We need more than a bandaid solution to the recent flare-up in

[Guest guest]

The recent events in Vrindavan, India signal an urgent need to correct a

gender-relations problem in ISKCON. However the 4 point solution the

Women's Ministry suggests, only serves to exacerbate the problem. Simply

providing women equal/same facilities as men will not foster genuine

respect or protection for women. Motherly respect is not demonstrated by

how many women manage temples or how many women give class. It will only

manifest when men and women each adhere to their respective dharmas for the

pleasure of Guru and Krsna.

 

An order was given by the chairman of the GBC Executive Committee to the

Vrindavana temple authorities, before any investigation or discussion was

conducted. Part of this order stated:

 

"The GBC will not tolerate any mistreatment of female devotees,

discrimination against female devotees, or preferential treatment given to

male devotees in any form.

 

This is an official directive from the GBC Executive Committee.

 

Your servant,

Bir Krishna das Goswami

Chairman-GBC"

 

On the one hand, our GBC condemns "preferential treatment given to male

devotees in any form" yet on the other hand we know it is our duty to give

preferential treatment to sannyasis. It is statements like this that are

used to disregard the more subtle rules of vaisnava etiquette between the

sexes. Should women no longer honour their husbands, sons and male guests

with any preferential treatment? Is any and all prefential treatment

towards men antagonistic to women's devotional service? Hopefully that is

not what Bir Krsna Maharaja intended but his statement has been taken that

way.

 

Here is a letter written to another member of the GBC Executive Committee

by none other than His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

 

"Why there are so many women in Vrindaban? Vrindaban is meant for

retirement, elderly persons in Krishna Consciousness can devote all their

time to devotional service. Such men are wanted to live in Vrindaban, not

women and children. That is a fact, the holy dhamas are meant for the

sannyasis and brahmacaris especially. If necessary, the management must be

done by sannyasis and brahmacaris, not grhasthas." Letter from Srila

Prabhupada to: Gopala Krsna Los Angeles 9 June, 1976

 

Here is another similar one written to Madhukara:

 

"We cannot expect that our temples will become places of shelter for so

many widows and rejected wives, that will be a great burden and we shall

become the laughingstock in the society. There will be unwanted progeny

also. And there will be illicit sex life, that we are seeing already."

(Letter to: Madhukara, 4 January, 1973)

 

These letters may sound shocking to some people but they prompt us to

question why there are so many unprotected women in Vrindavana without the

presence of their natural protectors; their fathers, husbands or sons? Also

why did these women not accept the local standard of deity greeting which

has been going on since Prabhupada was personally present? Why did they not

first contact higher authorities before angrily trying to push their way to

the front of the altar? Is this behavior approved by the Women's Ministry?

 

If the holy dhama is especially meant for sannyasis and brahmacaris, as per

Prabhupada's directive, then hopefully the GBC is thinking of ways to

ensure they are also being protected in their asrama. We've seen enough

falldowns now to know this is needed. But what the ISKCON Women's Ministry

is proposing would make it practically impossible for sannyasis and

brahmacaris to avoid the association and personal service of women, as per

the rules of their asrama, because they would be obliged to share

managerial responsibilities and have frequent close contact with them.

 

Let's hope the GBC will, through education, culture and devotion, honour

the rights of ALL individuals to perform their prescribed duties according

to the direction of guru, sastra and sadhu and inspire us all to make

progress on the path back to Godhead.

 

Your servant, Sita devi dasi