(courtesy of ISKCON News)
What is the most difficult service in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)? Most probably, it’s to serve as a diksa guru, or initiating spiritual master.
On Saturday, 5th of June, the GSC hosted a three-hour online conference for ISKCON diksa gurus. This was the first of its kind as a virtual event. The event was titled the “Challenges of Being a Guru in ISKCON”.
The Guru Services Committee (GSC), a standing committee of the Governing Body Commission, the global leadership of ISKCON, has the mandate to assist and support ISKCON gurus in their service to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. To achieve this end, face-to-face retreats for gurus have been organized by the GSC in the past to facilitate association and exchange amongst these illustrious Vaishnavas. However, it’s been several years since such an event was organized. The pandemic made in-person meetings even more difficult.