dress codes

[Guest guest]

Dear Yugala Kishore prabhu,

Please accept my humbler obeisances. all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you for your input to my posted letter. Actually, I was not saying

there should be no dress standard. In fact, i am a strong supporter of "holding

the line" re Vaishnava dress in temples. I was specifically responding to

Malati d.d's point re covering of heads, and she made a distinction between

married and unmarried ladies. Otherwise, I join with you in advocating over-all

dress standards for temples, especially for men giving class or leading Kirtan,

as Mahadyuti prabhu raised a few days back. He wanted to know if anyone has

shastric evidence for how we should dress, but there are some simple answers:

There are two types of authority for the Vaishnavas--the Book Bhagavata and the

Person Bhagavata. The Maha Bhagavata, fully self realized soul, is the "Person

Bhagavata"--the living, moving, speaking shastra. Thus since Srila Prabhupada

personally instructed us to dress in Vaishnava dress, that is the end of it--we

need go no further, because Personified Shastra has given the

order. Newer persons, without much attachment for Srila Prabhupada and his

instructions, challenge his authority these days, seeking "Vox Populi", or

leadership by common opinion. However, Srila Prabhupada was never an advocate

of this way of doing things, though he neither wanted blind dictatorship by

leaders either--rather, common sense, with balance between experienced leaders

and the body of devotees--but never policy merely by mass appeal, right or

wrong. So i hope this clarifies for you where I stand.

Your servant,

Makhanlal das (ACBSP)

 

Yugala Kishor <ykd108 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Makhanlal prabhu,

I adamantly and respectfully disagree with your stand that issues such as

this one under discussion are a waste of time. On the contrary, to devalue them

could have major detrimental implications for our Movement. We are striving to

attain purity of heart, but that also necessarily means purity of behavior.

And, needless to say, purity of behavior is reflected in how we present

ourselves to the world, to the devotees, and to the Deities in the temples.

Dress codes are part of who we are and what we stand for. Whether we like it or

not, or whether we consider it a "waste of time," as you do, this issue is

indeed very much relevant.

Your servant, YKD (Gainesville, FL)

 

 

 

 

 

 

makhanlal das <makhanlaldas >

Re:get tough ..dress code

Wed, 7 Dec 2005 06:34:22 -0800 (PST)

 

 

Dear Malati,

Dandavat pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Touche! Thanks for the spicy input! Free speach is still alive, thank God.

I wonder how much more time we are going to waste on these typese of issues? It

certainly seems that becoming fully Krishna Conscious is more important, with

respect for all living entities, regardless of species or gender.

Your servant and God brother,

Makhanlal das

 

 

 

 

Makhanlal Das