the creation of home temples, even with their own installed Deities.

“With reference to the boys holding kirtanas independently, our propaganda should be like that. That people may open different centers of their own, or each and every householder may have his own class at home. Not that everyone is required to join the society; they may take the idea from the society and introduce in their private life. And if possible, let us sell to them the paraphernalia of Kirtana, karatalas, mrdanga, Deities, etc.”

Letter to Rayarama, unknown date

“It is not very difficult to open a center for our activities. You can remain in any apartment as husband and wife, and invite persons there to hear your chanting and topics, that is our center, and let it be gradually improved.”

Letter to Anapurna & Ananda, 4 September 1968

“Mr. Bajoria will be a very good example; if the leading men of every city takes this example of installing Radha-Krishna deities in the home exactly as in our temple, then our preaching will be very successful. . . . We want every house to be a temple, not that our place should be the only place for the people to come. No, this should be the process: that they learn at our place, then establish the same thing at home. So this Bajoria program should be considered as one of our successful points of preaching.”

Letter to Bhavananda, 14 April 1972

As far as possible, every householder, by the direction of the spiritual master, must install the Deity of Vishnu, forms like Radha-Krishna . . . or any other form of the Lord . . . and all the members of the household should be engaged in the daily service of the Lord.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.3.22, purport

It is not that we have to open different centers all over the world. Whoever cares for the Krishna consciousness movement can install Deities at home and, under superior guidance, worship the Deity regularly, chanting the maha-mantra and discussing the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. We are actually teaching in our classes how to go about this.”

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 3.190, purport

Deities or not Deities, Srila Prabhupada instructed that it’s the duty of every initiated householder to conduct home programs:

“A person who is a householder but is initiated by a sannyasi has the duty to spread Krishna consciousness at home; as far as possible, he should call his friends and neighbors to his house and hold classes in Krishna consciousness. Holding a class means chanting the holy name of Krishna and speaking from Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31, purport:

Consider the following letter to an individual disciple.

It includes elements of diversity (living and collecting donations independently) and of unity (sticking to presenting the philosohpy as it is and producing articles for the Back to Godhead magazine):

“It is all right if you live independently as a grhastha provided you follow the rules and regulations. Chant together husband and wife and speak the philosophy exactly right as it comes in disciplic succession. You must speak Krsna Consciousness knowledge with no interpretation of your own.

Letter to Ranchor, 15 March 1974:

“As for supporting your preaching financially, if you are a preacher you can take a donation from the audience. When I was in the U.S.A. I was taking collection and the people were paying. Don't demand but you can ask and there is no harm.Yes, I did not approve of your starting you own magazine. You can write articles for Back to Godhead magazine. Why attempt separately?”

Elements of unity in diversity are also present in the following letter.

Srila Prabhupada encourages diversity by allowing the African American devotees to have their own temple.

Unity is emphasized by stressing on maintaining common standards:

“I have just received one letter from the black devotees in Cleveland who wish start their own ISKCON Center independently of the white devotees there. In principle, it is alright, birds of a feather will flock together. We should not discourage them in any way from opening their own center.

Letter to Satsvarupa, 24 August 1972:

“but I want you to go there and see how their things are going on and that the standard of Krishna consciousness is being maintained on the highest level . . . they are sincere souls and there is no objection if they want to remain separate from the white people and pursue this Krishna consciousness way of life, but I must be convinced by you that everything is being done properly before I shall be glad to give them the final sanction.”

Imagine what level of assimilation of the idea of unity in diversity would be required to fulfill the vision Srila Prabhupada spoke in the following quote:

“We have opened about 102 centers all over the world. But we want to open thousands. . . . Just like here we have opened a center in Gandhigram. But in Bombay such hundreds and thousands centers can be opened. It is so big city. Similarly, there are other cities. It is required. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture, Bombay, 30 November 1974

To facilitate the proliferation of temples and other preaching entities that Srila Prabhupada desired, the GBC passed the following resolution:

Whereas ISKCON has grown into an organization with multi-faceted preaching programs;

Whereas it may not be possible for a single temple or project to cover all such preaching programs;

Whereas the GBC would like to encourage ISKCON members’ individual initiatives to preach;

RESOLVED: That multiple ISKCON entities can be accommodated in a particular city or geographical area. Such entities should work cooperatively with existing ISKCON temples and projects. Any concerns that arise in the course of expanding ISKCON's preaching in this fashion should be worked out amongst the leaders of those projects, and/or by the Zonal Secretary(s) for that area.

GBC resolution 307 – 2008: Jurisdiction of ISKCON Centers

Thank you very much for your attention.

www.gbc.iskcon.org

For more information please write to:

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