VNN Editorial - Gurus, Wives And Equal Rights


© 1998 VNN

EDITORIAL

November 25, 1998   VNN2555   See Related VNN Stories

Gurus, Wives And Equal Rights

BY JIVAN MUKTA DASA

EDITORIAL, Nov 25 (VNN) — I thank "half-wit" Prabhu for this opportunity to present our social concerns to the world-wide community of devotees. Though (s)he labelled our GHQ conference a conspiracy in the most pejorative sense, it was not unlike many other private conferences on COM. It remains to be seen whether our objective is better served by this new format of discussion.

The "Dharma of Men and Women Conference" on COM was originally established by myself and my wife, Sita. I encouraged her to start up a forum which would provide like-minded devotees, both male and female, a safe and friendly haven to discuss, and assist each other in understanding the practical application of Vedic gender ethics presented to us by Srila Prabhupada.

The conference continues to grow. The discussions are frank, uplifting and enlivening to those seeking encouragement in adhering to dharma. The conference is a meeting place of like-minded devotees who are eager to understand and who seek to apply the eternal cultural principles passed down to us from time immemorial. Many devotees have witnessed our discussions on COM and many have lent their encouragement, support and input to the DMW Conference. In the future we hope to produce resources for those interested in applying Prabhupada's teaching in their family life. In fact, Ameyatma Prabhu has already compiled very helpful booklets in this regard.

The following is an introduction to our conference:

Dear devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his followers.

The conference "Dharma of Women", a private conference on COM, has recently been renamed to "Dharma of Men and Women" <dmw@com.bbt.se>. The following topics are discussed in this conference:

1. The concept and culture of responsibility and duty
2. Responsibilities and duties of men towards women in general
3. Responsibilities and duties of women towards men in general
4. Responsibilities and duties of men within families: as husbands, fathers, sons and brothers.
5. Responsibilities and duties of women as wives, mothers, daughters (and sisters.
6. Care for and support of:
a) brahmacharinis
b) single mothers
c) widows
d) single fathers
7. Preparing men and women for marriage
8. Preventing divorces

We welcome all men and women who are interested in the above topics to join this conference and share their ideas and practical experience on how to implement the timeless teachings of the Vedas on these topics in our modern day and age. The discussions shall be conducted on the basis of Srila Prabhupada, Sadhu and Sastra.

Your humble servants,

Basu Ghosh das
Krishna Kirti das
Jivan Mukta das (btb@georgian.net)
Sita devi dasi (btb@georgian.net)
(Conference Organizers)



My opposition to feminism is no secret. That I regard the IWM (ISKCON Women's Ministry) to be a lightening rod of feminist discontent is also no secret nor is the fact that I regard the IWM and their goal of equality in leadership an aberration and an embarrassment to Srila Prabhupada and our entire disciplic succession.

Here are a few of Prabhupada's comments on equal rights:

i. The equal rights movement is a means by which men cheat the women.(SSR 1)
ii. Where is the benefit of equal rights? (July 9, 1975, Chicago)
iii. Equal rights is claimed by rascal Westerners (Sept 25, 1975, Ahmedabad)
iv. By equal rights women are killing their own child (Vrindaban 9 Sept, 1975)
v. I am not trying for equal rights. (TV Interview July 9, 1975, Chicago)
vi. Rascals give equal rights.(Morning Walk June 27, 1975, Los Angeles)
vii. If you want equal rights then stop giving birth to a child.(May 8'75 Perth)
viii. Why you are accepting this nonsense philosophy.(May 29, 1974, Rome)
ix. Equal rights is rascaldom philosophy (Morning Walk May 29, 1974, Rome)
x. This equal rights philosophy is very appealing (to) fools and rascal.
xi. There cannot be equality sir. You are talking nonsense.( May 29, 1974, Rome)
xii. Regardless of attempts for equality, unequality there must remain.
xiii. You cannot make equality (Morning Walk May 29, 1974, Rome)
xiv. It is not possible (Morning Walk May 29, 1974, Rome)
xv. Equal rights is nonsense. (Morning Walk May 29, 1974, Rome)
xvi. Equal rights will not help the human society. (DS - Skinner and Thoreau)
xvii. Equal rights is an artificial introduction to human society(DS - Russell)
xviii. Equal rights is very grave problems(SB 1.16.7 LA, January 4, 1974)
xix. Equal rights is not Vedic idea(SB 1.8.51 LA, May 13, 1973)
xx. That is not Vedic civilization (SB 7.9.24 Mayapur, March 2, 1976)
xxi. Do not artificially try to become equal with men.
xxii. Equal rights is not allowed in the Vedic sastra.(BG 16.7 Hawaii Feb 3, 75)
xxiii. How she can be happy? That is not possible.(Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972)
xxiv. It will be failure. (Arrival Lecture Philadelphia, July 11, 1975)
xxv. Equal rights is impossible. (CC. Adi 17.44)
xxvi. It is the demoniac puffed up concept of wonamly life. (BG 16.7)

Now for those who object to the term feminist, I ask one question: What exactly is the difference between the occupational freedom and indepedence demanded by some members in ISKCON and the non-devotee feminist platform of occupational equal rights? I have come to the conclusion that there is none.

It was also no secret that I felt the IWM's concerns should be dealt with by the Grhastha Ministry and managed by grhastha men. So, although the conspiratorial label lends some drama, suspense and humour to this issue, it still unfortunately tends to generate hysteria amongst some innocent men and women. Ultimately, shastra and not public opinion determines the truth.

I continue to perceive a disturbing inconsistency with GBC policy regarding the imperatives of sastra and tradition. While insisting upon a rigid and uncompromising application of sastra and tradition with respect to the guru status, initiations, guru-disciple etiquette etc., the GBC unhesitatingly overhauls and tampers with the sastric principles of male authority over women. The regrettable impression this leaves upon us is that while the GBC considers the authority of gurus absolute and sacrosanct, they knowingly or unknowingly undermine the authority of men over their wives, mothers and daughters.

To more clearly illustrate my point, I will use Danavir Maharaja's rebuttal to "The Humble Guru" as a sample of the typical arguments used by the GBC to support the diksha-guru status quo. I mean no disrespect to Danavir Maharaja who has publicly denounced this artificial concept of women's equal rights. I also understand that he is not a GBC. His statements (in quotation marks) nevertheless represent the gist of the GBC's position.

1."Proponents of "The Humble Guru" place their own ideas at the center, moving His Divine Grace's to the side. More alarming is that this is all done in the name of Srila Prabhupada just as some politicians who use Bhagavad-gita to expound their own imaginative philosophies."

The GBC should be issuing a parallel statement: The feminists are "placing their ideas at the center, moving His Divine Grace's to the side. More alarming is that this is all done in the name of Srila Prabhupada just as some politicians who use Bhagavad-gita to expound their own imaginative philosophies"?

I have yet to hear an official GBC response against the deviant philosophy the IWM has developed and promoted as an official ISKCON Ministry. In fact, a surprising number of GBC members support their objectives.

2. "In the beginning some devotees liked Srila Prabhupada's teachings but because of their strong inclination toward sense gratification and Mayavadi tendency, they now reject them in favour of their own imaginative theories, such as ritvik, reiki, three regulative principles, etc, etc."

Why don't out leaders include feminism in this list of deviations? Likewise though devotees of both genders liked Srila Prabhupada's teachings, "because of their strong inclination toward sense gratification and Mayavadi tendency, they now reject them in favour of their own imaginative theories, such as feminism"

3. "Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession have prescribed principles meant to guide society perpetually. They do not give us some quick medicine to last twenty years and then be rejected by modern-thinking disciples and grand disciples. To the extent to which we follow Vedic teachings, they work and if we reject them then it will create havoc."

I have yet to see a GBC policy which states that, irrespective of all the faults attributed to men which resulted in direct or indirect abuse, "Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession have prescribed principles meant to guide society perpetually. They do not give us some quick medicine to last twenty years to be rejected by modern-thinking" wives, mothers and daughters. "To the extent to which we follow Vedic teachings, they work and if we reject them then it will create havoc".

Are certain principles that stem from the disciplic succession, like the process of initiation, perpetually relevant while others, like male authority, are not? Do we not create havoc in society by rejecting the Vedic teachings of male/female relathionships?

4. "'The Humble Guru' accuses ISKCON of 'institutionalizing exploitation' because some diksa gurus may fall from the pure standard of devotional service. This is unreasonable. ISKCON cannot insure that a living entity, even one acting in the capacity of a guru, will not misuse his free will. The most important duty of ISKCON is, indeed, to insure that the Vedic teachings, as received through His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, are preserved intact."

I have yet to hear this argument expanded to included the fallibility of husbands and the unrealistic expectations placed upon them by many wives: The IWM accuses ISKCON men of "institutionalizing exploitation" because some men may have fallen from the pure and ideal standard of devotional service. This is unreasonable. ISKCON cannot insure that a living entity, even one acting in the capacity of a husband, will not misuse his free will. The most important duty of ISKCON is, indeed, to insure that the Vedic teachings, as received through His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, are preserved intact.

5. "By minimizing the importance of the guru in the life of the disciple, one demeans Vedic culture."

I have yet to hear the GBC state that "by minimizing the importance of the husband, father and son in the life of a woman, one demeans Vedic culture".

6. "Thus, the supporters of ritvik philosophy, or something similar, like "The Humble Guru," actually propose the greatest "institutional exploitation" by urging ISKCON to misrepresent Srila Prabhupada's teachings."

Has anyone heard this protest from the GBC: "Thus, the supporters of feminist philosophy, or something similar, actually propose the greatest "institutional exploitation" by urging ISKCON to misrepresent Srila Prabhupada's teachings".

7. "The conclusion is that to become a pure devotee requires complete faith in both the guru and Krsna. Sadly, some disciples are unable to accept this and instead of trying to advance further, they prefer to change the Vedic system of guru parampara."

When will we hear the GBC conclude that: "to become a chaste wife requires complete faith in both the husband and Krsna. Sadly, some wives are unable to accept this and instead of trying to advance further, they prefer to change the Vedic system of stri dharma.

8. "Rather than pull down the guru, better we rise up to the standard expected by our founder-acarya, to become humble disciples."

Who has ever heard any GBC say "Rather than pull down the husbands and men, better we encourage and train them to rise up to the standard expected by our founder-acarya, to become responsible men.

9. "In my opinion, it is time for members of ISKCON to decide, as Drutakarma Prabhu has suggested, which boat they prefer to sit in. Attempting to fashion ISKCON into a hodgepodge shop where everyone can live-so-called peacefully tolerating scores of nonsense philosophies, is not what Srila Prabhupada had in mind."

Has such an ultimatum ever been issued to feminists? Have they ever been told to decide which boat they prefer to sit in?

>From the posting of some of Harikesa dasa's disciples, this type of imbalanced attitude among the GBC and gurus within ISKCON is a very sad reality that has and continues to destroy many marriages and families. The policies of the IWM, supported by the GBC, ultimately result in subverting a man's authority over his wife. These policies are profoundly abusive to women because they encourage women to remove themselves from being under the divinely-ordained authority of their husbands, fathers and sons. These policies which ultimately result in divorce are also extremely abusive to the children because they are forced to endure and live with the life-long scars of a broken family. Any policy which seeks to release a woman from her authority in the name of independence, freedom, equality or empowerment is socially disruptive. It is an irrelgious symptom of our nasty western conditioning. In the BG 16.7 and throughout his teachings, Srila Prabhupada describes these policies as symptoms of the demoniac "puffed up concept of womanly life".

All the devotees on the GHQ conference share one very grave concern. We are concerned that those who should be spearheading and leading us on this vedic cultural revolution and revival are instead succumbing to the darkness of western, immoral, social expressions. The GHQ members share a common objective. We seek to implore the GBC and all ISKCON devotees to take up their responsibilities in establishing eternal vedic morality by understanding and accepting it as an essential component of the preaching mission of the Hare Krsna Movement. Prabhupada was uncompromising in his determination to establish eternal vedic ideals. Prabhupada said "We cannot be forced to follow the standards of the mlecchas and yavanas". We implore the GBC to adopt this same uncompromising committment to uphold and protect sanatana-dharma. Otherwise, as Prabhupada says, we will "water down the process until it becomes unrecognizable and useless".(Letter to Jayatirtha on January 20, 1976)

Prabhupada appealed to Madhukara (Bombay 4 January, 1973 ) that he not make a mockery of the varnasrama system by whimsically disrupting its order. He was concerned about that which continues to plague our society to this very day: divorce and remarriage. A serious examination must be conducted to determine the short term and long term effects of current and proposed social policies within ISKCON. We cannot become more religious by introducing irrelgious policies. We cannot reach the highest moral and spiritual standards when we adopt the standards of those who are on the highway to hell. It goes without saying that the GBC's raison d'etre is to uphold the highest spiritual and moral standards. Those highest standards are those ideals expressed through the eternal Vedic culture.

There are now two groups of devotees; those recruited from western non-vedic culture and those conceived within this reflection of vedic culture (Iskcon or India). How we deal with these two groups of individuals can be very different indeed. Prabhupada introduced policies that considered those from the first group. Those are all the exceptional modifications and so-called compromises we always throw out to show how Prabhupada was not interested in reviving Vedic culture. Yet we forget to study the directions he gave us for those devotees that now comprise the second group; our children. When you review all the references regarding how he wanted us to educate, train, marry, occupy and guide our children throughout their lives, you will see how both systems are necessary and easily reconcilable.

A young girl raised in a strict devotee family is so much more culturally advanced than the other group of recruits. Such a chaste young lady feels completely comfortable, satisfied and safe in her vedic social role. Why? Because she carries no emotional, social and intellectual baggage. She is that much closer to living that ideal vedic cultural life. This of course depends upon the training she received. The same applies to our young men. If they have not turned out this way, then there is no one to blame but ourselves. We have failed them by denying them that cultural training.

Our daughters aren't like the first wave of women who joined ISKCON. These daughters, unlike these first women, don't have multiple boyfriends, hang out with the guys or become contaminated by feminist ideology. They haven't been bewildered by deviant religious, philosohphical concepts and speculations. They haven't been intoxicated etc. etc. The cultural raw material they represent is very different from the survivors of the western slaughterhouse. Therefore, Prabhupada's example of how he dealt with the culturally handicapped sometimes seems to conflict with his instructions on how he wanted us to train our youth. Both are relevant and both must be implemented. In minimizing ISKCON's cultural objective, we betray a misunderstanding of our childrens' role in expanding and reviving the eternal culture of India.

Regarding the use of the word prostitute, I cite a purport from SB 7.11.28 wherein Srila Prabhupada states:

"If her husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association. Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live separately from him."

Based on this purport, shall we adopt the position that a vaisnavi that remarries is not a prostitute? Shall we adopt a policy that states that only after 2 or 3 or 4 remarriages a vaisnavi shall be considered a prostitute? Is a vaisnavi who is not yet divorced but already has a boyfriend in waiting a prostitute? Can a vaisnavi do anything and remain free of ever being considered a prostitute? Is being a vaisnavi such a cheap thing?

We must remember that Prabhupada considered the west spiritually and culturally blind. Vision was the asset of the East or India. The only value of western civilization was in the material facility it provided for the spreading Krsna consciousness. Other than that, to accept any direction from such a blind society can only lead to chaos. To recommend that devotees model their social policies on the basis of UN Law or any other ungodly source is at the very least profoundly misguided. Let us base all our policies on the eternal teachings and ideals of the Vedic literature. This is what Srila Prabhupada wanted. This the social and spiritual objective of the Krsna consciousness movement.

Ys. JMd


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