Women's role and intelligence

[Guest guest]

On 27 May 2002,

 

Ameyatma Prabhu wrote :

> So What? What is the purpose of his logical analysis? That we give men and

> women Equal roles in society because basically according to his logic we are

> all more or less equally less intelligent? Or that we devise a system by

> which each and every man and woman is tested to see who is more or less

> intelligent? What will be the basis of those tests? That if a person can

> learn and comprehend Sanskrit then they can take up the posts of social

> leadership? Not being a member of that discussion i have no idea what the

> purpose of his logic conclusion is. What is his point?

 

I have a few points to say.

 

1) General statments must be kept separate from specifics. No one should feel

offended if the shastra says that women are less intelligent than men

in *general*, and no one should feel offended if the shastra says that in

Kaliyuga men in *general* as less intelligent as women, sudra and dvijabandhu

as shastra is apurusheya. Specifically however, case to case it is different,

as per the earlier analysis I gave based on Srila Prabhupada's quote.

2) Krishna or His representative does not evaluate a person based on one's

intelligence, but according to guna and karma. It does not matter whether one

is a man or a woman.

3) Krishna and His representative do not go by one's capacity but by

utilisation of capacity. One may have 2 kg brain substance and some one may

have 20 gram brain substance, but if the former utilises only 10 gms out of

2000 gms and latter utilises 20gm out of 20 gm brain substance, the latter

will be considered more intelligent.

4) So in our society according to Srila Prabhupada and according to Krishna we

must give roles according to their aptitudes and attitudes, and not according

to brain substance, or whether some one is in a male body or a female body.

That should not be the criterion.

5) Talking about protection, men need protection as much as women need

protection.

6) Ideally speaking what ever Ameyatma Prabhu has written is acceptable. But

we don't see such ideal cases in Kali Yuga very often.

7) Also, in devotional service, everyone has to take a subservient position,

why only women. I don't see anything wrong, or that we are going against

Srila Prabhupada's teachings, if the wife goes to office and earn money to

take care of family and the husband stays back at home and takes care of

children, and house hold activities, as long as they follow regulative

principles and chant 16 malas and preach to the extent possible. I know a

few devotees having this arrangement, circumstantially.

 

Your humble servant,

Bhadra Govinda Dasa.