In reply to comments on the article ISKCON on a Mission Drift [also by His Holiness Bhakti-Rāghava Swami]:
The main point of my article centered on leadership appointments and leadership qualifications within our ISKCON society as clearly articulated and defined in our Vedic culture.
During Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence with us, not only did he not appoint women to leadership positions like Temple Presidents, BBT Trustees, Property Trustees, Regional Secretaries, GBCs, and at the end Ritviks whom he expected to become regular Gurus after his physical departure, but he also quoted from sastra against such leadership appointments and reiterated again and again the subordinate and dependent role and position of women within society. Forget about black, white, pink or yellow, India, America or the North Pole.
In the famous March 14th 1974, Morning Walk Conversation in Vrindavan, when asked if women were also to study at the Varnasrama College, Srila Prabhupada replied that it was for men. Why?
Satsvarupa: Srila Prabhupada, is this school for women also, or just for men?
Prabhupada: For men. Women should automatically learn how to cook, how to cleanse the home.
Satsvarupa: So they don’t attend varnasrama college.
Prabhupada: No, no. Varnasrama college especially meant for the brahmana, ksatriya, and vaisya. Those who are not fit for education, they are sudras. That’s all. Or those who are reluctant to take education — sudra means. That’s all. They should assist the higher class.
(Varnasrama Walk, March 14, 1974, Vrindavan)
When speaking about Sannyasis, he pointed out how such a leadership position was not for women and of course he never gave Sannyasa to any women.
Because we have neglected to implement the crucial instruction given by Srila Prabhupada in the Varnasrama Walks of 1974 to establish Varnasrama Colleges, we have yet to understand basic concepts and principles of Varnasrama culture, beginning with our near total ignorance of the four basic Vedic sciences called Catur Vidya that are meant to give shape to the four faculties within a Varnasrama College and those receiving such training and education would naturally and automatically know how to re-establish and re-build a Vedic society.
Those four sciences are:
- ANVIKSIKI, the Science of Philosophy (for the dvijas),
- TRAYI, the Science of Education (for brahmanas),
- DANDA NITI or RAJA NITI, the science of Politics (for Kshatriyas), and
- VARTA, the Science of Economics (for Vaisyas).
In Vedic culture, the natural leaders, specifically the brahmanas and ksatriyas, only they are meant to take up formal, academic education that requires years of intense training and study. It’s not for women.
There are basically two classes of people that make up any society, the natural leaders and the natural followers.
The natural leaders in society are meant to be the qualified and trained brahmanas, Ksatriyas, and Vaisyas because they can give guidance (brahmanas) protection (Ksatriyas), and food (Vaisyas) to their dependents.
The natural followers or assistants in society are meant to be those who don’t receive such leadership training and education, namely the sudras and women. They receive another type of education, that is non-academic. By nature they are meant to be dependent and to follow.
It doesn’t mean that they are unqualified, rather they receive training according to their natures and inclinations and become most qualified in their respective fields of service.
In the above scenario, both the natural leaders and the natural followers are highly qualified, especially when they become devotees.
The “Vaisnavi” argument is weak.
Prabhupada: Vaisnava is not so easy. The varnasrama-dharma should be established to become a Vaisnava. It is not so easy to become Vaisnava.
(Room Conversation, 14 February 1977)
Regarding Jita Girishji and his comment that Srila Prabhupada instructed (actually Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself instructed the same) that all disciples or devotees become gurus, yes, that is true but that needs to be properly understood as “siksha gurus”. It’s really very, very simple to understand.