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EDITORIAL February 19, 2000 VNN5511 Related VNN Stories The Dangers Of The "feminist Movement" In ISKCON (2) BY MAHANANDA DASA  EDITORIAL, Feb 19 (VNN) — Part TwoAs devotees we are not generally concerned with the issues of a particular race, sex, or nationality. Every person in every circumstance suffers difficulty in the material world. One might analyze different problems in different sectors of society, and through logic and reason fix the blame on certain situations, but there will always be problems in society as long as material consciousness is there. No one is free from this suffering from injustices in the material world because we are living in the society of the cheaters and the cheated.
People in material consciousness will always exploit or undermine others, no matter their sex or nationality. As devotee we understand this and do not focus on different aspects of material suffering and do not try to solve the different dilemmas by speculative analysis. We understand that each and every person is suffering because of his or her involvement in the material atmosphere for many, many lives, and every problem is due to forgetfulness of Krsna-- within society and for each individual. And according to the greatest authority--Krsna Himself--the solution is remembering Krsna through devotional service. So we execute our hearing and chanting with full attention, not being deviated to other agendas or issues, knowing full well that that alone is the cure for all of our woes. This single focus on devotional service has been described as the "big hammer" and one who follows the advise of Krsna and not that of the councilors, logicians, and speculators, (and teachers, scientists and philosophers), finds real and lasting relief from one's many sufferings. As far as the women being abused by the men as the focus of one's attention, that is only a single example of the miseries that go on in the material world. But there is misery in each and every material connection in every aspect of society. Any segment of society could elaborate nonstop on their own suffering and injustices, but we as devotee already accept that there is suffering and cheating in every single aspect of society, both in the human and animal kingdoms, so we are not inclined to focus on the different details of the sufferings. We will continue to suffer, all of us, as long as we are in material consciousness, so the best thing to do is to chant the Holy Name, hearing very attentively, and also submissively hear the transcendental vibration from the lips of the realized souls about the activities, instructions, and glories of the Supreme Personality Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna. This alone will gradually free us all from the reactions to our different sinful activities that cause our suffering, and will bring us to the platform of goodness where exploitation and injury do not occur. Gradually, as we fix our mind on Krsna, our consciousness will little by little be transferred to the transcendental atmosphere, above the mean things going on in the material atmosphere. As one woman pointed out in her letter to the woman's conference, she received the same bad treatment from women in the movement too. She writes "And I have seen and experienced this oppression equally from the hands of men and women with positions" Also the woman writes about the problem she experienced trying to be accepted for what she is (regardless of her sex) being even more difficult with her women associates when she writes " . And while you can somehow appease men .... by playing a charming fool and keeping quiet, it is 10 times more difficult to come to terms with such women and make them accept you for what you are." So it is not a problem unique to men's treatment of women, though if one were to focus on that issue it would seem as though it were so. It is a universal problem in every single segment of all of material society, without exception. So we can simply execute our devotional service and expect Krsna's mercy in our tribulations in life. That is our only hope and shelter. You might "solve" the problem of men mistreating women by much debate and conferences, or by assignment of blame, and then move on the bigger and better things, but this mistreatment will always follow while we are here in the miserable, material world. So the only lasting solution is this constant and determined focus on Krsna, while expecting His mercy. This is explained nicely in the Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 10. as follows... Expecting the Lord's Mercy In the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, verse 8, it is said, "My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible to become liberated, for it has become his rightful claim." (Srila Prabhupada) : "This statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam should be the guide of all devotees.A devotee should not expect immediate relief from the reactions of his past misdeeds. No conditioned soul is free from such reactionary experiences, because material existence means continued suffering or enjoying of past activities. If one has finished his material activities then there is no more birth. This is possible only when one begins Krsna conscious activities, because such activities do not produce reaction. " "Therefore, as soon as one becomes perfect in Krsna conscious activities, he is not going to take birth again in this material world. A devotee who is not perfectly freed from the resultant actions should therefore continue to act in Krsna consciousness seriously, even though there may be so many impediments. When such impediments arise he should simply think of Krsna and expect His mercy. That is the only solace." "If the devotee passes his days in that spirit, it is certain that he is going to be promoted to the abode of the Lord. By such activities, he earns his claim to enter into the kingdom of God. The exact word used in this verse is daya-bhak. Daya-bhak refers to a son's becoming the lawful inheritor of the property of the father. In a similar way, a pure devotee who is prepared to undergo all kinds of tribulations in executing Krsna conscious duties becomes lawfully qualified to enter into the transcendental abode." (c) 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust All Glories to Srila Prabhupada, affectionately, Mahananda dasa About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorRelated VNN Stories Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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