Prefatory Note: Please keep in mind that this commentary is written by a soul in a woman's body!)

CHAKRA (May 2, 2000) - The following historic resolutions from this year's GBC meetings underscore that the ISKCON leadership both regrets the prior treatment of women in ISKCON and is now trying to rectify these past mistakes. Please note that all temples must implement the laws in section 619 below unless a special deal is worked out with the Executive Committee (i.e. Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, Ramai Swami, Giridhari Swami, and Bir Krishna Goswami).

Just more abuse?

As a result of these resolutions, we will not be surprised to see that women in ISKCON leadership will be just one more source of mistreatment and abuse of both men and women of ISKCON. Let us observe what particular kinds of womanly abuse will transpire, and how long it will take both men and women to realize that spiritual life is for the soul, not for the gender or for the bodily conception. But to develop our spiritual advancement we do need a body and a gender, so we are meant to act according to our bodily situation, not according to our creative mental whims. Only then, by the mercy of our Supreme (Male) Lord and our (male) founder-acarya, will real Krsna conciousness return to our ISKCON.

Section 500.

HOLY PLACES AND SPIRITUAL COMMUNITIES

Women in ISKCON

WHEREAS, the Women's Ministry presentation on March 1st, 2000 to the GBC Body brought a clearer understanding of the mistakes of the past and the need to provide equal and full opportunity for devotional service for all devotees in ISKCON, regardless of gender, and...

The "equal and full opportunity" they are clamouring for is nothing more than the beginning of the end, because when women receive freedom or rights for "equal opportunities," they automatically relinquish their right to be protected. "Protectorate" means "who is responsible for the care of his protected;" so even if men want to protect women, as long as women demand equality, they automatically forfeit their status for being protected.

"Every one of us, we are thinking as purusa, the enjoyer. That is the fight going on. Just like in Western countries the prakrtis--the woman--they are also fighting: "We must have equal rights with the man." So this is going on. So this is all conditional life..." (Lecture: SB 5.5.2, Hyderabad, 4-13-75)

Booby prize!

The Women's Ministry has won a booby prize! Having been granted their wish by the GBC, their so-called success is that they have forsaken the possibility to be protected by ISKCON--an unfortunate irony, indeed. They have been clamoring for and have now succeeded to achieve equality!!! But now how will the GBC body protect independent women? Will the Women's Ministry take the next step and conclude that the GBC has no special right to lead or govern it? Perhaps the Women's Ministry will next demand from the GBC to be the "ultimate managing authority for all women of ISKCON." And once that is achieved, we won't be surprised when the Women's Ministry further demands to abolish the GBC, thus establishing the Women's Ministry itself as the ultimate managing authority for all of ISKCON!

Srila Prabhupada taught us the importance for women to be protected by men: when she is a child, by her father; when she is young, by her husband; and when she is old, by her son.

"[Good] population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood. As children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone to degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection by the elder members of the family." (Bg. 1.40 Purport)

"In the age of Kali, the women and children, along with brahmanas and cows, will be grossly neglected and left unprotected. In this age illicit connection with women will render many women and children uncared for. Circumstantially, the women will try to become independent of the protection of men, and marriage will be performed as a matter of formal agreement between man and woman. In most case, the children will not be taken care of properly.....So they require protection. They should not be given freedom. Like a child, he is not given freedom, similarly freedom...Of course, there is. Protection means to some extent no freedom. If I want to protect the child, then I sometimes say, "Don't do this." That is one of the items of the protection. So here description of cow-killing is already done. Now in this age, Kali, these things will be lacking. First thing is that no protection for woman. Woman requires protection by the father, by the husband and by the elderly children. But that is now finished. Practically no protection. They are, under the name of so-called freedom, loitering in the street. It is a very abominable condition of life. Now these things are very prominent in the Western countries especially. (S-B 1.16.21 Purport)

Srila Prabhupada's teachings--as they are!

So many women are falsely thinking they'll be happy by gaining the same posts as men. Why then doesn't the Women's Ministry minister to them by teaching Srila Prabhupada's teachings--as they are!--without looking for power and fame. Why aren't they satisfied to be shy and protected by their husbands, and to follow the example of most Indian ladies and also many Western ladies who by their shyness simply do not enter into them realm of GBC decisions? Most women who are truly chaste, shy, and a good Vedic example (not me) are too busy in their womanly duties and too shy to come out and write--what to speak of physically lobbying during the annual GBC meetings!

Srila Prabhhupada has already warned us women: "Don't artificially try to be equal to the men!" It seems that the Women's Ministry is dedicated to disobeying the perfect advice of our perfect master. And some men are obviously so weak or/and sentimental that they are allowing women to take posts which are the men's responsibility. But the result of this will be more abuse of women, and in the future women will again claim that men are abusing them by giving them too much work to do, thus exploiting them.

War on the family!

But we all know that women (and children) aren't the only victims. Many good men in our movement have been pushed out by lusty and materialistic sannyasis and leaders. Now by giving women equal rights in ISKCON, they can continue their subtly illicit relationships with the women and avoid having to deal with real men. This exploitation is coming from the very men who are championing for gender equality. The women who want these positions are those who have divorced and remarried, some more than once. These people have declared war on the family!

"Regarding remarriage, no, remarriage should be always discouraged. Remarriage means encouraging sense gratification. Our mission is to curtail sense gratification. Three times marrying in a year, this is not good, and they are doing this." (Letter to: Rupanuga, New Delhi, 21 August 1975)

"Within the Society only one marriage can be allowed. I thought these boys and girls would be married and be happy. But, I see that they are not satisfied. In the Western countries they are trained up in a different way. Jumping from one to another. Another wife, another husband. This is the disease all over the world. Simply by agreement, then cancelled, then another agreement...Nor can women with child, strictly she cannot marry again." (Letter to: Bhagavan, Vrindaban, 7 September, 1975)

What about varnasrama-dharma?

And how/when/where is varnasrama-dharma being established? Srila Prabhupada clearly advised us of the importance of developing varnasrama-dharma, which means protection for each asrama, including the grhasta-asrama, which of course includes protection of women. Varnasrama-dharma is also necessary in order to avoid varna-sankara and divorce.

WHEREAS, it is clearly following in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that all people are welcome to join Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement and are capable of developing full love of God, and...

Being woman never was an impediment

When in the past, were women not accepted in all the temples? When were women ever denied opportunities to render very nice services according to their tendencies (as human beings and as women)? I joined in 1987 and had full opportunity for doing many different services: I cooked and was pujari; I made garlands for the Deities; I cleaned Their kitchen and the temple room; I cleaned our ashram and went out on sankirtana; I cared for some gurukula children; I translated and still translate books. And now I'm serving my husband and children; I am performing so many services...and I am soul in a woman’s body!!!

And maybe I should add that the many services I've done weren't always done according to my personal desire; but I learned what submission is (and am still learning), and also learned something about being dasadasanudasa--serving Krsna not according to my whims, but according to Lord Sri Krsna's desire, as conveyed through His servants in His temple.

WHEREAS, it is our belief that many of the social issues that confront us are exacerbated because the voice of our women, who are the mothers and daughters of our Krsna conscious family, have been hushed and stifled due to misinterpretation of our Vaisnava philosophy, and thus the human and interpersonal needs of our devotees have been minimized...

Probably what was actually minimized was the hunger for power--but that is good! Our position as women in the society (especially a spiritual society) is to be protected, as was mentioned above: by the father, husband, and son. It is the natural condition of women (whether we like to accept it or not) not to be independent, because we can easily degrade--that is why we need to be protected.

Now we ISKCON women will have to deal with many responsibilities--especially the burden of supposedly giving each other protection instead of receiving it from our fathers/husbands/sons.

What will the GBC do practically to protect independent women? What is their practical plan for this?

How will sannyasis protect themselves, sitting side-by-side with divorced women who don't want to be protected but instead want to be equal?

THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED THAT:

501 [STATEMENT] 1. The members of the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness offer their humble apologies to the women of Srila Prabhupada's society who, because of our own shortcomings and those of the Society, have suffered due to a lack of protection, support, facility and appreciation for their service, devotion and vast contributions to the Society....

What kind of protection are we now giving to women by letting them lead? Support? Facilities? Giving them opportunities to express their whimsical equality is being called "protection," "support," and "facility" now? Hmm...

His hands tied

(This is a story from Pancatantra:)

There was a man who was always harassed by his wife. Then one day the situation reached its peak--he simply couldn't tolerate it anymore. He said, "If you don't stop your nonsense, I'll drown myself in the river."

To which the wife sarcastically replied, "Ah! But you never do what you say!"

All the more distraught by the cutting remark of his incorrigible wife, he immediately left his home, determined to jump into the river. (His wife also followed him.)

The man actually ran to the river, but when he arrived at its bank, he suddenly stopped.

His wife said, "See, see, you are not doing; you are not fit for anything!"

But the reason he had stopped at the riverbank was to consider an important point: Since he knew how to swim, he would not be able to drown himself simply by jumping into the river, for he would then swim to safety. So he told his wife, "Just tie my hands and throw me into the river; then I will surely drown."

So the wife tied his hands, backed up several paces, and then, her arms outstretched, ran towards him to thrust him into the river. However, just as she was about to reach him, he lost his balance and fell aside--thus causing his wife to plunge headlong into the river.

She screamed, "Help me! Help me!"

To which the husband patiently replied, "I sincerely want to help you, but you tied my hands."

Now that the Women's Ministry has tied the hands of all ISKCON men, it will not be possible for them to save those independent-minded women who will simply drown in the ocean of adharma.

2.[ACTION] All GBC Body members and other leaders shall hold istagosthis in each of their respective temples to establish the priority of providing equal facilities, full encouragement and genuine care and protection for the women members of ISKCON. Also, separate meetings should be held with the leaders and women of each temple to address the women's needs and concerns...

This will prove to be quite interesting. In the future this document will be historical proof of a big mistake. Otherwise, unless we work to preserve dharma and Srila Prabhupada's teachings as they are, without speculations or Women's Ministry whims, then our future descendents will have to re-create the real ISKCON.

3.[GUIDELINE] All GBC Zonal Secretaries, Temple Presidents and other leaders are requested, in coordination with the Women's Ministry, to invite senior devotee women, especially Srila Prabhupada's direct disciples, to visit their temples to provide their association and thus help in training younger devotees.

Create a Dharma Ministry

Instead, I propose that a Dharma Ministry be established to teach and establish the philosophy as it is given by Srila Prabhupada, our founder-acarya and siksa-guru to all ISKCON devotees. We need to bring the philosophy he taught us back into focus, for neither by material reform nor by speculating on what he meant by his instructions will ISKCON survive and flourish.

"We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways. Without carrying out the order of the spiritual master, they manufactured something and the whole thing was lost. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura stresses very much on the words of the spiritual master. Vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. If you stick to the order of spiritual master, then, without caring for your own convenience or inconvenience, then you become perfect.

yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau/

?tasyaite kathita hy arthah, prakasante mahatmanah

This is the confirmation of all authorities. We have to carry out very faithfully the order of the bonafide representative of Krsna. Then our life is successful. Then we can understand Krsna in truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam. We have to hear from the tattva-vit, not from the so-called scholars and politicians. No. One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly. Thank you very much." (Srila Prabhupada Lectures: 721022sb.vrn)

Women's Participation

619 [LAW]

A. All ISKCON temples are to allow all qualified devotees, regardless of gender, to speak on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, etc. during the regular temple class.

Who will decide?

This is a good point: allow qualified devotees. This ISKCON society is urgently needing qualified devotees, who are ready to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instruction without adding any material reform. But who will decide who is qualified or not--the Women's Ministry? GBC Malati Mataji? Or women's equal rights activist Madhusudani Mataji?

Hare Krsna!