Social: What is Bhaktivedanta Archives in relationship with BBT(i)

who conforms it and how it was created?

Ranjit Prabhu is no longer with the Archives. Right now it is essentially just two devotees: Ekanatha dasa and Parama-rupa dasa. They are underfunded and understaffed for the mission, at least IMO. You can check some of the general information here: http://www.prabhupada.com/

prabhu, there are so called "devotees" who steal copy-righted Bhaktivedanta Archives material that BA developed with great pains and sell it to other devotees right there in Iskcon temples - it is actually a criminal enterprise... The GBC does absolutely nothing to stop that. This undercuts the financial side of BA. It takes a lot of money just to operate the storage vaults that house all the archival materials. And it takes highly trained staff to develop new presentations of the stored data. BA get very little financial support from the BBT. If it was not for the ingeniuty and dedication of the BA devotees who made it their life's mission - there would be no Archives. The idea of "unmotivated service" read "free labor" is very nice, but may I ask you, how do you pay your bills?

regarding the "BA developed with great pains" just talk to any sankirtan devotee and tell him to get some retirement payment or some form of copyright against their hard work. Pathetic.
Either BA act as business people or as surrendered devotees, mix that and you get the Molotov we are sitting now.
In the internet digital world there is only one rule: do it better and people will flock. If you sale Vedabase for 600 dollars and the other for 90, guess to who the people will go.
If BA would put affordable price and quality guess to who the devotees will purchase? Do not blame the pirates, digital world has other rules.

There is a big difference between "doing some service" and working fulltime for an organisation. Not to put down the nice volunteer work many devotees are doing in their spare time, it is important and all of the same value in Krishnas eyes. But the brutal fact is that if you want things done you need people who work fulltime and with dedication! And know what they are doing.

You all go on about these wages. I wonder how big these wages even are? I suspect it's more like maintanance allowances to enable these devotees to work fulltime.

Apart from the help you so readily offer much more is needed. Much more!

If we really want to grow, our whole organization that is, we should stop chopping off each others legs. Many comments on this site seem to be colored with different shades of green. Green as in envy.

my original question is not controversial, I just want to know who are BA and their relationship with BBT(i), anyone?

Mishra: BA is funded by BBT. BBTI as well. Don't know details.

> I would praise if the results were nice but look at all this material still to be digitalized. That can be done by a worlwide group in a few months time for free and it does not requiere more than a regular normal pc machine.

First you have to have a physical access to materials to be digitized. So you have to be there in Archives.

> But the brutal fact is that if you want things done you need people who work fulltime and with dedication! And know what they are doing.

And don't forget professionality and endurance. I've seen many devotees who simply couldn't stay in the BBT service for more than a month or so.

Re volunteers: BBT's Krishna.com has, aside a small paid staff, a team of volunteers.
As per words of one of its members, to get and manage volunteers is very difficult and to get volunteers who keep getting their work done as required for a longer period of time is even more difficult. So here's your chance:

http://www.krishna.com/en/taxonomy/term/71

(Some positions may be already taken.)

> You all go on about these wages. I wonder how big these wages even are? I suspect it's more like maintanance allowances to enable these devotees to work fulltime.

As far as BBT goes, they're allowances. In my case it's about half of a local average salary. As a professional 'karmi' translator I could earn several times more.

> Apart from the help you so readily offer much more is needed. Much more!

Exactly.

peterjiu, are you reacting to my text?

I don't know how it was done during SP's presence. Did BBT devotees have to go with every bill to their superiors to get it paid? Looks impractical.

> Wouldnt be nice if you work on outside translation, get 3 times more money and engage when you can in the BBT along with others?. You could use part of the extra money to print the books you translate. Better for everybody.

There is a huge difference in doing devotional and karmi translation.

Printing the books is one thing, distribution is another.

If all BBT devotees would work part-time, BBT would produce much less and the management would be much harder. SP knew why he founded BBT as a corporate thing independent of ISKCON.

> Now you are asking for a help that you do not really want. (hey, nobody wants to loose their "job").

Me? No, BBT.

[quote][cite] peterjiu:
So, you are saying, Srila Prabhupada was mistaken when strongly opposed to BBT wages or "allowances" as you euphemistically call them?[/quote]

At that time there were many brahmacaris with very simple needs willing to do that work for free. But - surprise, surprise! - they could not remain brahmacaris forever, so they had to be replaced by new brahmacaris after they have finally learned how to do their job right. That cycle went on for many years. Finally someone realized that in order to keep qualified people performing important jobs in the movement, you need to take care of them financially as well. There are hundreds of religious organizations which are managed ten times better than our movement, and all of them use a combination of paid specialists and unpaid volounteer helpers. The authoritarian top down management system Srila Prabhupada introduced in ISKCON has not proven itself over the years. The top managers and sannyasis personally chosen by Prabhupada to lead the movement STOLE much more money from him than was ever paid as salaries or allowances to the rank and file devotees. And that is a fact.

Judge by the results...

You simply cannot understand how the magic of Krishna consciousness works; will never understand that to run an organization in the mode of goodness, as SP intended IS possible. Just that people in the lower modes, will never understand how it is possible.
Now you compare us with other religions because that is your goal, to become a religion.
Regarding the brahmacaries, it is not necessary. Nowadays almost all work can be done collaborate using the internet by part-time devotees that will be so happy of doing service. But you negate that, on the plea of lack of brahmacaries, lack of seriousness, etc. I can see projects that have been done by part-time non payroll devotees that excels the "corporate" style. Take for example the guys of iskcontech. Their sites like this one, are so professional and I doubt they get any money in return, at least I do not see any ad or sponsor there, and obviosly does not depend on BBT.
Now, I sadly see a symptom that is crawling on ISKCON "the authoritarian top down management system Srila Prabhupada introduced in ISKCON has not proven itself over the years" to blame SP for what went wrong and to applaud any deviating concocted scheme by the "authoritarian" managers.
That is the same documented thing that happened even in SP presence. The "in charge" though tht SP "did not know" and they choose to disregard the direct order of SP and keep the wages system.
You entered dangerous waters there. If we can speak of mad elephant offense, this is the time, not to your local nuts authority.
SP did not introduce an authoritarian system, GBC made it as it is and continues to be top down religious hierarchy. Read what SP wanted: "independent temples" "local management". You are actually blaming SP and that is very sad and dangerous, For that I am parting this conversation. Good luck with your smart schemes.
I really feel sad for you.

Figures,
real concrete principles,
identified by thoughtful people long ago (I wonder what sages are you referring too, Stepthen Covey?)
manager
poor management system
unqualified people (materially I suppose you refer)

The "magic" of KC happens when one simply applies the instructions of SP on management. Magic is develpment of KC under Krishna's hand and that is not happening, precisely because people did not implement those and now instead of implementing them they are changing them to corporate style "successful" models. Pity.

Welcome to the vaishya system of managing a spiritual organization!