Transcendence and dependence--both are there

[Guest guest]

I just sent (tried to send) the following email to GBC unmoderated, but I

have not signed up, so it was rejected. If someone wants to post it on

my behalf they may, but at least it is here for the rest of you if you want.

 

 

Ameyatma ACBSP [ameyatma (AT) futuresunltd (DOT) com]

Sunday, November 05, 2000 12:56 PM

Vaiyasaki.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net; GBC.Unmoderated (AT) pamho (DOT) net

Transcendence and dependence - both are there

 

 

My dear Vaiyasaki Prabhu,

 

PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

I have been sent some of the email discussing the reformatin of the GBC. I

wish I had time to get involved, but for the last 2 months I have not, and

for at least the next 2 months I cannot. However, I will write this one.

 

Regarding how SP saw and engaged women:

 

Mother Yamuna devi dasi did more to spread KC in the West, even in India,

than most likely all of Srila Prabhupad's sannyasi Godbrothers combined. And

she has earned all my respect and honor for this. I am not worthy to have

the dust from her feet fall on my head.

 

Yet I have done studies regarding marriage of our daughters, and in doing so

have studied how SP instructed us to raise our children, our daughters in

particular (I have 2 myself). I found things that also cannot be denied. It

is not a simple or single conclusion, but much more complex. However SP may

have engaged our Godsisters directly, ALL of his instructions on how to

raise and train and educate our daughters, WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION (that I

could find) was that he only instructed us to train them in domestic

affairs, to become KC housewives. He instructed the Dallas gurukula teachers

that girls are to be trained in 2 things (aside from KC)--how to cook

first-class and how to serve their husband. In 1977 he said that for women

college is Not Allowed. Even our Vrndaban gurukul, he said no girls. He

repeated NO 3 times: "Girls, that is a mistake, they are very dangerous. For

girls no big education, they only need to learn to cook, clean, take care of

children, sew, and how to submissively serve their husband. For this they do

not require big school, big education." (paraphrased)

 

These are very significant instructions, and they cannot be left out of the

equation. As much as Srila Prabhupad taught that we are not this body, and

as much as he engaged his disciples in this way, his teachings for our

daughters, the next generation of ISKCON Vaishnavis, has a very different

flavor--very much the traditional Vedic system where the dharma of women is

to engage in household affairs, even our own Vaishnavi daughters.

 

My conclusion is this: That just as Srila Prabhupad awarded sannyas to an

army of young men who were not fully qualified, even knowing that many will

eventually fall down, he did this because he was an old man with failing

material health. He had to reestabish, or at least firmly plant and sprout,

the fundamentals of Vedic culture and Bhagawat-dharma all over the world,

and he did so in 11 short years. To this end, he would take the risk of

awarding sannyas to young men, or engage women outside of the traditional

standards, for the higher goal of assisting him in his emergency mission. In

doing so, he also showed us by direct example that a Vaishnavi is also

transcendental to mundane varnashram-dharma. This is true.

 

But at the same time, part of his emergency mission was to establish the

principles of varnashram-dharma, for a society which does not adhere to

varnashram will become chaotic and thus becomes more difficult to take to

and maintain one's religious and spiritual life. For the benefit of human

society in the long run, this varnashram-dharma must be established.

 

Senior devotees like Yamuna were empowered directly by SP to carry out

services that even Bhaktisiddhanta's own sannyasi disciples had failed to

do. Yet, I see the young girls, our daughters, they are not so fortunate to

have this direct empowerment. For many of them, to try and imitate, they

wind up losing their chasity, losing their direction, and wander off the

path. Srila Prabhupad instructed the Yamuna's to do very wonderful sevices.

In following his instructions they had become very empowered. But his only

instructions for our daughters is to direct them toward the path of KC

housewives. Thus, their empowerment also lies in adhering to and following

Srila Prabhupad's divine instructions. For them to wander from this and try

to imitate transcendence generally winds up in disaster.

 

Ultimately both teachings and both examples are there. Vaishnavis CAN act in

the most transcendental way and can do as much as the men. But the other

side is also there--that for the long term peace of society and the

establishment of varnashram-dharma, women must be trained and encouraged to

follow the path of their prescribed duties.

 

When SP prescribed to Yamuna or other matajis that their duty was to lead, to

give classes, etc., they made advancement in doing so. But it is

unmistakable (if you do the research) that the only prescribed duties he

taught for the future generation of women--our daugthers--was to engage in

KC household affairs. He never told us to train our daughters to become

social leaders, but he only ever instructed they must be married and

submissively follow their husbands. A sober person can understand the need

for both of these principles. It is not US against YOU sort of thing--at

all. It is simply coming to the proper realizations and understandings.

 

--Now, let me address another related topic:

 

There are other elements in ISKCON that threaten the very core of our

movement, our full and surrended love, devotion, and faith in Srila Prabhupad

and his teachings--as they are.

 

One Mataji has written me descirbing herself as a "Vaishnavi feminist." She

supports the work of Sudharma and the Women's Ministry, and praises their

work. However, at the same time, she has blasphemously debunked certain of

Srila Prabhupad's direct statements regarding the restriction of women's

rights (e.g., "A woman is to never be given independence," etc.). So much is

she appalled by many of the things which Srila Prabhupad has taught, that she

actually has refered to several of his statements as "HEINOUS"--yes, she

used that very word to describe several of Srila Prabhupad's direct statements:

"heinous." She attacks the GHQer's, but does not stop there, she goes on to

directly attack Srila Prabhupad himself. And yet, she considers herself an

"ISKCON" devotee, a direct devotee of Radha and Krsna. She is so militant

that she has thteatened to take legal action against devotees who will dare

repeat and try to enact some of SP's teachings. She abhors the very thought

that women are to be "protected" at all, for to her that implies that men

are superior.

 

And she is not alone. There are a number of women in ISKCON who feel the

same way. At first they may reject what they think are the lame ideas of a

few wayward devotees (like GHQ'rs), but when some realize that these views

are based on some of SP's direct statements, they didn't stop at just

attacking a few men or "their" ideas, but go on to directly attack Srila

Prabhupad--describing his words as "heinous." That is why some devotees

have identified this radical feminism in ISKCON as a very real and very

serious threat that must be dealt with, and not ignored.

 

Yes, of course Vaishnavis are as potentially as transcendent as men, because

a Vaishnav or Vaishnavi realize they are not this body. But at the same

time, for the proper functioning of society, it is advised that we follow

the prescribed duties of our varna and ashram. Krsna did not allow Arjun to

set aside his weapons and go off into the forest and chant bhajans and

practice yoga. No, He ordered him to rise up and fight like a ksatriya. That

became his prescribed duty, more than just his birth, because it was now

prescribed directly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Similarily, when SP ordered Yamuna, Jadurani, Govinda dasi, to perform

certain serices, that became their prescribed duties, and became their

ticket to making advancement.

 

But when I read Prabhupad's books I see only that he prescribed that I teach

my daughters in household affairs (separate from teaching KC), and how to

submissively serve a husband. That becomes my prescribed duty--to teach my

daughters only in this way, and it becomes my daughters' duty only to

serve in this way.

 

But I see when too much emphasis is given that all young girls should be

encouraged to do any service they want to, that they don't have to be taught

just how to be "housewives"--no, I adamantly object, that is NOT what Srila

Prabhupad taught. How he engaged older women who had training in independent

life--that is one thing; how he instructed the parents to train their

daughters, that is different.

 

My request is that you kindly include this into your overall and broader

understanding.

 

aspiring to become your most humble and obediant servant, ameyatma das