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?
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.
 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
Diversity without strong
unity leads to chaos and
anarchy.
Unity in name without
following instructions is
another problem.
True with principles; false
for details
With details encourage
diversity. Healthy.
Embrace it!
 It’s natural
 Different samskaras, training,
cultures, association…
 Don’t jump to conclusions: Dialogue
 Slippery slope to criticism…
questioning sincerity
 Vaisnava aparadha
 Principles and details
 Creativity and adherence
 Vedic culture and relevance
 Keep 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.”
 (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.”
 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.”
 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.
“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.
“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.
Thank you very much for your attention.
www.gbc.iskcon.org
For more information please write to:
makingadifference@pamho.net