beatting women - part of bigger problem

[Guest guest]

My Dear Prabhu,

Please accept my obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

In Srila Prabhupada's books we have heard of beating our mind with the

shoes, about beating the husk of the rice and also about beating an innocent

in a dark place. The closest you can come to the subject of this discussion

is that of beating an innocent in a dark place, which is condemned in the

Srimad Bhagavatam, and this would logically take precedence over a

conversation that Srila Prabhupada made, once, referring to his sister, in

an evidently joking mood. Now, above and beyond this, sometimes, as

devotees we are put into situations, not only in relation to women, but also

with other living entities, whereby we might have the option of becoming

angry and want to resort to violence, where our patience and tolerance are

being tested, and there is some incentive to react to being illtreated. The

beating of Srila Haridasa Thakur is an example of this. His guards usually

beat someone in only 2 market places, then they would die. That was enough

to kill someone, but he was being beaten in many market places, beyond

normal endurance. Because he was fully dependent on Krishna, chanting the

Holy Names, he only smiled, when he was beaten. We should be talking about

the "Passion of Srila Haridasa Thakura" and his being beaten. Finally,

because he became sad to see the suffering of the guards, did he pretend to

be dead. The pastime of this "beating" will liberate you from material

existence, not the other.

As far as the supreme bliss of married life is concerned, it doesn't

exist and as Srila Prabhupada has commented, that is good for us, so as to

fully depend on Krishna. Another impediment in Krishna Consciousness is the

aparadha of being physically violent against a devotee, so that is another

consideration in these dealings, and the reason why it is condemned.

Another subject for our "psychologists" could be the changing role of the

paternal figures in modern society and their relationship to Krishna

Consciousness. That might be interesting. Maybe. But I think that we have

otherwise exhausted the subject of beating women.

Hari Bol!

Your servant,

Jagajivana dasa