“Spiritual Organization” – is that an oxymoron?
An oxymoron is when two contradictory words are used together. This can occur sometimes intentionally and sometimes by accident. Occasionally, it is not meant to be so, but hypocrisy is the cause.
In this case, we are aware of many spiritual organizations, think temples, churches, mosques, and so on… there are many. Some of them are spiritual, some religious, some both.
When I think about what spirituality is, and what organization must be, we wonder if they can ever go together.
Simplicity vs. Complexity
Spirituality means simplicity. For someone who is not simple, spiritual life is extremely complicated.
But organization means complexity… it is impossible to build and grow an organization without avoiding complexity.
On the other hand, without good organization, it is not possible to have a greater spiritual impact. Many pure saints have come and gone for thousands of years. Their existence remains a well-kept secret. They come, and they go, sight unseen. Almost no one knows about their teachings, instructions, or example.
Spiritual descendants of those simple saints often take a risk. They make the effort to organize and distribute their teachings on a wider scale. They regularly get sucked into the complexities of organizations. As a result, they sometimes lose sight of the simplicity that makes spiritual practice possible.
So this is the dichotomy… “spiritual” means simple, frugal, minimal, open, honest, etc.
But “organization” means people, money, structure, process, secrecy, and inevitably, politics.
Can spirituality exist in an organization? Can an organization fulfill spiritual goals?
How to properly understand this? How to reconcile these?
Let us examine both, and understand the risks better.
Spirituality
Spirituality means a pursuit that is non-material. A genuine spiritualist does not care for money, fame, power, influence, or any material trappings.
Organization
Organization means, fundamentally, some land or real estate, some money, and people… and some structure so that it can all be effectively governed.
In an organization, we need different types of roles. We need individual contributors. These include preachers, teachers, singers, cooks, cleaners, priests, musicians, etc. We also need managers, we need wranglers who can get things done. We need thinkers, we need executive leaders who can articulate a vision. And we need those who can execute on that vision. We need accountants, we need lawyers, we need marketing people too… we need fundraisers, we need people leaders and technically skilled leaders.
Amidst all of this, there is also a class of bureaucrats… people who can figure out a system and work it, to their advantage, to others’ disadvantage. There is also a rise of the people who don’t really contribute to the mission of the organization. They broker relationships, they broker rewards, they broker power and peddle influence. They also broker corruption. It is unavoidable, in any organization, even a spiritual organization. Even if there are parasites. Yes, we can strive to root them out, but it is often hard to tell. So we often tolerate them.
Why? Because a genuine spiritual process can transform even the most hardened materialist. So we have hope for them, even if we see through them. Even if we see their machinations, their schemes. Even if we must tolerate their shenanigans, while continuing to cultivate spiritual purity ourselves.
Srila Prabhupada spoke about this…
Just like a ripe mango and green mango. Green mango is the cause of ripe mango. But to taste ripe mango is better than unripe mango. Similarly, before attaining love of Godhead, you have got different stages. Just like the same mango, it passes through different stages, then one day it comes nice yellow color, fully ripened, and taste is so nice.
The same mango. The mango does not change, but it comes to the mature stage. So this . . . as this example, the mango is in the beginning a flower, then gradually a little fruit. Then gradually it grows. Then it becomes very tight, green, and then, gradually, it becomes little, little yellowish, and it becomes fully ripe.
This is the process of everything. In material world also, there are six processes, and the last process is vanquish. This mango example or any other material example, we can accept it so far the growth is required, concerned, but material example is not perfect. Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that’s all right.
Otherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān
https://vanisource.org/wiki/681018_-Lecture-_Seattle?hl=ripe|mango
Should we do away with organizations?
It is tempting to think in that way… no organizations, no money, no power, no corruption, no bureaucrats, no parasites, right?
The power, the money, the powerful, the influential, the famous, and the stars. We all know fame corrodes and power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
No, because despite it all… Despite many challenges. By organizing ourselves better, we can help more souls advance spiritually. It is worth all the effort. Organization, sacrifices, and compromises make it possible, but only when we haven’t lost sight of the goal. Working together towards a common goal makes it possible, even if it is difficult to do so.
After all, one lone saintly person, how much can he do? How many souls can he reach?
So many saints have come and gone. Many have cried in the wilderness. Most are unknown. Those saints who took the time and trouble to organize did something tangible. Even if they had to distract themselves with the mundane temporarily, their efforts were worthwhile.
There is every risk that an organization becomes ineffective… That is a risk for any organization. Not just a danger for spiritual organizations.
I had written about this before. Srila Prabhupada wisely warned us against thinking that simply by being part of some organization we can advance spiritually…
But if we want to go to the spiritual platform, then these bodily demands, at least for the present, we have to regulate. We cannot enjoy material life without any restriction and at the same time we can stand on the spiritual platform. That is the whole thing. The difficult problem is there: we want to be spiritualist by speculation only. That is the whole tendency.
People are much interested in philosophical speculation without any practical life. In the modern world it is said, yaśo ‘rthe dharma-yajanam. This is the symptom of this age. Yaśaḥ arthe. I want to associate with some organization, spiritual, just for the sake of name: “Oh, I am attached to that such big organization.” But, so far my life is concerned, it is as it is. https://vanisource.org/wiki/660418_-_Lecture_BG_02.59-69_-_New_York?hl=organization
So? What is the conclusion?
Spiritualists, organize properly!
But how?
By making sure to keep the main thing the main thing!
I leave you with profound instructions from the great His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic.
He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty–by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realises the happy result of regulative principles.
So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arotik–our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary.
They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it.
That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna.
But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented.
There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles
Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy.
So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves.
Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.
This is a cautionary note for all spiritual organizations.
Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress 