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EDITORIAL November 20, 1998 VNN2529 See Related VNN Stories Srila Prabhupada Is An Equal Opportunity Employer BY PAPAHARINI DEVI DASI EDITORIAL, Nov 20 (VNN) — To All Grand-disciples of HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, and those seeking initiation. I would like to address the posted report on the subject of "Terminating the Women's Ministry". While I met Krsna consciousness in childhood during the mid 60's, I am no scholar or pure devotee. I am not a member of the Women's ministry. However, I have read Srila Prabhupada's books many times through and continue this practice daily. There are just a few simple points I would like to share that may make it easier to reject wholeheartedly the posting as mundane and the ideas as dangerous. 1) Bhakti yoga and its practice is considered the top rung on the yoga ladder. Those who take wholehearted shelter of Bhakti yoga- or Love of Krsna, become directly concerned with putting an end to material life and the samsara cycle of birth and death. 2) One of the first truths Srila Prabhupada shares is that we are not the body, but a spirit soul encased within the body. We are neither male nor female, nor belonging to any caste or creed, but the servants of Krsna. 3) We bhaktas and bhaktins are meant to return home Back to Godhead as soon as possible, not spend time in material identification. 4) The Varna-asrama system is meant to help the human being develop through education and regulation- according to propensity and desire- into a fully renounced devotional person. This is described as a "gradual" process and offers no guarantee of success without the implementation of Bhakti yoga. We are not interested in karma or piety, yet we do not neglect to develop such concepts if we follow the Bhakti process. 5) The Bhakti yoga system is transcendental to this progression, as it gives one the ultimate information concerning immediate concentration upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead (samadhi), beyond the designations found within the varna-ashram system of Brahmin, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra and Brahmacari, grhasta, vannaprastha and sannyasa. We are none of these designations, rather we are a spiritual spark of Krsna. 6) Srila Prabhupada describes the need to get out of the material cycle of birth and death as an urgent situation, as one may lose this rare opportunity of human birth and fall back into deep ignorance of animal existence or subhuman consciousness- as we already see rapidly developing with this Kali Yuga. 7) Since we are all prakrti (situated in nature;controlled) and Krsna is the factual Purusha (controller of nature), both human genders are feminine in relation to Krsna. Therefore, those "male" devotees who find the devotees in "female" bodies to be less useful, or less fortunate in regards to serving the pure devotees in Krsna consciousness are in Maya (illusion). 8) Those devotees who are identifying devotees in women's bodies in a negative fashion are committing vaishnava aparadha (behaving offensively) to those devotees and to Srila Prabhupada who thought enough of the bhaktins to offer them initiation- both first initiation (diksa) and second initiation (Gayatri mantra, brahminical initiation). 9) Again, it is His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada who made the decision to accept those souls trapped within the feminine frame as servants of Krsna and as His disciples. Srila Prabhupada is an equal opportunity employer in the transcendental service of God. 10) There are 10 offenses to be avoided by all devotees when chanting the holy name. Among those listed- number one states that it is an offense to blasphemy or offend the devotees who are dedicated to and are engaged in the propagation of the holy name of the lord. It does not specify devotees of male or female gender. Those are some basic concepts we are offered when we come into the association of Srila Prabhupada's temples and his books. And then there is the law of the land: LAW OF THE LAND If there is anyone physically, verbally, emotionally, psychologically, sexually or psychically abusing or battering any devotee female or male they should be turned over to law enforcement and intervention through mental health or social services. Priests, doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers and others have an ethical, moral and legal responsibility to report. Since ISKCON is behind schedule in developing its own internal system of these types of services, it behooves one who wishes to maintain the integrity of the society to deal with these behaviors firmly by establishing rock solid boundaries against criminal conduct. The verbal and psychological abuses concerning the devotees of Krsna who occupy female bodies should not be tolerated; those accusations are violations of one's individual and collective civil rights and again (as in Druta karma prabhu's suggestions of kicking out devotees) constitute "fighting words". There is another very important and urgent aspect to this matter which needs to be firmly established. Any devotee, male or female, who cites women devotees as anything less than servants of Krsna and therefore having an equal opportunity to develop love for Krsna under the able guidance of HDG Srila Prabhupada, our founder acarya and source of all of our knowledge-is to be considered DANGEROUS to all children. PSYCHOLOGICAL, VERBAL AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT AS CHILD ABUSE Dangerous to all children- Varna-ashram cannot be successfully developed, nor transcendental renunciation be properly identified and taught to our children if the mother/feminine image is disrespected. In legal terms, if our female children are taught by this example of abuse that they are not important in this human form of life, then understand clearly- this constitutes child abuse. Male children taught theoretically or by example to disregard, disrespect or defile the female devotee will grow to become abusive as adult men and this constitutes child abuse. Therefore, anyone with children must take care not to expose children to such criminal conduct. The result of this trick of Maya is to put our future generation, those who inherit and carry the banner of Srila Prabhupada's mission into discomfort and unnecessary suffering. And THIS is vaisnava aparadha to Srila Prabhupada. He invited all of us to take part in the process of Chanting, Dancing and Feasting on Krsna prasadam. No one class or category of gender has the monopoly on Lord Caitanya's mercy. "TWO OR TWO HUNDRED" Srila Prabhupada once said in regards to having association: "two or two hundred". If you find yourself in such offensive and hurtful and truly DANGEROUS association you may need to consider finding a few friends and worshipping in your home. Especially if you have children. Take heart that Srila Prabhupada was kind to all souls in many types of bodies and delighted when anyone chanted the name of Krsna regardless of material post. BECOME YOUR OWN GBC Do not feel left out or outside of ISKCON if you avoid this type of association and behavior. Conduct the spiritual instructions and positive affairs of ISKCON in your home. Invite a few friends to your home for prasad. Become your own GBC! GBC was established to assist the organization to uphold the standards and principles set into motion ("movement") by His Divine Grace. Wherever the instructions of the spiritual master are followed- THERE is ISKCON. Find your intelligence in surrender by sincere prayer and chanting, and make a decision to uphold the standards Srila Prabhupada he so lovingly offered to each of us and to the lotus feet of his spiritual master. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S PERSONAL INVITATION His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Svarasvati Goswami Maharaja delivered to the Western world, the prayers of Lord Brahma from the naval lotus seat of Lord Visnu, directly risen from Sri Krsna Govinda, the beautiful blue boy, who is seen playing on his transcendental flute, with blooming eyes like lotus flowers and adorned with peacock feather. Take heart, you have been invited by Srila Prabhupada to belong to this disciplic succession by his mercy and kindness. Do not allow anyone, in any position to rob you of this truth and eternal blessing; you have a duty to your self and family to be diligent in this regard. Maya comes in a multitude of forms and ideas. Srila Prabhupada is your ever well-wisher. Sincerely, Papaharini devi dasi About the Author | Other VNN Stories by this Author See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9811/ET20-2529.html
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