Guest guest Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 > The ONLY objection, and this has already been stated several time, is not > about "Mother" or "Mataji" in itself, it is about Srila Prabhupada > instructions > > on the matter, which are quite clearly in favor of "Prabhu" rather than > anything else, for both men and women. do you have comparative statistics to support this? does Iskcon keep any statistics at all on any basis to prove any held trends? I think one can find Srila Prabhupada using both useages in the folio. and in India, certainly more of the mataji usage is traditionally found favour. no one can force this issue to demand "prabhu" where one finds "mataji" more appropriately respectful. one can ask his secretaries. satsvarupa das, hari sauri, and srutikirti das what their ears heard Srila Prabhupada say. also those like Giriraja swami-dhananjaya and others. opinions would be there as well what to speak of what the god-sisters heard srila Prabhupada refer to them as well.. Anyone who resides/ has resided in India for any reasonable length of time, who is not residing in the west, most naturally follows the traditions thus mentioned by Prabhupada here. He will prefer calling *all* women vaisnavi's or who-ever in this respective way. mataji... mothers are selfless, respected. and it respects this feminine position. "prabhu" is definitely a masculine form and meant for men in the traditional sense, for one in india, it is not used for women, Men feel strange to use it in all terms. thus it ultimately boils down to where one's sensibilities and training lie. no one can force one to call women "prabhu" when He respects her as "mataji". TridaNDi BhikSu, Bhakti Visrambha MAdhava > It seems, that it cannot be really decided, if we should use "mataji" or > "prabhu" for ISKCON female devotees. Srila Prabhupada used both terms in > his dealings with both his disciples and other women. > > But I think it should be noted, that he instructed his disciples to use > word "mataji". > ===== > Devotee: When you address a woman do you use the word "Mataji"? Is that > the right, proper word for her? > Prabhupada: Mataji. Yes, very good. "Mother." All right. Chant. (end) > >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974 > ===== > Prabhupada: These are all bogus things. One should train himself that > matravat para-daresu, all women, "my mother." Then it will be possible to > live... Therefore the etiquette is to address every woman, "Ma, ma, > mother." That is the etiquette. > Brahmananda: You say like "Mother Rukmini"? There's a devotee named > Rukmini. You say, "Mother Rukmini"? How do you address a woman? Do you > say, "Mother," and then the name of the devotee? > Prabhupada: No. "Mother," simply. > Brahmananda: Just "Mother." > Prabhupada: Yes. They should be addressed, "Mother." That will train. > Indian man (4): In our Indian culture they don't call the name of the > mother never, children don't. > Prabhupada: No. "Mother," simply "mother," that's all. And if the woman > treats man as son, then it is all right. It is safe. > >>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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