archives

In our strategic planning for Atma over the next three years I noticed that we will have spent half a million dollars in rent over six years. That's a huge outlay. The money that is generated and spent is a side effect of our main activity, which is sharing our spirituality and lifestyle knowledge with others. Atma is a state audited incorporated not-for-profit association. However, we need to be responsible stewards of even the side effects. That's Krishna's energy that we are leaking there.

Also, it makes no sense to continually start from scratch with each new place that we get. Here are some preliminary thoughts on how we are going to approach this:

H.H. Bhakti Caru Swami recently had a heart attack. Afterwards he underwent a change in direction. The focus of his preaching has shifted and he is speaking more openly about the broader issues of constitutional evolution of ISKCON, rather than sticking to the narrower party line of maintaining existing systems.

• Businesses for Krishna: "Until we are ready to engage qualified devotees according their ability, it is better that they work outside and gather experience."
• Role of Women: What man can do today women can also do that quite easily. And in some cases they can do it even better. That is why it has become natural that women are doing what a man is meant to do. And that is why in today’s world, women are striding side by side with men. My point is that we have to go along with the time, the trend, the way the things are in today’s world. That is why if sometimes women are able to do something we have to give them that facility. It is not that because you are a woman you have to stay at home. Many women will stay at home and will be happy doing that, but there will be many others who will want to go out and do things. So those who have that urge, the facilities and opportunities should be given to them.
• Role of Women: Ultimately what is Krishna consciousness? Krishna consciousness is providing you the facility to do whatever you like to do for Krishna. The ksatriyas are warriors who like to fight-so Krishna says, “OK, fight for Me.” The businessmen like to do business-the leaders of society say, “OK, do it for Krishna.” So Krishna consciousness is for everyone. When you create that facility then everyone will be engaged in Krishna consciousness. We simply have to provide that opportunity and facility for them to do whatever they are doing for Krishna’s pleasure. That is the purpose of varnashrama, daiva varnasrama. Whatever you like to do, according to your nature, do it for Krishna.
• How to Help Achieve Vision: Ultimately it is not just helping me, it is helping the entire society and entire world. We are just giving guidelines–this is what needs to be done. And when one understands the necessity and acts accordingly, that is how the help will come. That will be the help. To get something done, we need basically two things-men and money...Those who are coming to serve Krishna, they are not there to somehow just complete the job and make the money for themselves. They are working harder than anyone else should because of their sake of their love for Krishna. So that is how he is helping. Different devotees are coming forth and helping.
• Q&A April 2008 Today’s youth are not searching for a positive alternative. Rather they are trying to find a place in the society. The goal of their life is not to renounce everything in search for spiritual life, rather their goal of life is to achieve success by accumulating wealth and power. Therefore in order to attract them there is a need to set up establishments where they can be effectively engaged.

This is "I've just realized that I could leave at any moment and I no longer care about what other people think, or about keeping this under my control. It has to grow and evolve" talk.

Very refreshing.

The Spider represents a centralized organization. It may have many limbs, but cut off the head and it's a deathblow.

A Starfish, on the other hand, typifies a decentralized organization. "Its center is everywhere and its circumference is nowhere". Cut a starfish into pieces and it will grow into many more starfish.

If you are a centralized organization facing off against a decentralized organization there are three winning strategies you can adopt, according to Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom, authors of "The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations":

• Decentralize yourself
• Force your opponent to centralize
• Attack the ideology of the opposing organization

The worst thing that you can do is consolidate and increase your own centralization.

An example of the first strategy in action ("Decentralize yourself") is the increasing use of special forces to combat decentralized military organizations. Their effectiveness is uncontestable. During the Rhodesian Bush War of 1970-1980 the Selous Scouts, an special forces unit that used the same decentralized organization and tactics as the insurgents, was responsible for inflicting more than 60% of enemy casualties inside the borders of Rhodesia.

The increasingly decentralized nature of conflict in the modern world is also uncontestable. As one Navy SEAL said in the video Prahlad showed me last night: "What's changed? We used to fight behind enemy lines. Now there are no lines."

Given the evolving constitution of ISKCON, and its increasingly decentralized nature, one of the best things that the GBC can do to retain and increase its influence in the long term is to also increase its decentralization. H.H. Sivarama Swami has consciously or intuitively grasped the importance of this dynamic. Rather than speaking only with a single voice, the members need to speak with many different and diverse voices. There can be difference on details, but on the essential issues there will be concordance. This will be powerful.

In areas that are unclear there can be an ongoing conversation, rather than the appearance of an official policy and a unified position which is actually undermined when GBC members interact individually with members of ISKCON.

The "threat of uncertainty" is especially hard for a centralized organization. A centralized organization is defined by its position. If it doesn't have a position on something, if the members don't agree, it's almost like the organization doesn't really exist, or at the very least its legitimacy and credibility are undermined. A decentralized organization, on the other hand, is defined by its processes. Uncertainty and lack of agreement do not threaten the identity of the organization. Chaos, complexity, and uncertainty are all accommodated in an ongoing dialog.

The Vedic civilization is a decentralized one and the dynamics of the Vedic culture are the processes of a decentralized organization. Loose coupling takes place at all levels. Although monarchy might appear to be centralization, the dynamic of decentralization is there: autonomous Kingdoms are loosely coupled into Empires. The same dynamic extends all the way down to individual life.

It is for this reason that the Vedic civilization is able to sustain such a wide diversity of lifestyle and religious practice within it.

Coming to grips with this dynamic will give the Governing Body significant influence in the evolving International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Otherwise, an underfunded and overstretched centralized bureaucracy is going to increasingly find itself outflanked and enveloped by a more nimble, loosely-coupled and decentralized "organization" that spontaneously forms around issues, and then melts away again into the mist of the night.

If you get cancer, I can recommend this. I know it's good for skin cancer, and I'll let you know about internal tumors.

I can recommend a few other things as well. I'll write an in-depth article about it. In the meantime you can email me if you need the information faster.

You heard it here first.

Date: Saturday June 14th, 2008
Time: 1 pm
Location: Bayswater St and Baroona Rd, Rosalie

I'm out of town, but the show must go on. Be there to support the troops. Lord Caitanya's sankirtan must continue - His Name must be heard in every town and village of Brisbane. The mercy must be distributed without discrimination.

The dawning of the golden age - participate in the pastime! :-)