Srila Prabhupada on Women's role and intelligence

July 12, 2002

Thanks for all your quotes and presentations.

Here is a short conversation from Srila Prabhupada while he was visiting

Toronto.

"A Transcendental Diary"

Toronto June 18th, 1976

" Mrs. Mukherji, a student, asked about the position of women in our

Movement.

Prabhupada explained that there is no distinction between man and woman

on the spiritual platform. "That is clearly said in the Bhagavad-Gita,

Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo sudras thata

vaisyas. These classes are understood to be less-intelligent-----woman,

sudra, and the vaisyas. But Krsna says, 'No, even for them it is open' .

Because in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, man,

woman, or black, white, or big or small. No. Everyone is spirit soul.

Pandita, one who is actually learned, he is sama-darsi. 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."

Professor O'Connell, a man in his late 30's, asked if it was possible for

a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession.

"Yes," Prabhupada assured him. "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 perfection....Yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya. The

qualification of guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science

of Krsna. Then he or she can become guru."

Even in the material world, Prabhupada said, there is no prohibition

against a woman becoming a professor; one simply has to be qualified.

"That is the position. If the woman understands Krsna consciousness

perfectly, she can become guru."

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