Group Strength

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: Prabhupada was also sensing that some of the leaders were becoming overly involved in management and were trying to take control of ISKCON. Although he did not address this situation directly in his classes, sometimes he would openly express concern. He wrote to Brahmananda that if he was going to be present at the Ratha-yatra in San Francisco, they could discuss it then.

But when he arrived for the Ratha-yatra in July, he was feeling ill. He joined the parade midway and after chanting and dancing before the cart for a little time, requested to sit on Devi Subhadra's cart, as he had done in previous years. The devotees restrained him, claiming that some hoodlums had caused trouble earlier and it might be dangerous for him, and other devotees took his seat. Prabhupada disagreed but finally relented at his disciples' insistence.

Prabhupada asked the many temple presidents present for the Ratha-yatra to meet and discuss forming the GBC. But they decided that only one of them should be elected as the chief representative. Prabhupada explained that the strength was in the group; he was already the single leader of ISKCON, what need was there for another?