how to train women in ISKCON

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At 11:59 PM -0500 12/10/99, COM: Mahatma (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN) wrote:

 

>I think the problem is that Iskcon will always have women who want to join.

>So will we allow them to join and be trained as devotees or will we say you

>have to be married because this is your nature and living in the temple is

>artificial? I don't suspect that most preachers would feel right doing this,

>at least not in the West.

>

>What do you think we should preach to women because when one goes out to

>preach, one will certainly meet women. And if they get a book they may be

>encouraged to move into a temple.

 

I joined a women's asrama in a temple at the ripe old age of 16. My asrama

leader had left her husband to join ISKCON and was living as a renunciate.

I was preached to that family life was maya, that chidren were stool bags,

that cooking was not as important as sankirtana. When I lost my menses for

a year, I was told not to discuss that with a renounced woman. How could I

have any desire to get married when I was exposed that sort of training?

Fortunately, when I went to visit Satsvarupa Maharaja who I had been

aspiring to take initiation from, he asked me what the position of women

was according to Prabhupada's books. I answered that it was to serve her

husband in Krsna consciousness; this is what I had from my reading. This

got me wondering whether I was making the right decision to stay single.

 

The moral of this story is we must be careful what we preach to women who

come to Krsna consciousness.

 

Ys, Sdd