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| EDITORIAL December 3, 1998 VNN2610 See Related VNN Stories Simultaneously Equal Yet Unequal BY GURU-KRSNA DAS EDITORIAL, Dec 3 (VNN) — I first express my humble gratitude for the kind introductory words of Mother Prtha's in my favor ("Women, Equality, & GHQ"--11/23). Although I am lower than the grime in the street, she is kind enough to find some apparent good qualities in my letter "A Conspirator Speaks." In response to my statement that the GHQers were in fact conspirators (defined as "persons acting in harmony"), Mother Prtha has commented that "investigating for the purpose of discovering garbage on others and bringing it forward to disempower them is not harmonious." However, when CPTs collaborate to investigate alleged child abusers to discover heinous activity and subsequently bring it forward, certainly the conclusion of a factual finding is to disempower the perpetrator. In these cases the investigators are much appreciated and congratulated by the devotees--their activity is not considered to have been disharmonious, is it?--even though the perpetrators are practitioners of Krsna consciousness. Another kind of child abuse is enacted by women who irresponsibly divorce their God-given spouses for their own selfish purposes. More and more, amongst intelligent and serious ghrastas, awareness is increasing that mothers who shamelessly and selfishly break the sacred marriage vow constitute another class of child abusers. Actually the GHQ members' harmonious collaborations were primarily for addressing such social anomalies as divorce/remarriage, irresponsibility of spouses, and moral integrity of leaders. In that regard, it was sometimes necessary to note and discuss certain unsavory facts. Such discussions have now escalated since the expose and are specifically featured on "Dharma of Men and Women" (COM) conference and the new website "Dharma-kshetra" (GHQD.ORG). Mother Prtha has predicted that an attitude of "Right or wrong, my husband is always right" would be the undesirable result of a social construction wherein male superiority is the accepted norm. She notes that women have already tried to apply this rule but that it didn't work. Yet our simple understanding is that so many things have not yet worked in our attempts to spread and establish Krsna consiousness; but the fault lies not in the principles, rather in the neglect or misapplication of the principles. Failure in the institution of gurukula, in methods of book distribution, in the post of guru, or in family life, etc. is caused not by faulty principles, but by our misunderstandings and misbehaviors. Mother Prtha has kindly reminded us that we must focus not only on Srila Prabhupada's books but also on his lectures, letters, and personal instructions. Here are a few samples from those sources with regard to the superior role of the husband: 1) "That I already explained. Woman's position is subordinate to man." (TV interview, Chicago, 7-9-75) 2) "Chaste woman means she is meant for her husband." (Lecture, SB 2.30.20-1, LA, 6/17/72) 3) "Woman is to follow the husband. That's all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. (SB 1.13.13, LA, 9/18/72) Mother Prtha has stated that devotee women want to follow Srila Prabhupada. That is wonderful. Therefore they ought to imbibe the instructions above and below: 1) "There is no question of divorce or separation....there is no question of separation or divorce." (Initiation/Wedding Lecture, Boston, 1968) 2) "So there is no question of divorce. There is no question of separation (Initiation/Wedding Lecture, 1969) 3) "Once married, there is no question of divorce or separation....We don't allow any divorce and separation." (Initiation/Wedding Lecture, 1972) No doubt, in many cases the issue of woman's role as subordinate is motivated by male ego and desire for exploitation of the female. But the converse is equally true, isn't it? Conditioned souls in female bodies similarly desire sense gratification and exploitation, albeit manifest differently from men. Certainly it is both incomplete and unfair to give inordinate stress to the failings of husbands and thereby conclude that "Women have tried, It didn't work." There is no shortage of cases wherein the opposite has been true: the husband tried, but the woman was unchaste. Mother Prtha has also expressed that "If the GHQ sincerely care about women and child protection, they need to consider the effect of our [negative] preaching on them." I respectfully maintain that preaching based wholly on Srila Prabhupada's teachings is postive. Don't all of us have practical experience that medicine is not usually palatable or pleasing to our senses? Similarly, in our diseased social body of ISKCON, it should be no wonder if some of us--men, women, youth, and children--find the medicine to be at all bitter. Let's not decry that very medicine which will cure the disease, but let us somehow garner the faith and discipline to regularly take our prescribed doses, even if bitter-tasting. Regarding the Manu-samhita, Mother Prtha has quoted Srila Prabhupada: "So if you try to follow the Manu-samhita then you will become a mleccha and yavana and your career will be finished." But there need be no confusion in this regard. How vast are the Manu-samhita and *dharma-sastras* and how detailed? These are the lawbooks for mankind. As the common devotee cannot comprehend and assimilate even the secular laws of his own land, with all its details and intracies, then how much more this is so of Manu-samhita. Nevertheless, Srila Prabhupada has given us the challenge and mission to reintroduce the principles into society: 1) "The Manu-samhita is the standard lawbook for humanity, and every human being is advised to follow this great book of social knowledge." (SB 2.1.36) 2) "The law given by Manu is so perfect that it can be applicable for all time." (SSR 6) 3) "The conclusion is that if we want real peace and order in the human society, we must follow the principles laid down by the Manu-samhit and confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna." And further, Srila Prabhupada repeatedly cites Manu-samhita as pramana for his statements on woman's position: 1) "Now, in the Manu-samhita it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom." (Bg 16.7, purport) 2) "Just like in Manu-samhita it is said that nasyam svatantryam arhati--woman should not be given independence. Once said, that is fact." (Conversation, New Delhi, 11/14/75) 3) "In Manu-samhita it is clearly said, na stri svantantryam arhati. Woman cannot be given independence." (SB Lecture, LA 5/19/72) With regard to polygamy, Mother Prtha wrote: "It did not work. He ended it. That's that." But not exactly. Anyone interested to read a comprehensive compilation of Srila Prabhupada's words on this topic can visit: Mother Prtha also stated: "When Srila Prabhupada speaks of the lower or inferior position of women, he is speaking of varnasrama-dharma social order in a Vedic system, not transcendental Krsna consciousness, which has entirely different instructions." But below is a sample of how Srila Prabhupada equates Vedic culture with transcendental Krsna consciousness: 1)"Another name of Vedic culture is sanatana-dharma." (Lecture, Bombay, 11-2-70) 2)"So this culture, Krsna consciousness, Vedic culture....It is therefore called sanatana, eternal." (Conversation, Moscow, 6-22-71) And in "My Glorious Master," Bhurijana Prabhu recounts an incident wherein his good wife, Mother Jagattarini, after hearing Srila Prabhupada glorify the womanly role in Vedic culture, had replied, "But I've not been brought up in that culture." To which Srila Prabhupada explained," But if something is good you should accept it. I know in your Western countries the ideas are different, but we have to pick up the best." (MGM, 336) "Srila Prabhupada did not come here to teach us to be Vedic, but to teach us to be Krsna conscious," said Mother Prtha. But Srila Prabhupada has said: 1) "So our Krishna consciousness movement is meant to revive the Vedic culture. (Lecture, Bombay, 11-2-70) 2) "Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement...has been inaugurated to revive brahminical culture..." Why did Srila Prabhupada give women brahman initiation? He himself has explained: "So rajas, tamas, generally that is the quality of woman. And man can become [sic] to the platform of goodness. Therefore, initiation, brahminical symbolic representation is given to the man, not to the woman....Man can be elevated to the platform of goodness. Woman cannot be. Woman cannot be. Therefore, if the husband is nice and the woman follows, woman becomes faithful and chaste to the husband, then their both life becomes successful." (Lecture, SB 1.3.17, LA, 9-22-72) Apparently, women are not allowed to wear the sacred thread because it is the symbolic representation of the *dvija*, one who has come to the platform of goodness. Since woman cannot come to this platform independently, even though engaged in sadhana-bhakti, she is not allowed to don the sacred thread. Not wanting to disturb the sensibilites of his early neophyte female disciples--products of this perverted, godless, American anti-culture--Srila Prabhupada charmingly explained his not giving women the sacred thread thus: 1) If their husband is a brahamana, she automatically becomes brahmana, because wife is considered to be the half, better half....(laughter) So better brahamana does not require thread. (ref. above) Mother Prtha rightly asserts that a man does not lose his manhood by accepting women as equal, nor is it necessary for a woman to become like a man in order to actually be equal ("You are the same in Krsna's eyes."). She says "They are different, yes, but still equal." This of course is the transcendental, absolute truth. Souls within all material bodies are equal in quality. Still, we must be careful not to extrapolate and propagate material equality in the name of spiritual equality. As I have proferred in my "Defense of Danavir Goswami" on CHAKRA, even considering materially, woman is not inferior to man ("inferior" meaning: of lesser importance, value, or merit); but also considering materially, woman is indeed inferior to man ("inferior" meaning: lesser in rank; subordinate). In the course of cultivating the proper sense of value and respect for our woman class--which is of prime necessity for civilized society--if we try to artificially create equality of man and woman, the result will be disruption: "Then there is disruption. There is disruption, social disruption. If the woman does not become subordinate to man, then there is social disruption. Therefore in the Western countries there are so many divorce cases because the woman does not agree to become subordinate to man. That is the cause." (TV interview, Chicago, 7-9-75) Mother Prtha concludes by saying: "It will be hard for those who have spent one-half a lifetime believing they are superior to admit they made a mistake." But not so difficult for those who properly study and apply the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. For while cultivating the mood of servitor to all, hence inferior, still a Krsna conscious man will not artificially relinquish his God-given superior position as maintainer and guide for dependent wives, children, and other subordinates. That would be a foolish mistake. Neither though, need he make the opposite mistake: falsely thinking that his material position of superiority is tantamount to a superiority of essential worth, value, or merit. Right discrimination is certainly a product of self-realization. Thank you very much. I remain endeavoring to become your servant in service to ISKCON, Guru-Krsna das (HDG) See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9812/ET03-2610.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
