Introduction of Female Diksa Guruship contradicts Prabhupada's instructions

[Guest guest]

Female Diksa Guruship

 

BY SITA DEVI DASI

 

EDITORIAL, Oct 7 (VNN) — The recent nomination to the GBC for a woman diksa-guru has raised some serious concerns. It is felt that adopting this proposal will affect women's ability to follow the basic principles of stri-dharma. A woman learns how to perform her duty nicely by seeing other sadhvis practically engaged and by imbibing their chaste attitude. A woman who initiates disciples, however, will undoubtedly have to compromise her foremost occupational service to her husband and children. This in turn will affect others because a guru teachers by example as well as precept. (Bhagavad-gita 3.21)

 

The objection here is not towards women teaching others about Krsna consciousness. Prabhupada requested all of us to become guru in that sense.

 

Here is an example of such a general instruction:

 

So I request you follow the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction that you also, you become a guru at your home. It is not that you have to make a gigantic show of becoming guru. The father has to become guru, the mother has to become guru. Actually, in the sastra it is said one should not become father, one should not become mother if he does not become a guru to his children. Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. If a person is unable to save his child from the clutches of birth and death, he should not become a father.

 

Sri Vyasa-puja Hyderabad, August 19, 1976

 

However with regards to women specifically becoming diksa-guru, Prabhupada states:

 

"Actually, Dhruva Maharaja's mother, Suniti, was his patha-pradarsaka-guru.

 

Patha-pradarsaka-guru means "the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way." Such a guru is sometimes called siksa-guru. Although Narada Muni was his diksa-guru (initiating spiritual master), Suniti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the siksa-guru or diksa-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru, and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja's diksa-guru."

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.32 Purport

 

There is no gender based restriction for a man to initiate others or to initiate his own son. But Suniti was restricted from being Dhruva Maharaja's diksa-guru because:

 

1. she was a woman and;

 

2. she was his mother

 

It was not just a matter of a woman not being allowed to initiate her son as some suggest. Another consideration is with regards to second or brahminical initiation: how can a woman award a thread to a boy/man when she herself has none?

 

When asked in an interview about the possibility of a woman becoming a guru, Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Jahnava Devi, Lord Nityananda's divine eternal consort but his answer was not a direct order for his women disciples to take up the role of diksa-guru!

 

It is noteworthy that Jahnava Devi is not considered a branch of Lord Nityananda's tree although she gave initiation to Virabhadra Gosani, the first branch. Could this be because Jahnava Devi's disciples were considered disciples of Lord Nityananda? (CC Adi lila Chapter 11)

 

Even Jahnava Devi, although above the norms of this material world, did not ignore principles of etiquette and male prerogative. According to historical accounts, she did not perform the abhiseka at the first Gaura Purnima celebration but requested Srinivasacarya to do so. She did not join the associates of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda on the podium nor did she lead the kirtans. She chose to cook for Their Lordships and offer the preparations to the Deities. Only after the male devotees had been served did she honour prasadam. It is also known that Jahnava Devi gave class from behind a curtain, therefore demonstrating supreme shyness.

 

Because the introduction of formal female guruship in ISKCON contradicts Prabhupada's instructions, it would have grave social and spiritual ramifications. It is therefore hoped the GBC will vote against it.

 

[Priitaa]

I am not even going to read this editorial. It is written by Sita devi, one of the few female GHQ members. Seeing the name of any such member alone screams "maya" to me, and I avoid like the plague.

 

For those who don't know what the GHQ is, I dont feel like getting too into it. Lets just sum it up by saying they claim there can be no rape in marriage or that it is ok for the husband to rape the wife, that all men should be allowed to marry as many women as they want even 50 women and they themselves can be up to the age of 80, which by the way these 40-50 year old men insist they will only marry "young" virgin girls (! potential pedophilia!), they believe in under educating their daughters and all girls, members have abused their wife tho will neer admit to it, and they never ever speak about women going out on sankirtana or preaching as was an important part of Prabhupada's instructions to everyone therefore serving Krishna in this way but they do speak about women serving husband, etc.

 

Let us STOP promoting any of this bodily concept guru stuff as Prabhupada has done many things that are not in accordance to shastra, from creating brahmacarini ashrama's to giving women gayatri mantra to having them go on the altar and much more. Guru is evaluated by qualificaiton, not genetailia!

 

For that matter, IMHO we should stop posting anything put out by the GHQ. Thats your choice, but they twist so much of Prabhupada's teachings, and are smooth as silk, it can sound very attracting to the male ego who is "looking" to have the false ego stroked. I find them a detriment to spiriutal life on a serious level, inviting cult-like mentality and all forms of abuse, that their association should be avoided at all costs IMHO. Anyone who is attracted to what they write needs to turn within and ask themselves why. I'm done here.

[Guest guest]

A lot of these things are said about ISKCON. To be fair, I did not accept it without proof. Can I therefore ask you for proof regarding your claims about these people?

 

I don't know who they are. I don't have any friends who belong to this GHQ. I am just wary when someone speaks out so strongly against any group, just as I was when people told me about all the evils of ISKCON. I would therefore ask you for proof (websites, specific messages?) so that I can know for sure that what you say about them is true.

 

thanks

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

funny, that article, written by a female,

giving us her guru ness, denouncing

any female who gives diksa , go figure.

 

Prabhupada made Iskcon different, this was on purpose,

and he was criticized for it, while i think taking

sanyassa by a female is silly, giving diksa is not.

 

in fact it makes perfect sense, many of the western mindset's in this politicaly correct age find Vaisnava

attitudes towards women demeaning, this must be

changed, only be giving women an equal footing

with men will this be done, after all we are all

in the same boat,man or woman, we are the same,

the diksa guru is giving initiation ,it is

transcendental, not on the bodily platform,

lets leave it that way.

 

so i say if you want to initiate,gender is not an issue,

the only issue is if anyone wants to be initiated by you.

 

this was Prabhupadas method for spreading Mahaprabhus

mercy, time and place give the neccessary conditions

for bringing people to the transendental reality,

if the times and circumstances demand changing

traditional roles, then that is what must be done,

Prabhupada changed the traditional ashram to include

women, as well as giving them Brahman initiation,

the next step is not against Prabhupadas will,

but a continuation of his program for liberating

the conditioned souls from the mire of ignorance,

Iskcon should not become a place for smarta

brahmanas, paying lip service to "tradition",

Bhakti is malleable in it's presentation,

there are NO hard and fast rules, except of course,

to always remember Krsna,and never forget Krsna(his presence and control).