Smear: NKT is run by a group of autocratic insiders

Truth: There is no evidence of this. The way of running the NKT-IKBU has many built-in democratic checks and balances. Power is shared equally between the Spiritual Director, the Managing Directors and the Members.

For example, the Board of Trustees nominates a candidate for General Spiritual Director (GSD). The members of the Education Council (the Resident Teachers of NKT Centers) then vote as to whether or not they approve of this nomination. Even after being elected, the GSD is under the supervision of the Education Council, who is charged with removing the GSD or DSD if their behavior is inappropriate. The officers and trustees of the Charity are all elected by the members of the Education Council. Within Centers, the local members appoint the Administrative Director, who, together with the other local members and all the members of the NKT Education Council and the GSD, are charged with monitoring the behavior of the Resident Teacher. The list goes on. See the Internal Rules.

It is true that there are elected officers both within the NKT Education Council and at local NKT Centers who are charged with running the day to day business. However, this does not make them autocratic insiders; rather it makes them elected functionaries who work under layers of supervision and oversight.

If the NKT Internal Rules are compared with the internal rules of virtually any other spiritual organization (and also many non-spiritual organizations), it would be difficult to find a more democratic system of checks and balances.