spiritually equal, materially different

December 14, 1999

At 20:26 +0100 12/14/1999, COM: Harsi (das) HKS (Timisoara - RO) wrote:

>

> What wonders me the most, is that there are also so many woman who are

>satisfied with being called infiriour to man, when actually it should mean

>that they are just different, materially speaking.

You're absolutely right. Maybe our silence is simply due to the fact

that several of us have already repeated exactly that concept so many

times that we're wondering if anyone even wants to listen. Of course

men and women are *different* and in that sense we're not "equal",

materially speaking. Only women's bodies have ovaries and a uterus

and only men's bodies make sperm. Only women's bodies produce milk

to feed an infant and, on the average, male bodies have greater

muscle mass than do female bodies. This has led to some pretty

obvious and different social roles in virtually all cultures. But

you're absolutely right that one role is not "better" or "worse".

Both are needed and complement each other perfectly.

Of course, spiritually speaking, we're all equals. That's why many

vaisnavis can't understand why the GHQ and their supporters want to

contradict Prabhupada's example and limit souls in female bodies from

performing *devotional service* according to their propensities. The

ministry never says that we should support research that will allow

men's bodies to give birth or women's bodies to produce sperm. The

ministry has never said that men and women are identical, materially

speaking. All they have requested is that we return to the standards

set by Srila Prabhupada for his own spiritual daughters. For those

who were absent when these were outlined, you can find papers and

recollections by Srila Prabhupada's senior female disciples (e.g.

Joytirmayi, Visakha and Malati prabhus) at:

For those who do not have web access, I'd be glad to e-mail these

papers to you directly.

Ys,

Madhusudani dasi

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