From the ISKCON GBC – Minutes Of The Annual General Meeting – February 2017
313: Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission
[ISKCON Law]
Whereas the GBC wishes to formalize the understanding of its global services to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness;
Whereas it is important that duties and responsibilities be clarified at all levels of the Society;
Whereas the GBC wishes to produce a legacy document for the instruction and training of future GBC members:
RESOLVED:
That the document “Global Duties & Responsibilities of the Governing Body Commission (GBC)” is accepted as an official statement and shall be part of ISKCON Law.
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(The following is an excerpt from the above mentioned document)
Cooperating with the BBT
In the document establishing the GBC, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “So far my books are concerned, I am setting up a different body of management known as the BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST. The trustees of this body are also members of the GBC, but their function is not dependent on the GBC.” (Direction of Management, July 28, 1970) The next day, in the BBT founding document, Srila Prabhupada described that the BBT and ISKCON were indissolubly connected but legally separated: “PURPOSE OF TRUST – This trust is created and shall be operated exclusively for the benefit of the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS . . . This trust shall exist independently of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the Trustees’ functions and duties stated herein shall be separate and not dependent on the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . . . TERM OF TRUST – This trust shall be irrevocable. In the event of . . . dissolution of the trust, the entire Trust Fund shall, in that event, be distributed to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.”
Srila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member, explaining the rationale for the legal separation between the two entities: “You say that the lawyer suggests that BBT be a satellite organ of ISKCON, but does that mean that BBT is separate from ISKCON or not? Ramesvara gives the hint that ISKCON may go into liquidation. I cannot think of it. But, anyway, I cannot at any cost risk BBT if ISKCON goes into liquidation. Why risk the BBT by amalgamating it into ISKCON? Therefore I want to keep BBT separate.” (Letter to Hamsaduta, December 8, 1974) A few months later, in a conversation with the GBC in Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada reiterated the need for legal separation between the BBT and ISKCON/the GBC, clarifying their working relationship:
Prabhupada: If the ISKCON goes to liquidation, then the BBT also will be affected.
Atreya Rsi: This is only a legal matter.
Prabhupada: Legal matter. So I want to protect BBT –
Tamal Krishna: Now, another point is, which we have put off until this meeting, especially to be considered in this meeting, is the moving of the Press. The moving of ISKCON Press. Is that –
Prabhupada: That you decide amongst the GBC.
Tamal Krishna: Is that a GBC matter or BBT matter?
Prabhupada: No. It is GBC, er, yeah, GBC.
Tamal Krishna: The GBC.
Prabhupada: Yes. I want to see, as the chairman of the BBT, that fifty percent is spent on printing and fifty percent is for constructing temples. That’s all.
Tamal Krishna: And who sees to that? The GBC?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamal Krishna: The GBC.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamal Krishna: That means, practically speaking, the management . . . The BBT is separate from ISKCON for legal purposes, but the management of it is done by the GBC.
Prabhupada: Yes. That’s nice.
– Conversation with the GBC, Mayapur, March 27, 1975
Srila Prabhupada had made similar statements. For example, in a letter to Jayatirtha dated September 14, 1974, he wrote: “Regarding Ramesvara being made BBT Trustee, I have no objection . . . At the upcoming GBC meeting we shall discuss it further.” Later, he wrote: “Yes, someone is definitely required for BBT in New York. We shall decide in our next GBC meeting.” (Letter to Hamsaduta, December 8, 1974)
This function of collaboration includes ensuring that temples pay their debts to the BBT. For instance, a letter to “GBC Godbrothers” signed by four GBC members reveals: “Srila Prabhupada is concerned that so many temples have got big debts to the BBT and he wants that the GBC take a very active interest in seeing that these debts are paid as soon as possible. He was very strong on this point and went so far as to say that temple presidents who do not keep up with their BBT payments must be replaced.” (Letter from Hamsaduta, Gopal Krishna, Kirtanananda, Jayatirtha, February 2, 1975)
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