Freedom of speech?
Are we free in devotional circles to express a view or opinion, or is anything contrary to the management position simply aparadha?
Fear of being ostracised or seen as a trouble maker is not a healthy position to be in, this doesn’t matter if your in devotional circles or outside of devotee circles. Openness is always needed, but is their a fine line between openness and being critical?
Their is a fear that if one speaks out against something they feel is unjust that this will be seen as anti, indeed a senior devotee expressed concern that here in my blog I am anti-ISKCON because of my being honest in feelings and struggles, but also being outspoken when there is a feeling that some injustice is being done.
It is not that I am anti, but I am anti individual’s leaving and listening to the reason’s given; indeed I have come to a point several time’s were leaving appears the best option.
Forgetting that the greatest gift and motivator in all we do is love
Love motivates, Loving exchanges, The need to be wanted and accepted
Each one of us have strength’s and weaknesses, during one interview I was asked what my weakness in work is well that’s easy paperwork; so I do the legal documentation but anything else well that’s an aspiration.
My service at the temple is due to the amazing loving exchanges, care and feeling of being needed, this is love we need to feel needed understood and wanted.
Over the years I can safely say that these individual’s have been the greatest mentors, accepting my weakness working on my strength but also allowing most importantly freedom of expression; even if they disagreed with my conclusion.
I was reminded of my early day’s in ISKCON their was much freedom to express view’s even those which looking back could have been seen as offensive; but the devotee’s tolerated knowing that it would take time for changes to take place. Their aim was simple to slowly take me as an individual and make sure I had the skills for a lifetime in devotional service.
Mentor-ship should not be Tormentor-ship
Mentor-ship should be a way of getting to know the individual, their strengths and weaknesses and then come up with a way to develop them into life long devotees focused on service
Mentor-ship is not dictatorship
Mentor-ship should be a way of getting to know the individual, and then seeing how best to help the individual progress in devotional service.
Their is however one problem, if you have a single one way system and the mentor-ship system is to force an individual down this single route; this is Not Mentors-ship. For you are denying the individual.
If you then say, ow and you have to do this or that course and there is a cost involved, then sadly their will be criticism; you are running a business and initiation and montor-ship is a way of making money. It is hard to argue against this even if the reality is somewhat different; perception is everything.
So if someone expresses such a view are they ANTI, against or creating aparadha; or is it giving an opportunity to engage discuss and look at things from a different point of view; how can we engage such individual’s.
To silence those who may not agree or have a different view is not always the best way to handle things; to give individual’s a voice is necessary for a health society; remove an individual’s voice then we remove their ability to love and feel love.
Action is better than inaction; devotional service is better than devotional head sloka knowledge.
Forms tell you nothing as there is no way to verify them; best just speak to the individual and find out what their daily/weekly schedule; what is our reading and listening schedule, and what as an individual are you doing to expand Srila Prabhupada’s mission. For many this is more acceptable than a form those who speak out against form filling are not anti-iskcon or anti-managment but anti form.
Courses and classrooms have their place, some love this; but for others it’s a sure way to make them want to run away; this also includes online courses. But the greatest question should be has it moved from head knowledge to heart knowledge? The heart is the seat of motivation, it is also were our greatest love is; isn’t it better to know little but be moved into serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission than to know lot’s and still do nothing?
Discretion is something that Srila Prbhupada demonstrated; he initiated the hippy drug fuelled westerners who were unqualified on many levels, not one had filled out a form or done a course but who because of his mercy became amazing devotees. Given a chance despite disqualification they changed their hippy ways moved not by empirical knowledge but because of love, pure love.
What has kept these disciples motivated, not forms, not courses but LOVE, love for Srila Prabhupada and the friendships made of those who too LOVE Srila Prabhupada; these friendships carry one from the ups and downs of material life. Has smoothed out the mind, brought clarity were their has been nu-clarity.
Mentor-ship should be about developing this LOVE.
But also allowing the individual to express a feeling, understanding that that view even if we may strongly disagree should never be dismissed.
That we should look at how to make individual’s qualified not disqualified based on artificial demands.
For me I would say, you demand I have to do a course for second initiation; you want me to pay, this is business not devotion and sadly it doesn’t matter what you say this feeling will not go away. You want me to buy initiation! Their is no loving exchange, you are for me killing the love.
Feeling the lack of love and seeing it as simple business one wants to leave, it is my love of my guru maharaja and love for those devotee’s who truly know me that keeps me focused; but I understand why others leave based on this perception.
It returns me to my original thought, freedom of speech and expression of view should not be seen as negative, mentor-ship should not feel life tormentor-ship, and a view that is different from yours should not be seen as anti.
Srila Prabhupada understood this so simply asked that we try to get on
And if we are trying to get on then we need to understand the uniqueness of iskcon, that until the introduction of a one size fits all it could accommodate many different types of individual’s inspiring them into service.
So before you judge of condemn or say well this person is anti, ask why they are expressing such a view; may be their is an opportunity to see ow best to accommodate a different type of personality and add to the many colourful characters that makes ISKCON unique and a home for all.
Offerings For Giriraj Govardhan
By Sesa Dasa 
By Giriraj Swami
By Abhaya Mudra Dasi
