Bhaktivedanta Trust International (BHAKTI): Serving the Vaisnava Community

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja has instructed me to announce the formation of Bhaktivedanta Trust International (BHAKTI), a trust dedicated to the preaching mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu following in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami and those Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas in his line (parampara).

Formed in late August of 2003, the Trust is the culmination of our Gurudeva's long-held desire to establish a foundation that will present the teachings of our acaryas, facilitate the global preaching efforts of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and foster the practice of bhakti-yoga to one and all.

We offer millions of obeisances to our guru-varga and petition them to bless this humble undertaking. In particular, we fervently invoke the blessings and protection of nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. We also pray to nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja to bless our preaching efforts, and to nitya-lila pravista om visnupada jagad-guru Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami to inspire, guide and protect us. We pray to Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Yugala-Kisora Sri Sri Radha Vinoda-Bihariji that by these efforts we may please our revered acaryas in the line of Sri Rupa and Raghunatha dasa Gosvamis.

Srila Gurudeva wants the Trust to serve all the devotees, and to be guided by the essential principle of love and affection. Srila Gurudeva's desire is that the devotees feel free to participate in the aims and objectives of the Trust, and - of their own accord - to receive encouragement, advice and support from the Trust to help them succeed in their respective preaching efforts.

Srila Gurudeva expressly wants that the Trust will not create self-serving hierarchies and "management" structures that interfere in the affairs of individual devotees or group preaching projects. Rather, he wants the Trust to function as an "advice bureau" that devotees independently consult on how to make their activities complimentary and harmonious with Srila Gurudeva's desire and instructions. To this end and in his function as founder-Chairman and autocrat-spiritual master, Srila Gurudeva will oversee and guide the Trust on how to execute its functions and effectively serve the interests of the devotee community. Thus, Srila Gurudeva is the final spiritual arbiter in all Trust matters.

It is also Srila Gurudeva's desire and order that the Trust protect his copyright, properties and assets. Srila Gurudeva wants the administration of the Trust to be transparent and available to the devotee community for their scrutiny, thereby encouraging them to offer their input, advice and energy to Trust functions.

In essence, the Trust will not take executive decisions on local devotee preaching projects, but will advise on those projects in response to queries initiated by the devotees themselves. While this can be done by individuals, Srila Gurudeva has suggested that where possible preaching interests and activities be independently organised and administered by devotee committees composed of devotees active in those respective fields.

The Trust will also provide a central source of information and, where appropriate, resource to the devotees for their respective grass-roots preaching projects. Thus, the Trust is not in any way a "governing body" but a vehicle for serving and facilitating devotees who are interested to practice and preach bhakti-yoga.

Srila Gurudeva's instructions are that the Trust serve the devotee community by providing a flexible, organic, responsive, dynamic structure that helps our sangha grow in the unrestricted flow of bhakti. He encourages all devotees to participate in whatever way they can to make the Trust successful in its aims and objectives.

Devotees are welcome to correspond with Brajanath Prabhu, the General Secretary of BHAKTI, on all matters.

Aspiring to serve Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas

Bhudhara dasa