Election/Selection/mutual consent of TP
In ISKCON, from 1966, there were mainly three ways the TPs were coming to be.
- By Srila Prabhupada himself appointing someone to be the TP.
- By opening/pioneering the preaching in a certain location, a natural leader, would automatically be TP.
- For an existing temple, by being elected by local devotees (members)
Evidence of election
Mayapur
“I congratulate you on your being elected a president of ISKCON San Francisco branch. Your election as president is recognition by Krishna, and therefore I have got full support for you. Mukunda and the other members have rightly selected you as president.”
(Letter to Jayananda, 29 Sep 67)
“Jayananda is a very sincere and intelligent boy and I think his decision should be accepted as final in the matter. Not only in this case, but in every other complicated case. The elected authorities in the management of the temple should be the final authority in these matters. Otherwise, the society cannot be managed. Our main principle should be to advance the cause of K.C.”
(Letter to Gargamuni, 11 Jan 68)
Toronto Temple
“I am glad to learn that after deliberation between Jayapataka and Raktaka, you have been asked to become the president of Toronto temple. The idea is that whoever is competent to manage affairs will accept the post of president by mutual consent. Our main business is to be fixed up in Krsna Consciousness by keeping steady in the prescribed duties of devotional service. So I have got all approval for your being elected president; that is nice.”
(Letter to Jagadisa, 27 Feb. 70)
London 1970
“I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated 20 and 26 February, respectively, and I am so glad to learn that you have been elected president for this year. In India, when there was a congress election among the executive members, each year a person was elected president. I think this system may be followed in our institutions also. Of course it will depend on the local situation, but in a round if each person is given the chance of managing the whole affairs, that means every one becomes responsible officer.”
(Letter to Gurudas, 2 March, 70)
Here Srila Prabhupada even goes onto say that if the local conditions allow, the TP could be changed yearly by mutual consent (it seems in a cycle of few leaders) to help make those leaders become responsible managers.
Post Adoption of Direction of Management, July 1970.
Mayapur
“The president, secretary and treasurer elected by the members of the center cannot be changed at least for one year; better to continue it for three years. All combined together should be responsible for keeping correct accounts. Giriraja is reponsible and he should be made the treasurer. You should remain as president and Acyutananda Swami as secretary. So make arrangements in that way.
(Letter to Jayapataka Maharaj, 24 Aug 71)
Bhaktivedanta Manor, England 1974
“Regarding Madhavananda being the president, if he received the vote, why you have opposed? You must be impartial. My recommendation is that he must be president. He has been chosen by the vote, and I am giving the casting vote for him.”
(Letter to Hamsaduta, 12 Sep,74)
“Regarding the election there for president of the temple, I understand that you received the vote. So you should be the president. I am putting my casting vote for you. I have informed Hamsaduta this by post.”
(Letter to Madhavananda, 16 Sep 74)
“Regarding the election at Bhaktivedanta Manor, as you have suggested an election of all members present should be held to make a final selection…..[…]…..Out of the two candidates whoever is elected by the majority vote, may be the president.”
(Letter to Hamsaduta, 1 Oct 74)
Sydney, Australia
“Regarding Sydney, that the President has left, if one does not follow the regulative principles, then he will leave. That is a fact. Has somebody else been elected? This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”
(Letter to Madhudvisa, 4 August,75)
From all these incidences & instructions it becomes clear that Srila Prabhupada desires that for established temples, the normal procedure for TP selection/election was/is the duty of the Temple Members. There may be instances where something different was done, maybe in an emergency or not following Srila Prabhupada, but one can see this constant desire of Srila Prabhupada hence that is what we ought to try to follow now.
This election of a competent leader by the brahmanas is a normal process…
“Information is given herein concerning the selection of the king by the brāhmaṇas. According to the varṇāśrama system, the brāhmaṇas are considered to be the heads of the society and therefore to be situated in the topmost social position. The varṇāśrama–dharma, the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas, is very scientifically designed. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, varṇāśrama–dharma is not a man-made institution, but is God-made. In this narration it is clearly indicated that the brāhmaṇas used to control the royal power. When an evil king like Vena ruled, the brāhmaṇas would kill him through their brahminical powers and would select a proper ruler by testing his qualifications. In other words, the brāhmaṇas, the intelligent men or great sages, would control the monarchical powers. Here we have an indication of how the brāhmaṇas elected King Pṛthu to the throne as the protector of the citizens.” (SB 4.17.9)
Prabhupāda: Formerly a king was elected by great sages, saintly persons, brāhmaṇas. King was elected. And as soon as he deviated from the śāstric principles, he was kicked out.
(Morning Walk, February 20, 1974, Bombay)
Srila Prabhupada is against current democracy elections as the mudhas, sudras, demons, daityas can only elect someone of similar qualities.
Woman reporter: So a leader should not be elected.
Prabhupāda: Elected, but not by this general public. They have no intelligence. They sometimes elect a wrong man, and again they try to drag him down. So what is the use of such election? Because that election is not sober, not mature. If the election was mature and sober, then there was no need of dragging him down again.
(Television interview, July 9, 1975, Chicago)
Jayatīrtha: How to get a God conscious leader?
Sandy Nixon: God conscious president.
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you train people to become God conscious, then naturally president will come, God conscious. If you train people like hogs and dogs, then the president will be hogs and dogs because it is democracy. (laughter) Therefore we have taken the task to train people how to become godly. Then naturally the president will come godly. If people decide that “We shall not cast our vote to any man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious,” then the Kṛṣṇa conscious man will come. But people are not trained up. They are fools, so they elect another fool, big fool. That’s all. How you can be happy? Just like in the forest the small animals like cats and dogs and asses, they are very much afraid of the lion, tiger. And they accept lion as the king of forest. But he may be lion or tiger and elected by asses and cats and dogs, but he is nothing but animal. Will any human being accept the lion as human being? No. He knows that he is an animal. Maybe he is voted by the small animals. So that is the position. At the present moment the mass of people are kept in their animal consciousness. And therefore they elect another big animal to become president. Their idea is to have animal strength, jaws and nails and very powerful—”Oh, he is God,” or “He is president.” They cannot select anyone else. But formerly, in the Vedic civilization, a king was elected by the first-class men of the society, the saintly persons, the brāhmaṇas. They did not take part in politics, but they recommended that “This man should…” Just like Kṛṣṇa. He wanted Yudhiṣṭhira must be the king. Because king is supposed to be God’s representative, how to rule over, not that these cats and dogs will find out a lion and vote him to the chair. That is not the process. Your modern process is that the electors, they are not trained up, and they elect another big animal to become the president. Therefore it is failure. All over the world this is going on. This so-called democracy… Unless people are very much trained up, the election by the mass is not very good. Rather, a first-class men, they should nominate that “This man should be president.” That will be nice.
(Room Conversation Sandy Nixon, July 13, 1975, Philadelphia)
Even among a society of vaisnavas, it is the norm for selecting one’s own Vaisnava leader by mutual consent/election.
Election of leader by the sages of Naimisaranaya
“Dear Lord Yadunandana, we may inform You that we brāhmaṇas posted Romaharṣaṇa Sūta on that exalted position for the duration of this great sacrifice. He was seated on the Vyāsāsana by our election.”
(Krishna Book – 2.23)
One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.
(SB 1.1.5)
Romahasrana Suta and after him his son Suta Goswami, were not acting as TP, or managers of temple affairs, but the principle of election/mutual selection of a leader among the spiritualists for a particular function is time-established natural process.
“In the discussions held among the four brothers, one of them, namely Sanandana, was selected to speak, and the other brothers became the audience to hear him.”
(Krishna Book – 2.23)
In a society of Brahmanas or Vaisnavas, a leader cannot be imposed. Else it defeats the whole principle of who a Brahmana is. Brahmanas ought to be competent to elect their own leader.
This shows in how Srila Prabhupada was letting his budding disciples practice this principle. Even though they may not be on the level of these exalted sages and brahmanas, still Srila Prabhupada was trusting them to make the right decision, and if not made the right decision, then to learn by their mistakes under the advice of their elder GBC Godbrothers.
If we research within Lord Caitanya’s Vaisnava Samaj after His Disappearance, we may find similar examples.
Removal of TP
As opposed to the appointment, election, selection, either by virtue of opening of temple, appointment by Srila Prabhupada or by election by local temple members, the question of removal was to be handled by both the local temple members as well as the GBC.
Direction of Management states:
8. “Removal of a Temple president by the GBC requires support by the local Temple members.”.
This is in keeping with & in continuation of the above established process following Srila Prabhupada constant directive that the TP needs to be decided by the local temple members. If it is not a continuation of this already established process of election of TPs by temple members, then question could be raised as to why does Direction of Management not cover the topic of who will appoint TPs after their removal? Why is only removal being elaborated here? Moreover, why is it not elaborated as to what that “support by the local temple members,” mean?
It follows that the GBC may want to remove a TP for whatever reasons, but then they ought to convince the local Temple Members, who then as per already established process, were to vote in a new TP.
In 1975 GBC resolutions, attended by Srila Prabhupada, conditions regarding this removal by GBC are delineated.
“There should be no change of Presidents, but difficulties should be worked out. In the case of an incorrigible President who
1) doesn’t submit reports or submits false reports
2) who mis-spends money
3) who doesn’t follow regulative principles he must be changed.
Three GBC men may decide on this in an urgent case and in a non-urgent case it may be done by majority vote of GBC by letter.”
(GBC Resolution 1975)
This does not override the Direction of Management Section 8 provision that the “Removal of a Temple president by the GBC requires support by the local Temple members.”
Rather the conditions of removal by the GBC were delineated.
BUT, removal/replacement process of the TP by the Temple Members would continue as instituted by Srila Prabhupada himself since 1967. That does not require any condition. It ought to be by mutual consent, even yearly, if local temple members think so. The local temple members (Vaisnavas) are in day-to-day position to see the TP, and judge whether he is good enough to lead their association. Removal of a leader can be just because he has lost their respect. But unless there is an emergency or egregious issue, Srila Prabhupada says minimum one-year, better minimum three years ought to be the duration of each TP before removal by elections by local members. It may sometime even be better in some local situation where a responsible person sticks and develops a center for years.
GBC body is there to supervise this process so that incompetent, corrupt devotees are not being elected as TPs by the Temple Members. Or if they were elected or became incorrigible (and are not able to correct) in the post then they can also initiate the removal, by referring the matter to the body of the local temple members. The GBR role is also to conduct the elections.
Letter to: Mukunda:
29 September, 1974
My Dear Mukunda das:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 22, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the election of President, a president can only be changed by vote. If no vote was taken, then the president cannot be changed. Neither Hamsaduta can change the president whimsically or can anybody else change the president. According the “Direction of Management” the GBC cannot change the President but only by vote can it be done. The GBC’s business is to see that the President and the members are doing nicely, following the regulative principles, and chanting 16 rounds and that other things are going on nicely.
If it was decided by vote that Hamsaduta would select the president then Hamsaduta is right. Without authority Hamsaduta cannot change the election. If the vote was in favor of Madhavananda, then Hamsaduta cannot whimsically change the vote. But, if by vote he was authorized to select the president, then whomever he selects is right. I was not informed by my secretary that Hamsaduta was authorized by vote to make the selection. But, why was Hamsaduta authorized if the vote was already taken? This I do not know.
On the whole I understand there are so many contradictions, so in the presence of all members you may takethe vote again and decide finally.
You may inform Prabhavisnu that I have received his letter dated 22/9/74.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
“N.B. Regarding replacing Abhirama and Damodara I refer to the “Direction of Management” as follows: “Removal of a Temple President by GBC requires support by the local Temple members.” Therefore you should take a vote of the Temple members and do the needful. A.C. B.S.”
(Letter to: Rupanuga:7 November, 1974)
GBC role is also to see that the Vote is not being conducted for whimsical reasons. But still after guiding the temple members, the GBC would defer to the local members as to who they decide who their TP would be.
74-11-08
Washington, DC
My Dear Rupanuga das:
Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter dated October 31, 1974 addressed to Brahmananda Swami and have noted the contents with care. I have not yet received the report from the Enquiry Commission, but there are four points to be enquired. The first is the meat eating and chicken eating in the temple and even in the Deity kitchen where the prasadam for the Deities is prepared. This is the most serious complaint. And, in spite of the meat eating Taittiriya was allowed to worship the Deity.
The second is the complaint of abusing the devotees and exploiting their service for accumulating money and for aggrandizing himself and herself both. The third is her real identity. And, the fourth is whether actually the building negotiation is going on.
So from your letter the first and second points are corroborated by the Enquiry Commission. Regarding the fourth point about the negotiations for the building purchase, I have written one letter just now to Taittiriya whether according to her letter dated September 11, 1974 she has taken possession of the 5th Avenue house. If it is not taken and no proper reply is received, then surely it is all bogus; and if the transaction is bogus, then the third point, her identity, is also bogus.
So the conclusion is I like Bali Mardan and love him, but if he is still after this bogus wife then I shall have to take action. There is no alternative.
Regarding Abhirama, in your letter you mention that in Miami it is so important center, 65 devotees, growing each day, ideal location. So Abhirama, has done this. He has done much service. He cannot be removed whimsically. Sex disturbance is the permanent disease of the Western people. Anyway I have already written you that the local members must agree for him to be removed by you, according to the “Direction of Management.’‘ Regarding his divorce enclosed is one letter dated 1/10/74 regarding this.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/bs
GBC role is also to see that the Vote is not being conducted for politics. Again, the GBC would defer to the local members as to who their TP would be.
25 November, 1972
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 12, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. I am forwarding the copy of your letter, along with my reply, to Satsvarupa in Dallas. I think he is the GBC man in that zone, and he is the best man to come there immediately and see what is the situation and do the needful. Of course I do not know what are the facts, but I have seen that you have done very nicely there, so far I know. And no one has made complaint to me. So maybe there is a little fighting amongst yourselves, that is natural, but you are advanced disciple, don’t be disturbed by these things. Actually I want that householders shall manage in the temples, because they have got propensity to manage things and they want to take responsibility and they will not go away. Brahmacari, householder, it doesn’t matter, but householders are doing nicely all over the world, why the others shall resent householders in your temple? That is not reason. This attitude of changing this, changing that, if there is some small thing to make it something very great, changing the leaders three every week—these things are going on, I know. This is not at all good attitude, that if by adjustment, this and that, changing everything, I may create the perfect combination and everything will be all right. I am more impressed if someone has opened one centre and that he has stayed there tightly and developed nicely, not going away whimsically. So you have been leader at New Orleans temple for long time, you are the pioneer there, so why you should be whimsically discharged? Only the GBC man shall be able to make these changes, not any so-called secret meeting of devotees. Why they have misunderstood these things? If they have objection they must lodge it with their GBC, and differences must be discussed openly amongst ourselves, not secret meetings. We are Vaisnava devotees, not politicians. So these things must be stopped, plotting. Your merit stands far above theirs, you have done some tangible work to please me by spreading this Krishna Consciousness message in New Orleans, that is the test. Let them do something first, then we shall see what is their criticism. Simply criticizing and no work, that is the business of inferior men. So do not be disturbed by them, go on with your work, increasing more and more. Never mind the jackals howl.
Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Nityananda Prabhu gave the background of this incident how a brahmacari was creating politics based on spreading criticisms about Nityananda Prabhu for being a Grahastha and thus trying to make a vote and get Nityananda replaced by himself, so Srila Prabhupada sent this letter & informed the local GBC representative Satsvarupa Maharaja to go to New Orleans to put a stop to this politics. He says “Actually Satsvarupa did not come for a long time, I simply showed the letter and discussed it in class and the 2 brahmacharis left for other temples.” But following Srila Prabhupada’s example, in similar cases of politics, the GBC ought to influence temple members, and additionally may not even call for the election meeting, that is the GBR role, thereby stamping out the politics following “Only the GBC man shall be able to make these changes, not any so-called secret meeting of devotees.”.
But the most important duty of the GBC body is to teach, preach, show example, to help keep the TP and the temple members in sattva guna, in critical thinking, so that they select the right devotees as their local leader. As Srila Prabhupada states (quoted earlier) “Yes, if you train people to become God conscious, then naturally president will come, God conscious….. Therefore we have taken the task to train people how to become godly. Then naturally the president will come godly. If people decide that “We shall not cast our vote to any man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious,” then the Kṛṣṇa conscious man will come….”
So it the duty of the GBC to teach, to help train, and be good examples of being devotees to inspire, so that the temple members will always be making the right decision. And if they are going towards electing the wrong devotee, then the GBC’s duty is to educate them to discriminate better based on scriptures.
That is further elaborated in system of management setup & as envisaged by Srila Prabhupada.
Letter to: All Temple Presidents
—
Tokyo
22 April, 1972
ALL GLORIES TO SRI GURU AND GAURANGA TO ALL TEMPLE PRESIDENTS
Please accept my most worthless obeisances. I am presently in Japanwith Srila Prabhupada and we are meeting conjointly with Dai Nippon to organize book production. As a follow up to Srila Prabhupada’s letter to all Temple Presidents of April 9, His Divine Grace has instructed me to inform you all of the following:
The formula for ISKCON organization is very simple and can be understood by everyone. The world is divided into twelve zones. For each zone there is one zonal secretary appointed by Srila Prabhupada. The zonal secretaries duty is to see that the spiritual principles are being upheld very nicely in all the Temples of his zone. Otherwise each Temple shall be independent and self-supporting. Let every Temple President work according to his own capacity to improve the Krishna Consciousness of his center. So far the practical management is concerned, that is required, but not that we should become too much absorbed in fancy organization. Our business is spiritual life, so whatever organization needs to be done, the Presidents may handle and take advice and assistance from their GBC representative. In this way let the Societies work go on and everyone increase their service at their own creative rate.
Now, so far the BTG and Book Funds are concerned, these matters shall be managed separately from the GBC by a body known as The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The Book Trust shall be comprised of SrilaPrabhupada, Karandhara dasa, and Bali Mardan dasa. They shall combinedly collect the sales proceeds from each Center and utilize all funds for the printing of Srila Prabhupada’s books and the construction of ISKCON Centers all over the world. Not a farthing is to be spent for any other purpose.
The Book Trust shall see to the printing and distribution to Centers of books and magazines and it will be the serious responsibility of each Temple President to see that the billed amounts for these are paid to the BTG and Book Funds regularly. The billings and collections shall come from and to Los Angeles where Karandhara dasa will collect and keep accounts. We request that everyone will take these formulas to heart and execute them very conscientiously. In this way we shall certainly be successful in pushing on this movement.
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga
APPROVED: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Founder-Acarya of ISKCON
Your lowly servant at Prabhupada’s lotus feet,
Karandhara dasa Adhikari
c.c. To all ISKCON Temple Presidents