GBC Elections & Term Limits : Detrimental Or Beneficial?
February 23, 2012 in Ameyatma Dasa, Articles by Nityananda Rama dasa
[Part Two of 2 articles written by Ameyatma das (Nov-2011) regarding the Direction Of Management]
When Srila Prabhupad was physically present the system of management for his society was:
The rank and file members Subordinate Temple Authorities (Treasurer, Vice President, Temple Commander, etc) Temple President Sannyasis (not managers, but social advisers) GBC members – individually for their zone GBC – as a body for the whole society Srila Prabhupad Sri Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead (and Radharani, the Controller of the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
The intrinsic nature of this system provided a functioning and effective system of checks and balances. Srila Prabhupad was and is (via his teachings) the absolute authority of His mission and could only be checked by Radharani or Krishna. As a pure empowered devotee and authorized representative of The Supreme Personality of Godhead, he required no other checks or balances to his authority.
Srila Prabhupad had appointed the GBC to represent him, to execute his instruction in his absence. While Srila Prabhupad remained physically present he often needed to keep the GBC men in-check. Srila Prabhupad formed the GBC 7 years prior to his departure and during those 7 years there were many times where he needed to remind them of their duties, admonish them for straying off the path, insist that they abide by the rules, etc. (both individually and as an entire body also). Srila Prabhupad was there to keep them in-check.
