What is the Female Dīkṣā-Guru Issue Really About?
The female dīkṣā-guru issue is not about one side in favor of it and the other side against it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said kibā vipra kibā nyāsī śūdra kene naya,…
Will female dīkṣā-gurus lead to female sannyāsa in ISKCON?
In his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.40, Prabhupāda says that according to Manu-saṁhitā, women must always be under the protection of a father, husband or grown sons. “So-called spiritual societies concocted…
Harmonizing Guru Eligibility: The Samanvaya of Āgama and Bhakti
The statements of Jāyākhya samhitā and Bhāradvāja Samhitā are unanimous in declaring what to do in normal and in exceptional situations. The two scriptures state the qualities of Brāhmana, Kshatriyā,…
Is not receiving the Brahma-gāyatrī the higher standard for women?
The Scriptural Protocol Śāstra divides into two parts: nigama (Vedas) and āgama (Tantras or ritual manuals). Both aim at worship of the Lord, but eligibility determines which applies. In ISKCON,…
The Question of Female Dīkṣā-Gurus in ISKCON
How did the concept of FDGs creep into ISKCON after Prabhupāda’s lifetime? Pressure tactics by senior Western female disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda to establish gender equality in ISKCON. Capitulation to…
Is the SAC’s 2005 paper in line with guru, sādhu and śāstra?
In 2005, at the request of the GBC, the Śāstric Advisory Council wrote a paper titled “Female Diksa-gurus in ISKCON.” Since then, its conclusions were the basis of several GBC resolutions. However, the SAC paper has unsubstantiated false claims, nullification of Prabhupāda’s instructions, speculation, and manufactured religious injunctions.
Female Dīkṣā-Gurus: Ensuring the unity of ISKCON on doctrinal matters
An important goal of the GBC is to ensure that their members maintain unity in diversity. However, diversity should be united by śāstra. Śāstra is the lynch pin that unifies diverse opinions and keeps ISKCON united. . . The female dīkṣā-guru issue is another example of a subject on which Prabhupāda has not only said very little but also said different, seemingly incompatible things at different times. This also cannot be settled without reverting to previous ācāryas and śāstra.