Thank you for sharing your concern.

It was Srila Prabhupada who wanted that there be no female pujaris in Mayapura and Vrndavana. THis was to ensure the highest possible standard of cleanliness and purity in the worship of the deities.

Srila Prabhupada’s word is law. I am not sure of the exact basis for this regulation. Perhaps someone else knows? However, I trust that Srila Prabhupada was more familiar with the scriptural injunctions regarding deity worship than you and I.

In temples around the world, this arrangement is not as practical as mostly there are not enough male pujaris to cover all the aratis. Some female pujaris are then asked to perform the worship. Deity worship cannot be stopped. Thus, if there is no one else…even a woman who is off the altar can worship the deity.

Rather than feeling that the standard of deity worship is lower in our headquarters, you should know that it is actually higher than the rest of the world.

Of course, this standard that has been set, appears to establish women as inferior to men in this respect of deity worship. So what? Its just another difference between the sexes.

In this lifetime you and I are women. In previous lifetimes we were men. In the end, although we are all spirit souls, Krsna has to be served according to the very best possible standards as delineated is sastra. If that means that women have to worship Krsna mentally in Mayapura…so be it!

I hope this reply will make you peaceful. Even though I didn’t know the full reason for this regulation in Mayapura…is it not reassuring to know that Srila Prabhupada is at the helm of it all?

Also, I humbly request you not to quote Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura out of context.

Your servant, in the service of Srila Prabhupada
kcsoulmate

When I first joined ISKCON, my mentor, a senior Vaishnavi whispered, “I cannot do worship, I am off the altar”.

It took me some time to figure out what it meant, but after one week she was worshipping again.

Unfortunately, the female residents of ISKCON India are all off the altar in all major temples, and perhaps in their homes as well.

What I really want to see is female pujaris in Mayapura! Yet I see no such thing in the presentations in this year’s GBC meetings.

If Western devotees can do it, why not ladies? Why are we so bodily conscious in Mayapura.

This issue will never go away. It must be addressed, otherwise it will keep coming up.

Standard answer:

It’s just to please Indians in India. Well guess what, you can never please them. An example is always quoted of Haridas Thakur not wanting to enter Jagannath aTemple out of humilty. Well, shouldn’t Western male devotees think the same? Of course not, absolutely offensive to even suggest such a thing- sorry.

BUT why not ladies, during abhishek not even one Vaisnavi- are they all off the altar?

Whenever I see Mayapur vision, during abhishek, no women.

The ladies are humbly watching from a great distance, mentally performing abhishek. So sad. Yet someone can argue that by mental abhishek they get same benefit.

Other places in the world, nothing like this, but our headquarters so much of this. Why, Kabe habe bolo se dina amara- when will I SEE that day when a senior Vaisnavis perform Srila Prabhupada’s Guru Puja or worships Ugra Nrsingadeva!

Krishna is all attractive, if we are attractive, its easy to present our philosophy.

Most important, we should be cheerful and happy.

Then people will be attracted.

But it will help to smell nice, face clean with neat tilak and clothes ironed out and clean

http://prabhupadanugas.eu/?p=3469

I read your irresponsible letter.

I can see that you are angry and disillusioned with ISKCON.

Such a simple matter could have been easily straightened out by approaching a senior authority in ISKCON. Yet you chose to create international furore instead….

Very well, with the intention of returning to you the initial joy you found in the shelter of ISKCON and on behalf of the general community of devotees, that you took liberty to blaspheme with your comments, I respond:

1. You refer to the GBC as an entity inimical to Srila Prabhupada, but you forget that it was Srila Prabhupada who gave them managerial authority over ISKCON.

2. The GBC is made up of a very large body of devotees. To get that many people to deliberately contrive against the welfare of the society in general, is not possible.

3. The GBC is there to represent the community of devotees and to protect the integrity and honour of the illustrious Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya.

4. The GBC is on our side. If you have a problem with their management, then you can take it up with them. Its an open system. You know that from personal experience – you felt that it was wrong to change Srila Prabhupada’s books – when you informed them – they passed an amendment.

5. The GBC are not oppressors! You and every member of ISKCON has the right to protect ISKCON. YOu can accomplish far more by working with the GBC through your local authorities, and putting your concerns on the table than by rebelling against the whole society and working on your own. You are against them, but they are not against you!

6. The GBC has made and will make many mistakes. Big mistakes. But remember we are only a little over 30 years old. Such a great administrative undertaking is no joke. Other religious institutions have had a few thousand years to get it together, and still fail miserably. Priests are constantly in the news for raping their subordinates, cheating and fraud is rife, huge debates about their very scriptures devides existing religions into millionths.

7. At least we are consolidated – Can you say the same of Christianity/Islam/etc?

8. You cite chakra.org as a reference for your condemnation of Hridayananda Maharaja. Do not do this in future. Chakra.org is not a site recognised by ISKCON. How do you even know that what written on there is true! It’s just a gossip column! You cite it as if its sastra!

9. You give the example of your bhakta leader as a representative of all the leaders of the society. What an unfair generalisation. It is very unfortunate that you were subject to that kind of mistreatment. No bhakta deserves such a terrible experience. However, you can’t say that the whole society is like that. I have been in the movement for 22 years, and I have never experienced anything of the sort.

10. Fanatical religious people exist. In all religions. Its a fact you have to embrace. Take the scriptures for what they are, and use them as a yardstick to see who’s who in the zoo. Choose your association wisely. Srila Rupa Goswami, wrote a wonderful book called Nectar of Instruction, in which he clearly describes the characteristics of a neophyte, intermediate and advanced devotee. Think twice before you put your faith in people – there are dangerous people in this world, and it is unfortunate that some of them dress as devotees. Krsna consciousness advocates simplicity, but not that you be a simpleton. Be streetwise. Like you would in any other situation.

10. You feel that ISKCON cannot attract educated professional people. How absurd. Just open your eyes and look around. Besides, Krsna gives His devotees all the intelligence they need to rid themselves of the cycle of birth and death. Can any education of this material world compare to that?

11. There is nothing wrong with the process of surrendering to authority. In fact it is required. Without surrendering to senior devotees, you cannot learn how to surrender to Krsna. Just make sure you know who a senior devotee is, and how to recognise him, before you surrender ‘blindly.’

12. A bhakta leader is a very small person in the greater scheme of things. He may be important to his little group of bhaktas, but in terms of the society, he is an easy person to overlook. This is why his bad conduct may have gone unnoticed. I understand that you were emotionally traumatised and trapped in the situation, but for others reading this: the appropriate course of action would have been to approach HIS senior to rectify the situation, rather than try to cope with it on your own. This would be a pro-active rather than reactive response.

13. Following authority is always there…and when done in an appropriate way brings joy and fulfillment in the heart. Our process is to be the servant of the servant (a concept I know that you want to imbibe, because you signed your letter with ‘your servant.’)

14. Sure, misinformed people are promoting feminism to their detriment. It is they who are being contaminated, not ISKCON. Just as no amount of mud can make the Ganga impure, no amount of feminism can destroy the purity of Sri Caitanya Mahaparabhu’s sankirtan movement, which is non-different from Himself.

15. You made a point inconsistent with feminism. The introduction of female gurus has nothing to do with the equal rights of women. Man or woman – we are spirit souls. We do not distinguish between devotees on the basis of their bodily characteristics. To do so is not philosophically sound.

16. You mentioned that Srila Prabhupada did not introduce female gurus. This is true. Maybe he didn’t meet a woman who was qualified in his time. However in the history of our sampradaya, there is Sri Jahnava, the wife of Lord Nityananda, who became a guru and had many disciples. In fact, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura took first initiation from a guru in the disciplic succession descending from her.

17. You don’t agree with the movies being shown at that theatre. You feel that this is a misrepresenation of Srila Prabhupada. Good observation! We need devotees like you, who can be vigilant and protect the honour of Srila Prabhupada in conjuction with the local authorities and the GBC. Now you will leave ISKCON, do nothing about it, and let the denigration of Srila Prabhupada’s movement continue? Stand, and fight! But with love and good wishes for the welfare of the society in your heart, rather than a vague sort of anger that won’t do anyone any good.

18. You got so uptight about Srila Prabhupada’s teachings becoming watered down, but you want to reject the house he built for the whole world to live in, ISKCON? Is this gratitude? When you see that the paint is wearing off and that the windows are dirty – you want to run away? Like a good son, you should stay, and build up ISKCON until it is better than it ever was. But you? You would rather run a way and see it dilapidate.

19. After “long consideration”, YOU feel that the purity of ISKCON will not be maintained?? “After all, history shows that once something degrades, it is extremely difficult to bring it back up to it’s original pure position.”
You stupid boy. Do you not know that the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya has been in existence since the time of creation? Brahma first received this knowledge from Krsna, and since then it has passed down, unadulterated, for millions and millions of years. Do you think attempts weren’t made in the past to stain its purity?? This movement is under the direct protection of the Supreme Lord. And in Kali Yuga, the reign of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is TEN THOUSAND years, of which only five hundred or so have passed. ISKCON has not lost the plot, you have.

20. “Krishna is so beautiful and sweet that I am bewildered as to how I could have wasted even a moment absorbed in mundane political/institutional affairs.”
You are right. Because you have entered the politics of the institution without the spiritual maturity to handle it, you have become completely bewildered and lost.

21. Based on bewilderment, you have come to the incorrect conclusion to leave ISKCON. Without the association of devotees you cannot make advancement. Outside of ISKCON, association of devotees will be very rare. Reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, but rejecting his ISKCON is aparadha, and you will not derive the benefit from the books.

22. “Many devotees both inside and outside of ISKCON feel that ISKCON is seriously lacking in care and compassion- towards it’s own members and towards the society at large. There is such a great pressure put on making new members, collecting money, building temples, that if we are not careful, we may even miss the entire point- which is to develop love for Krishna. Ultimately, bhakti means love- love for others and love for Krishna.”

I agree with you. However, the tide is turning …based on the enormously effective system of care propounded by the devotees of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha (CHowpatty, India) under the direction of HH Radhanatha Maharaja. Temples around the world are beginning to institute a similar model of care.

It is a comprehensive system of caring for a devotee through every stage of his life – childhood, adolescence, engagement, marriage, and retired/elderly life. This care is holistic, and comprises a mentorship programme and group support system. It also includes the provision of facilities like medical care, education, as well as employment for the devotees. Their congregation is made up of the highest density of professional people in the world and numbers into the thousands.

I suggest that you go to Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Temple in Chowpatty, India. Spend some time there. There, you must request to meet one of the senior devotees who will remind and teach you what love between devotees means.

23. I see that you are sincere about your spiritual life, but have lost trust in the management of ISKCON. Remember: management is different from leadership. ISKCON may screw up on managerial issues, but it is leading the world through Srila Prabhupada’s books and the Holy Name of the Lord. There cannot be any impurity in that. Separate yourself from management and just try to be a good devotee in ISKCON.

24. If you leave ISKCON, where will you go?

25. You said you wanted to leave ISKCON. But you haven’t, and you can’t…because I can see that your heart is bound up in the very fibres of ISKCON: a service attitude to the devotees (you end with vancha kalpa taru bhyas ca), loyalty to Srila Prabhupada (you are dedicated to maintaining the standard which he set) and the urge to develop one’s love for Krsna.

Your very name is “Caitanya Dasa” – servant of the all-magnanimous Lord Caitanya. May He always protect you and keep you close in His sankirtan party.

Hare Krsna!

Thank you for your comment.
I struggled a little bit to understand what you meant at times, but I hope I can be helpful to you…

The special mantra you spoke about is:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This mantra is made up of the names of God and is more powerful than all other mantras in the Vedas. It is so wonderful that there are no rules for chanting it. Even pranayama is not required. BLlock out all thoughts and all sounds, and just focus on hearing the Mahamantra.

If you can chant on a mala of 108 beads (one mantra on each bead) that will be nice.Devotees of ISKCON chant 16 rounds of japa mala every day.

I wish you all the best! Chanting the names of God as you are doing and reading from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam will be the cause of all happiness for you!

Thank you for sharing.

I can tell you that an important book that deals with this subject is Srila Rupa Goswami’s “Nectar of Instruction.” Your local temple will have this book. Although it is very thin, it contains all the information you need to set your spiritual life back on track and feel the joy of Krsna consciousness again!

I hope you are feeling better since you wote this, but if not, this will surely help!

I pray that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu always bless you and protect you.

Remember, you are a wonderful gem, that the community of devotees values and appreciates very much. All of Srila Prabhupada’s men are exalted even on this earth, because they have dedicated their lives and sacrificed so much for the cause of Lord Caitanya’s mission.

http://harekrishnadiary.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-i-am-leaving-iskcon.html

Your servant,
Caitanya dasa