International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) annual Conference.
Within ISKCON, the GBC has made significant strides in recent years to inform and train devotees—both leaders and general members—of the need to act ethically, ensure transparency and provide checks and balances at all levels of leadership. But more needs to be done.
“Efforts like the ISKCON Disciple Course, the Spiritual Leadership Seminar [Guru Seminar], the GBC College, ISKCONResolve, and other projects all provide better training for ISKCON members, especially leaders, and to help ISKCON uphold transparency and ethical behavior across the board,” said Mahaprabhu.
“Its not just that because one is a Bhakta Vriksha leader, GBC member, Prabhupada disciple, or guru, that he or she is above being held accountable,” said Rukmini. “Whatever our seniority, we are all responsible for our behavior. We’ve learned at these conferences about the dangers of abuse, and if we love Prabhupada, we need to be faithful to his society and help protect it by holding ourselves and our society to high standards.”
At the same time, past mistakes and remaining prejudices lead some anti-sect folks to consider meeting Hare Krishnas like dialoguing with the devil. Some ISKCON people may feel the same about the anti-sect groups. “Not so,” says Mahaprabhu. “Over the years, ISKCON has built respectful, beneficial relationships with many people at these conferences.”
The devil, he points out, is if we fail to look honestly and openly at past problems, or don’t follow through in creating systems that will minimize mistakes and abuse in the future.
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