Purdah - Seclusion and Veiling of Women

[Jagat]

Originally posted by Shashi:

Jijaji even many of the non Mohammedan women like to wear purdah sometimes to proteckt them from the glans of the beadie eyed fellows.

That's a really good one! Best typo blooper I've seen in a while.

 

[karthik_v]

Yashoda_dd:

 

Srila Prabhupada never wanted sannyasis to have female too close to them.

 

That is the right approach. A sannyasi is a detached person. He doesn't differentiate between men and women and the rich and the poor. So, a sannyasi cannot display any affinity to any sex. Hence getting into bondage with anyone, especially the opposite sex, is ruled out. Also, in the vedic tradition, a sannyasi has to adhere to many rules. The only reason he hasn't withdrawn into Aranyas is to guide the grahasthas. He cannot become one himself.

 

Protected woman means respected woman. You do not have to give her gold and shower her with sweet words. Protected woman means she is appreciated and understood as a person. If not, she will try to do any crazy thing to turn attention.

 

Reducing a woman to the state where she craves for attention is terrible. Vedic system requires that women are respected and protected. When a married man tries to relate to another woman, he breaches the protocol. In India, it is the family that should protect women. Outsiders have no business to protect her. Yet, when many westerners joined ISKCON, they were trying to adapt to the Indian system but didn't have the family backing. That can be said to be true even for many Indians who joined ISKCON, as ISKCON is still not considered mainstream or respectable. So, that gave rise to such situations which were exploited by those who are unscruplous. It is sad.

 

Shameless Devakinandana, rich like anything out of rich donators, did not turn the gift down from poor girl.

 

This is another malady afflicting ISKCON. There is so much emphasis on fund raising that those who are good at it get special positions and also misuse it.

[karthik_v]

Theist:

 

karthik,

Serious, sorry to say.I had to read the caption several times.Page two of the Times is where they always plant a picture of Britney Speers or some other pop star wearing practically nothing.

 

Do you have link or the date? Of course, I know that the online edition is not the same as regular, so we may not have one.

 

Abhi_the_great:

 

Is it that this hall is a open hall open to the public, which they can rent out? I n Mumbai temple also, people are free to use the special hall for conducting various public programs. This attracts a lot hi-fi crowd into the temple. Hemamalini's dance shows and marriages usually take place there. I have not heard of any fashion shows yet. I feel that even the stage programs, like dance etc., are not good to be viewed by brahmacaris. But in Juhu, I have seen men in saffron watching these shows.

 

Terrible. The same sannyasis who watch Hema Malini dance or some skimpily clad model strut her wares in front of the deities, would not rent the hall to a Mayavadi even if he were to speak on Brahma Sutra or Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

I feel flaunting brahmacarya is more dangerous than really leading a married KC life, with great difficulty. What can hypocrisy acheive?

 

I believe that most Brahmacaris in ISKCON/GV were brainwashed into that state during their impressionable years by aggressively preaching sannyasis. Virtually all of them rebelled against their families [mostly religious] and joined the temple. Brahmacarya and sannyasa are not something ordinary that anyone can take to them. Only one in a million can be a renunciate. No wonder that most of the artificial sannyasis spend their time politicking or falling down. I know one GV sannyasi who cannot go through one SB class without discussing in length about women clad in tight jeans. I always got the feeling that a shapely woman clad in tight jeans caused more flutters in his heart than in mine

 

But then who can tell the fanatics that sex was never a taboo in Sanatana dharma or that it was even considered sacred...not something to be oppressed by freak acts.

[karthik_v]

I always wonder as to why sage Kambar wrote such erotic verses in Ramayanam while describing how Lord Rama and Sita were aroused upon seeing each other. Well, then I know the standard answer - those are not meant for common people.

 

Then if I wonder why erotic sculptures are there in every temple if sex is not to be indulged in again the standard answer would be - acaryas can change the teaching as per time, place and circumstances, even without basis in scriptures.

 

Then if I wonder if that freedom is available to, say, a Sai Baba too, the answer would be - hey, this is Vaisnava aparadh.

 

So, let me just say Hari Bol

[premananda]

"Do women stare at men? Can any of the men in this forum say if any woman has anytime stared at him?"

 

Have you been in a monastery your whole life?

[Guest guest]

Very amusing posts,

 

Ramananda Raya,Sri Caitanyas intimate associate,would take care of the girls who would dance erotically in the Jagganath Mandir in Puri.

After their dance,he would lay them out,naked,and massage their bodies with expensive oils.

Jayadeva,the author of Gita-Govinda,Sri Caitanya's favorite,was married to the Goddess of fortune herself,who gave him intimate instruction in madhurya rasa,conjugal love.

These pastimes are not mundane,yet may appear mundane, to those with mundane vision.

Mahadev Shiva, enjoy's ganja,so did Ramananda Raya,they are the most intimate associates of Sri Caitanya.

This is my point,the activity of enjoyment of bodies,or sense gratification, is in and of itself,not a bad thing.

The consciouness of the person is the deciding factor.

The mundane person,is attempting to enjoy,seperate from the will and desire of God,all of his attempts to enjoy, are leading him towards Karmic entanglements,that can sometimes bring misery,sometimes pleasure.

The proscribed Yogic austerities,of renouncing sense gratification,for it's own sake,is helpfull for the sadhaka, to control his mind, and focus it on God,and the instructions of sastra.

This is for his own good,not that sense gratification is a bad thing.

It is an impediment, for rapid spiritual advancement.

The activities of Mahadev,or Jayadeva,or Ramananda Raya,show us that the soul who is enlightened,and an unalloyed lover of God,need not follow the proscriptions,that are absolutley neccessary for the conditioned soul.

 

[krsna]

The activities of Mahadev,or Jayadeva,or Ramananda Raya,show us that the soul who is enlightened,and an unalloyed lover of God,need not follow the proscriptions,that are absolutley neccessary for the conditioned soul.