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EDITORIAL  Comment on this story Gurukuli Reunion: A Great Stumbling Block? BY GURU-KRSNA DAS EDITORIAL, Jul 10 (VNN) — "Social freedom of man and woman, especially among the younger section, is certainly a great stumbling block on the path of spiritual progress. If one cannot understand the basic principle of restraining association between man and woman, he is to be considered an animal." (A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) The Gurukuli Reunion was held this past weekend in Alachua. Inherint to this annual event is the intermingling of alumni and alumnae. Indeed one of this year's features was an outing to a local swimming resort, at which most of the Vaisnavis were of course (naturally?) only barely clad. "Don't allow this miniskirt or minishirt. According to Vedic civilization, respectable woman cannot be seen even by the sun. Asuryam pasyat. How can you avoid sun? But it is said like that. The sun will find difficulty to see one man's woman. Yes. Asuryam pasyat. Asuryam. Surya means the sun. Sun cannot. Sun will also hanker after her: 'How can I see that woman?' (chuckles) So woman should be always in privacy." (690506WE.BOS) "The Sanskrit word asurya-pasya indicates that a respectable lady could not be seen even by the sun. In the oriental culture this system was very much prevalent and was strictly observed by respectable ladies, both Hindu and Muslim. We have actual experience in our childhood that our mother would not go next door to her house to observe an invitation by walking; she would go in either a carriage or a palanquin carried by four men." (Cc Adi 13.114) "The high-class society, a woman cannot mix with any man--especially unmarried. The fathers, parents, will not allow." (760612SB.DET) "Because the system in your country to allow the boys and girls enjoying sex life from the very early age makes them most irresponsible and careless.... If things are allowed to go on like this, the future of the Western world is very dark." (68-08-08.Sat) "The boys and girls, they are not allowed free mixing before marriage." (680722WL.MON) "...free mixing of boys and girls; these are not the activities of religious persons." (70-01-26.Mad) "Woman is considered to be the fire, and the man is considered to be the butter.... Therefore they may be brought together only when it is necessary. And shyness is a check to the unrestricted mixing. It is nature's gift, and it must be utilized." (SB 1.10.16P) "With woman you should be very, very cautious and careful, as much as required, not free mingling. No. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is always a separation between woman and men. Here in India we find that whenever there is some meeting the women are sitting separately, men are sitting separately. This is required." (760417SB.BOM) "Unnecessary association with women ... is strictly prohibited. This is human civilization. A civilization that allows men to mix unrestrictedly with women is an animal civilization. In Kali-yuga, people are extremely liberal, but mixing with women and talking with them as equals actually constitutes an uncivilized way of life." (SB 7.12.8P) "One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise." (SB 7.12.9) "However advanced one may be in restraining the senses, it is almost impossible for a man to keep himself controlled in the presence of a woman.... Therefore, Vedic civilization carefully restricts mingling between men and women. If one cannot understand the basic principle of restraining association between man and woman, he is to be considered an animal. That is the purport of this verse." (SB 7.12.9P) "Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that talking with women for the purpose of mingling with them for sense gratification, subtle or gross, is strictly prohibited. Canakya Pandita, the great moral instructor, says, matrvat para-daresu. Thus ... everyone should avoid mingling with women." (Cc Antya 2.144) "This too much intermingling of woman means the path of hell. Therefore the restriction is that only the married couple can freely mix, not others.... That is the defect of the modern civilization.... They are interested associating with man or woman, that's all. Woman is interested to associate with man, and man is interested to associate with woman. Yositam sangi-sangam. Therefore the civilization is becoming hellish.... Now the woman is hankering after man, man is hankering after woman. Yosit means for sense gratification. Tamo-dvaram. This is the path of darkness. (50521mw.mel) "The human being is a social animal, and his unrestricted mixing with the fair sex leads to downfall. Such social freedom of man and woman, especially among the younger section, is certainly a great stumbling block on the path of spiritual progress. Material bondage is due only to sexual bondage, and therefore unrestricted association of man and woman is surely a great impediment." (SB 3.12.28P) "To be a playboy in this life is unfortunate because too much attraction to women will lead one to fall into the association of sudras, who can easily take advantage of mingling with women without restriction. In this present age of Kali ... such free mingling is prominent. Among the higher classes ... there is no chance for men to mingle with women freely, but in the sudra community such mingling is open. Because there is no cultural education in this age of Kali, everyone is spiritually untrained, and everyone is therefore to be considered sudra.... When all the people become sudras, certainly they are very bad (mandah sumanda-matayah). Thus they manufacture their own way of life, with the result that they gradually become unfortunate (manda-bhagyah), and furthermore they are always disturbed by various circumstances." (SB 7.15.70P) Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! begging to remain the servant of the servants of the servants of the Vaisnavas, guru-krsna das Related VNN Stories Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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