Standards of Personal Behavior

5.6.2.2.1 Spiritual Standards

1. A Temple President must be an initiated devotee who follows daily sadhana and full morning program, demonstrably chants sixteen rounds, follows strictly the four regulative principles, studies Srila Prabhupada's books, regularly gives classes, and participates in temple festivals and harinama parties.

2. A Temple President must live in or near enough to a Krsna conscious temple community to regularly, on a daily basis, participate in devotional activities and associate with devotees.

3. A Temple President should be exemplary in all respects in his behavior and character.

4. A Temple President must accept the authority of the GBC Body and the GBC Zonal Secretary and maintain the proper service attitude to senior devotees especially GBC members, initiating spiritual masters and sannyasis.

5. The Temple President should avoid intimate dealings with the opposite sex.

5.6.2.2.2 Standards of Service

A Temple President must fit into one of the following categories:

1. Sannyasis, brahmacari(ni)s, vanaprasthas, and brahminical grhasthas (living in facilities provided by ISKCON) who are fully maintained by ISKCON who are to be fully engaged in devotional service with all their time and energy.

2. Grhasthas who dedicate the major part of their time and energies to their ISKCON duties. They need, however, to earn a minimum amount of income for family obligations that are not defrayed by ISKCON. They are exempted from the fifty percent(50%) donation rule.

3. Grhasthas who choose to engage in full-time occupation outside of ISKCON must follow the fifty percent(50%) donation rule, and all of their non-occupational time should also be engaged in devotional service, sacrificing a major portion given in voluntary service to ISKCON.

There is nothing wrong with a householder managing a temple so long as he does not utilize the facilities of the temple for his own personal sense gratification. Certainly the president may get his basic requirements for living and eating fulfilled through the temple, and he may also have his own place to live outside. However, he should not exploit the temple for his own sense gratification. A Temple President must be careful not to take more than what would be allotted to any other householder who is working full time for the temple. For example, he should not have specially prepared opulent meals when the temple devotees are eating austerely. In fact, he should eat with the devotees.

Principles

5.6.2.3.1 Desirable Qualities of an Ideal Temple President

1. Must be a competent and committed manager who is honest, and trustworthy. Can manage, organize, and conduct meetings.

2. Has a service attitude, respects all devotees and is able to work with others.

3. Can communicate well and is able to motivate and inspire people.

4. Cares for people.

5. Must be expert in his or her area of service or possess a willingness to learn.

A Temple President must be diligent in assuring spiritual standards are maintained within the Temple and it's asramas.

Powers

In the case of some disagreement regarding practical policy or practical philosophy, a traveling party leader, sannyasi or non-local GBC member must respect the integrity of the president's authority over his temple. He must defer to the president's position and can initiate change only via the local GBC member.

Duties to

5.6.2.5.1 The Temple Deities, Srila Prabhupada,

the GBC Body and the Initiating Spiritual Masters

1. Ensure that nobody preaches a philosophy contradictory to the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

2. Maintain the worship of the temple Deities.

3. Conduct an active and effective missionary campaign to spread Krsna consciousness in the temple's geographical jurisdiction.

4. Oversee and supervise spiritual standards for practicing members and temple programs.

5.6.2.5.2 The GBC Body

1. Implement policies and directions set by Divisional Council and the GBC Body.

2. The Temple President is duty bound to follow all ISKCON Laws and directives without exception.

3. The Temple President's responsibility is to see that the spiritual and administrative standards of ISKCON are maintained.

4. A Temple President's duties in relation to Statements of Mission shall be to be directly responsible to realize the Statement of Mission and Progressive Goals in his temple. He is to motivate the devotees and organize his temple's progress in each Statement of Mission area. He is also to present the progress in an Annual Report for each Statement of Mission for his temple to his Zonal Secretary.

5.6.2.5.3 Administrative Bodies under the GBC

1. Consult with the GBC representative or Divisional Council for all significant matters.

2. Attend all Divisional Council meetings.

3. Attend continental training seminars and Continental Committee meetings.

4. Attend annual International Managers' Meeting in Mayapur. If they desire to do so, Temple Presidents may come early to the annual Mayapur meeting, for their own meetings and association.(77)

5. Establish a communication link with the appropriate GBC Ministries.

6. Temple Presidents shall submit annual reports to the Global Secretariat.

5.6.2.5.4 The Local GBC Member

1. The Temple President should cooperate with the GBC representative(s) assigned to his Temple, consult them on important issues and consider their advice. The GBC representatives are not meant to involve themselves in the day to day management of a temple. However they are responsible for seeing that the ISKCON standards are maintained within all aspects of the Society's activities. When the President is given advice or instructions as to how to maintain or improve these standards, then such instructions are to be followed by the Temple Presidents.

2. The Temple President shall provide monthly financial report and other prescribed reports to the GBC representative and other ISKCON bodies as required. The financial report should contain an itemized account of income and expenditure, the number of books sold, and an inventory of books. A GBC member can go to the center and see and correct any unbonafide expenditure. (75)

3. That if an individual GBC member acts blatantly against the policy of the GBC, the Chairman and Secretary of the GBC Body must be informed immediately of the discrepancy by a temple officer.(81)

5.6.2.5.5 Initiating Spiritual Masters

The Temple President shall take into account any specific suggestions offered by the spiritual masters in regard to guiding their disciples and assigning services. The Temple President shall make the final decision on the services of the devotees based on considerations of effective management of the community.

5.6.2.5.6 Temple Resident Devotees

5.6.2.5.6.1 Sadhana and Temple Programs

Presidents of temples and preaching centers shall see that all devotees in their zones attend the morning and evening programs, except when they have an alternative bona fide preaching engagement in the evening.(77)

5.6.2.5.6.2 Engagement

1. The Temple President shall engage devotees according to their qualifications, propensities and capabilities with a goal to provide a satisfying service which encourages a loving sacrifice to Krsna.

2. Assign each devotee with satisfactory and well-planned service.

3. Provide opportunities for devotees to expand responsibilities, initiate activities, attend to personal matters, and voice suggestions or grievances.

4. The Temple President and Department Heads shall provide adequate training for each devotee assigned to a temple service and strive to maximize the devotee's potential through further training and personal development. They shall maintain an open and supportive climate among the temple staff, inviting suggestions and explaining grievance channels.

5.6.2.5.6.3 Care

1. He should inspire, nurture and guide the devotees of the community in their devotional service.

2. The Temple President shall give due consideration to the potentials, strengths and weaknesses (both material and spiritual) and overall maturity of the devotees. His mood is as servant of the community members.

3. The Temple President shall meet with each resident member when they join the temple and at least quarterly to ensure they are effectively engaged in their service and are progressing in their spiritual life. Thus the personal and spiritual career needs of the devotee can be monitored.

4. Provide all residents space and facilities to rest, to store and secure belongings, to maintain the body, and to study. They shall also provide sufficient quantity of good quality prasadam.

5. To ensure all dependent devotees are provided with adequate health care and health insurance except in those countries where health insurance is provided by state authorities.

5.6.2.5.6.4 Guru-Disciple Relationships

1. Must encourage all devotees to establish a relationship with an ISKCON guru.

2. Must not canvas for a particular guru.

3. Must not undermine or interfere with the relationship of any bona fide ISKCON guru and his disciple.

4. Must preach to temple devotees who are disciples of various gurus to cooperate together in Srila Prabhupada's family.

5. If conflicts arise with a particular guru then the GBC Zonal Secretary(s) should be immediately informed so that he may rectify the situation on his level.

6. Since in ISKCON it is not always possible for the gurus to directly manage and engage their disciples in devotional service, the Temple President engages all the disciples of all spiritual masters in their day to day devotional service to guru and Krsna by allocating appropriate services to the devotees for the pleasure of their respective spiritual masters and Srila Prabhupada.

5.6.2.5.6.5 Evaluation of all Initiated Devotees

It is recommended the Temple President and Department Heads perform a quarterly appraisal of all initiated devotees in their community which can then be used to measure performance and build strategies for improvement. This document can then be shared with the spiritual masters who can also offer their guidance and insights.

5.6.2.5.6.6 Following Local Laws

The Temple President should ensure that all local, state and national laws are abided by all temple and community members. He should also ensure that the devotees are following ISKCON diligently.

Update 2009: For disciplinary measures, please go to Section 8.4

 

5.6.2.5.6.7 Discipline and Conduct of Temple Devotees

Transgressions requiring discipline are deviations from basic standards of Vaisnava etiquette and so the proper standards should be encouraged and enforced through appropriate counselling and encouragement. In such situations, it is best to talk with a devotee in private rather than humiliate them before others or to demonstrate one's own superiority. In all cases it should be first determined that the person has actually been engaged in the alleged activity.

Disciplining a temple devotee may be done for the above and following reasons:

1. Breaking of service agreements.

2. Fighting or verbal disagreements.

3. Inappropriate gender relationships.

4. Impersonal or nasty behavior.

5.6.2.5.6.8 Removal of a Devotee from a Temple

The Temple President shall observe the following procedures as per ISKCON Laws and may order censure, probation, dissociation, divestiture or request the GBC to remove or disassociate a member from the temple, in consultation with the Temple Board, but should always be mindful of Srila Prabhupada's instructions, "First try to rectify, and if the man cannot be rectified then you may remove."

Removal can be effected for any of the following transgressions:

1. Consistent and habitual violation of any of the four regulative principles. Persistent neglect to complete 16 rounds of japa daily.

2. Openly inimical or defying Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON's policies, or ISKCON spiritual and managerial authorities.

3. Flagrant and repeated misrepresentation of Srila Prabhupada's teachings.

4. Being overly attached to sense gratification in a serious, prolonged or hopeless way.

5. Violation of national, state or local government laws.

6. Acting against the interests of the Society.

If a devotee is found to be engaged in any of the above activities the Temple President has a responsibility to rectify the situation. Circumstances giving rise to the need for disciplining a devotee are an opportunity to encourage the devotee to engage in positive activities conducive for spiritual advancement.

5.6.2.5.7 Congregational Devotees

5.6.2.5.7.1 Facilitating the Preaching of the Congregational Devotees

Temple Presidents and ISKCON Leaders shall encourage and facilitate the important preaching role of non-resident devotees as they introduce Krsna consciousness to their neighbors and business or work associates. The non-resident devotees should get respectful treatment, encouragement and prasadam.

5.6.2.5.7.2 Suspension of Congregational Members

Temple Presidents, in consultation with the Temple Board, may suspend the privileges of congregational members for:

1. Openly inimical or defying Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON's policies, or ISKCON spiritual and managerial authorities.

2. Flagrant and repeated misrepresentation of Srila Prabhupada's teachings.

3. Any violation of the government laws which places ISKCON in jeopardy.

4. Acting against the interests of the Society.

The Temple President shall give the suspended devotee a clear written explanation of why he or she has been suspended.

5.6.2.5.8 Guests and Life Patron Members

ISKCON Leaders shall provide approved guests with adequate room and prasadam arrangements as well as attentive training in Krsna consciousness.

Registered ISKCON Life Patron Members and their immediate family members may stay for up to three days in ISKCON asramas free of charge. Life Patron Members must show a current ISKCON membership card or passport. The Temple President or Temple Secretary shall record Life Patron Members' names, addresses, and membership numbers upon the members' arrival.

In the event that the temple cannot provide acceptable asrama space, the Temple President shall attempt to accommodate the Life Patron Members in alternative facilities, such as a grhastha's residence.

5.6.2.5.9 The Opposite Gender

It is impossible for a Temple President to avoid some dealings with the opposite gender. In so doing the following guidelines should be adhered to in order to avoid compromising spiritual standards.

A Male Temple President should:

1. Always see all women as mother except one's wife.

2. Never be alone with a woman except one's wife.

3. Avoid intimate dealings with women.

4. Appoint a senior woman to deal with all women's affairs

A female Temple President should:

1. See all men as son except her husband.

2. Never be alone with a man except one's husband.

3. Avoid intimate dealings with men.

4. As far as possible appoint a senior man to deal with men's affairs.

5. In certain conditions it may be prudent for a female president to have her husband deal with the men, or for a male president to have his wife deal with the women.

5.6.2.5.10 Dealings With His Own Family Affairs (If Grihastha).

There is nothing wrong with a householder managing a temple so long as he does not utilize the facilities of the temple for his own personal sense gratification. Certainly the president may get his basic requirements for living and eating fulfilled through the temple, and he may also have his own place to live outside. However, he should not exploit the temple for his own sense gratification. A temple president must be careful not to take more than what would be allotted to any other householder who is working full time for the temple. For example, he should not have specially prepared opulent meals when the temple devotees are eating austerely. In fact he should eat with the devotees. Neither should he use temple funds to buy himself a nice vehicle while the other devotees are walking or taking the bus. He should take what is needed to expand his service, but not for expanding his sense gratification.

5.6.2.5.11 The Local Community

Develop and uphold ISKCON's good reputation in the local community.

5.6.2.5.12 "Blooped" Devotees

1. A complete central file be kept on all devotees for purpose of public relations and/or reclaiming "blooped" devotees and the presidents of the temples be allowed to contact the parents of a devotee in his area.(77)

2. The names of the devotees who have left the movement shall be recorded in the local temple's official Society minutes, and duly notarized.(80)

5.6.2.5.13 Sri Mayapur-Vrndavana Festival

That all Regional Secretaries and Temple Presidents will be responsible for setting up their zonal exhibition booths at the annual Mayapur festival. This will be followed up by the Secretary of the Sri Mayapur-Vrndavana Festival Committee.(82)

Regulations

5.6.2.6.1 Financial Management

In financial management the Temple President should always keep in mind that money should be spent cautiously and not be wasted and the temple should always be kept out of debt. The temple's funds should always be seen as belonging to Lord Krsna and Srila Prabhupada. Certainly, they should never be thought of as being one's own.

The Following Principles Should always be Adhered to:

1. Financial records should be properly maintained.

2. Accurate and meaningful financial statements should be prepared.

3. Budgets should be prepared to avoid and anticipate financial problems.

4. Funds should be properly banked and where not possible very securely kept.

5. As a principle a minimum of two signatories should sign on all temple bank accounts.(77)

6. Government statutes, income tax regulations for recognized non-profit organizations, and all regulations for book keeping shall be complied with.

7. Temple funds shall be invested in book distribution, prasadam distribution and other preaching activities as well as property purchases and recurring expenditures which support temple programs. They shall not be advanced, loaned or invested in speculative enterprises or personal projects. A ceiling should be set for discretionary funds.

8. Neither should the Temple President use temple funds to buy himself a nice vehicle while the other devotees are walking or taking the bus. He should take what is needed to expand his service, but not for expanding his sense gratification.

9. Investments of large sums of money (as determined by the local Zonal Secretary or GBC Divisional Council) should be approved by the local GBC Zonal Secretary, GBC Divisional Council and local Temple Board. If investments are made in fixed deposits such accounts should as far as possible have multiple signatories at least two of which can sign.

10. The Temple President should direct the Treasurer, and as far as possible have little to do with the direct handling of temple funds. The Temple President and the Treasurer, and if desired other officers, shall create the temple budget. The Treasurer should carefully handle the finances according to the approved budget under the directions of the Temple President and see to the proper maintenance of the accounts. The Temple President shall sign on accounts. Srila Prabhupada wanted the character and behavior of the Temple Presidents to be above suspicion.

11. Except in unavoidable cases, the Temple President or his/her spouse should not be the Treasurer.

12. The Temple President has to ensure compliance to fiscal and legal requirements.(96)

13. The Temple President shall ensure that his temple shall distribute books on sankirtana on a regular basis, making a sincere attempt to implement Srila Prabhupada's formula that fifty percent(50%) of the temple's income be used for book distribution and fifty percent(50%) be used for the temple expenses. The Temple Presidents should give a minimum of twenty five(25%) of income for book distribution.

14. There was a discussion in Srila Prabhupada's presence of temple accounting. He said accounting is a simple matter of accurate record of income and expenditure. He said temple books should not be private or confidential in the sense that any sums of money should go unrecorded. He stressed we should not keep large sums of money in bank accounts but should collect and spend.(75)

5.6.2.6.1.1 Receiving Restricted Donations

That as far as possible, donations to ISKCON should be accepted without any conditions. However, donations ("Restricted Donations") may also be accepted with limited conditions. ISKCON Leaders must use donations with conditions in accordance with the agreed terms.(93)

5.6.2.6.1.1.1 Acceptable Conditions

Acceptable Conditions are those which:

1. define a general category or use, such as deity worship, education, construction, etc.

2. define a specific geographic location or project, or

3. give the donor a modest amount of recognition.

5.6.2.6.1.1.2 Unacceptable Conditions

Unacceptable conditions are those which:

1. give some right to the donor to reclaim part or all of the donation in the future. All donations become ISKCON's inviolable property without any possibility of alienation,

2. are vague or ambiguous, and thus risk future disputes over interpretation,

3. in other ways risk future litigation or disputes, or which could harm ISKCON's reputation, or

4. compromise ISKCON's right or ability to manage its assets in accordance with Srila Prabhupada's instructions and ISKCON law.

5.6.2.6.2 Management and Administration

By careful planning, the Temple Presidents are to

1. learn to invest most of their time in activities that are developmental such as teaching, preaching, studying, and planning, rather than reactive engagements of crisis management, emergency counseling, creating patchwork solutions, etc.,

2. participate in the organization's strategic planning to develop and carry out Temple policies and to provide an annual budget and current written strategic action plan for the temple,

3. regularly review and improve the strategic plan as required to ensure the strategies are current, effective and efficient,

4. motivate the devotees and organize the temple's progress in each area of the strategic plan,

5. conduct temple community ista-gosthis regularly to communicate temple policies, progress and strategies and thereby foster cooperation and participation amongst the devotees,

6. facilitate and organize Department Heads into an effective management team,

7. ensure quality of service and behavior of Department Heads, and

8. train assistant(s) to work with quality and continue without interruption.

5.6.2.6.3 Book Distribution

All Temple Presidents should pledge to participate more directly in any sankirtana and book distribution activities, either by going out themselves once a week or by organising marathons or maha- book distribution efforts or by any other means they are capable of.(78)

D6: Discipleship in ISKCON”