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| EDITORIAL November 26, 1998 VNN2563 See Related VNN Stories Woman Can Be A Guru? BY (NAME REMOVED) (FROM COM) EDITORIAL, Nov 26 (VNN) — "What is a woman's dharma? Sanatana dharma? So could a woman not become a siksa guru or diksa guru, or a least a GBC. The answer is no, NO, NO, NO! It is Srila Prabhupada's answer." So what Srila Prabhupada says is the ultimate authority as to if a woman can be a guru? Then here, let me set your mind at ease. In a letter to Silavati devi, Srila Prabhupada wrote: "Now if you can induce all the women of Los Angeles to place an altar in their homes and help their husbands have peaceful, happy home life in Krishna Consciousness, that will be very great service for you. The actual system is that the husband is Spiritual Master to his wife, but if the wife can bring her husband into practicing this process, then it is all right that the husband accepts wife as Spiritual Master. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that anyone who knows the science of Krishna, that person should be accepted as Spiritual Master, regardless of any material so-called qualifications; such as rich or poor, man or woman, or brahmana or sudra." (June 14, 1969) Catch that - regardless of any material so-called qualifications; such as rich or poor, man or woman. And Srila Prabhupada: "In the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, man, woman, or black, white, or big or small. No. Everyone is spirit soul. Panditah sama-darsinah. Vidyd-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini suni caiva sva-pdke ca panditah, one who is actually learned, he is sama-darsinah. He does not make any distinction. But so far our material body is concerned, there must be some distinction for keeping the society in order. Woman: The women could become panditas, then. Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Te pi ydnti pardm gatim. Not only [be]come, she can also attain perfection. There is no such restriction. Krishna said. Woman: Do you have any panditas in the Western movement? Prabhupada: There are so many Western woman, girls, in our society. They are chanting, dancing, taking to Krishna consciousness. Of course, because superficially, bodily, there is some distinction, so we keep women separately from men, that's all. Otherwise, the rights are the same. (rights are all the same - just wanted to be sure you didn't miss it) Professor O'Connell: "Is it possible, Swamiji, for a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession?" Srila Prabhupada replied, "Yes." Jahnava devi was Nityananda's wife. She became. If she is able to go to the highest perfection of life, why it is not possible to become guru? But, not so many. Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become guru. But man or woman, unless one has attained the perfection.... Yei krishna-tattva-vettd sei guru haya. The qualification of guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Krishna. Then he or she can become guru. Yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei guru haya. In our material world, is it any prohibition that woman cannot become professor? If she is qualified, she can become professor. What is the wrong there? She must be qualified. That is the position. So similarly, if the woman understands Krishna consciousness perfectly, she can become guru" (June 18, 1976, Toronto). See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9811/ET26-2563.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
