Restricted Titles” shall be amended to read as follows : (1999)

“No one in ISKCON will be addressed published with honorific title “ His Divine Grace “, nor be addressed either pulicly or privately, the honorifics ending in “ pada “ or “deva’. Disciples may address their ISKCON diksa or siksa gurus as “gurudev” or “gurumaharaj”

Photograph on Altar

A pujari who is not initiated by Srila Prabhupada shall keep the picture of his guru on the altar while offering arati. The picture must be substantially smaller than those of the predecessor acaryas in disciplic succession, or, if not substantially smaller, be placed on a lower level. After the arati, the picture should be removed from the altar.

7.4.8.1 Photograph on Altar shall be amended to read as follows: (1999)

“ ISKCON devotees shall offer arati and bhoga to Lord Krsna through both their diksa or siksa guru and Srila Prabhupada as their pre-eminent siksa-guru. A Temple Pujari shall keep a smaller picture of his diksa guru on the arati tray or table instead of on the altar and remove it after the arati. Subsequent generations of devotees shall continue in the same manner of respecting both their own diksa or siksa guru and Srila Prabhupada.

ISKCON Temple resident Members may keep the photographs of ISKCON diksa or siksa gurus privately in their asrama quarters but are not to display them publicly on ISKCON premises. Promoting occasional special preaching events may be an exception. Disciples of ISKCON diksa and siksa gurus should not wear or publicly display guru t-shirts, posters, bead bag buttons, atheletic caps etc. (other than Srila Prabhupada.).

 

Seat in Temple Room

There should be one seat reserved for ISKCON gurus and their Godbrothers/sisters for giving sastra classes in the temple room. Disciples of ISKCON gurus should sit on a lower asana or cushion, since it is improper to sit on the same asana used by one's diksa-guru.

Seat in Temple Room shall be amended to read: (1999)

“Sastra enjoins that the disciple may not sit on the seat of the guru. The seat for speaking Srimad-bhagavatam, however, is not the property of any one guru, there is no harm in any Vaisnava sitting in that place while giving class. Thus, anyone giving sastra classes in ISKCON temple rooms shall use a single seat reserved for the purpose.

Guru Under Suspension

6.4.8.5.1 No Public Worship

There should be no public worship of a guru who is under suspension by the GBC.

6.4.8.5.2 Disciples Offering Arati

While performing arati to the Deities a disciple of a suspended guru should offer the various articles through Srila Prabhupada to the disciplic succession.

6.4.8.5.3 Disciples Offering Bhoga

When offering bhoga to the Deities in the temple or outside the temple in ISKCON establishments like restaurants, a disciple of a suspended guru must offer through Srila Prabhupada to the disciplic succession.

6.4.8.5.4 Disciples Offering Obeisances

While offering obeisances in a public place a disciple of a suspended guru should recite Srila Prabhupada's pranama-mantra aloud and should chant the mantras to the suspended guru silently or not at all.

Murtis of Gurus Inside the Temple Room

There shall be no establishment of murtis in any ISKCON temple room of ISKCON gurus subsequent to Srila Prabhupada in succession.(97-617)

Guidelines

6.5.1 Rejection of a Fallen "Guru"

N.B.: The following laws are based on Sri Krsna-bhajanamrta by Sri Narahari Sarkara (an associate of Sri Caitanya), Bhakti-sandharbha by Srila Jiva Gosvami, and Jaiva-dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in addition to the writings of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

6.5.1.1 When a Fallen Guru May Be Rejected

If it is ascertained either by the admission of the guru, or by the testimony of irrefutably reliable witness(es) that the guru was fallen at the time of initiation, then the disciple has a legitimate reason to reject him and take re-initiation from a bona fide spiritual master.

6.5.1.2 When a Fallen Guru Must Be Rejected

6.5.1.2.1 Hopelessly Entangled in Sense Gratification

If a guru has become hopelessly entangled in sense gratification, and it has been established by reliable testimony or by his own admissions that he has been regularly violating the regulative principles of Krsna consciousness, and if there is virtually no hope for his rectification, then the disciple should reject him and may accept re-initiation.

6.5.1.2.2 Takes on Demoniac Qualities

If the spiritual master takes on demoniac qualities and becomes inimical to ISKCON, he should be rejected and the disciple may take re-initiation.

6.5.1.3 When Not to Reject a Fallen Guru

If a guru is engaged in sense gratification, violating one or more of the regulative principles, but there is hope that he can be rectified, then his disciples should not reject him but should allow time for such rectification to take place, and they should take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and senior Vaisnavas as siksa-gurus.

6.5.1.4 When a Suspended Guru May Be Rejected

A disciple of a suspended guru who has severely lost his faith in his spiritual master, or who has developed an offensive mentality towards him, and who is unable to regain his faith, even after hearing many instructions in the matter, may take permission from the spiritual master for release to accept a different initiating guru. The devotee should act in consultation with his local GBC representative. If the suspended guru withholds his permission, then the disciple may seek permission from the GBC Body.

6.5.1.5 "Guru Asraya" for Guidance

Devotees whose initiating spiritual master has fallen down should take guidance from the GBC papers entitled "Guru Asraya" and "Questions and Answers About Reinitiation." These papers also present ISKCON's guidelines on the importance of taking shelter of a spiritual master and the role of siksa-guru.

The Siksa-Guru

Definition

In accordance with the instructions of Srila Prabhupada in the Caitanya Caritamrita,

"A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept." (CC Adi 1.35 Purport)

"Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami states that the instructing spiritual master is a bona fide representative of Sri Krsna. The initiating spiritual master is a personal manifestation of Srila Madana-mohana vigraha, whereas the instructing spiritual master is a personal representative of Srila Govindadeva vigraha." (CC Adi 1.47 Purport),

Devotees may accept a devotee as his/her siksa-guru and serve him as a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If they are under shelter or initiated by a spiritual master in good standing, they are to first acquire the blessings of their diksa-guru in order to accept a siksa-guru.