50 Years of ISKCON--100 Years of ISKCON
By Lord Sri Krishna's grace after 50 years of ISKCON's history I am blessed with the most sublime opportunity of still being an active member of this most vital-for-the-world's welfare International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is now my 70th year. So where will I be when ISKCON reaches its 100 year? That would be my 120th year. Considering that the average life expectancy of a white bodied American male is 76 years, the likelihood of my still being here in my present body is practically nil. Although in a few very rare cases nowadays men have lived to be 115, that would be still be five years short.
But in any case of live or die, we have been ordered by Srila Prabhupada to make the entire world Krishna conscious. Therefore my desire is to take birth after birth as a servant of Srila Prabhupada's mission until the entire world does indeed become Krishna conscious. Ultimately, of course I will happily go wherever Krishna wants to take me at the time of my death. But if Krishna gives me a choice at the most auspicious moment of leaving my present material body, my choice will be to take birth afterbirth in this material world until all of the high court judges are wearing Vaisnava tilak.
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I found these notes today when reading some documents written by one devotee for preparations of the classes. It was about the topic of women being a guru. I would like to share it with you and ask how to correctly understand it:
Women can be guru
In a letter to Silavati Devi (June 14, 1969), Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Now if you can induce all the women of Los Angeles to place an altar in their homes and help their husbands have peaceful, happy home life in Krishna consciousness, that will be very great service for you. The actual system is that the husband is the spiritual master to his wife, but if the wife can bring her husband into practicing this process, then it is all right that the husband accepts the wife as the spiritual master. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that anyone who knows the science of Krishna should be accepted as spiritual master, regardless of any material so-called qualifications, such as rich or poor, man or woman, or brahmana or sudra.”
This same point was confirmed again, years later (June 18, 1976), when Professor O’Connell of the University of Toronto asked Prabhupada, “Is it possible, Swamiji, for a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes. Jahnava Devi was Nityananda’s wife. She became. If she is able to go to the highest perfection of life, why it is not possible to become a guru? But not so many. Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become a guru. But man or woman, unless one has attained the perfection Yei krishna-tattva-vettä sei guru haya. The qualification of the guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Krishna. Then he or she can become a guru. Yei krishna-tattva-vettä, sei guru haya. In the material world, is there any prohibition that a woman cannot become a professor? If she is qualified, she can become a professor. What is the wrong there? She must be qualified. That is the position. So similarly, if the woman understands Krishna consciousness perfectly, she can become a guru.”
Your eternal servant,
Uttara devi dasi
"Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Suniti. It was Suniti who had given him the clue which had now enabled him to be personally carried to the Vaikuntha planet by the associates of Lord Vishnu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Maharaja's mother, Suniti, was his patha-pradarsaka-guru. Patha-pradarsaka-guru means "the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way." Such a guru is sometimes called siksa-guru. Although Narada Muni was his diksa-guru (initiating spiritual master), Suniti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the siksa-guru or diksa-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru, and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja's diksa-guru. Still, he was not less obliged to Suniti. There was no question of carrying Narada Muni to Vaikunthaloka, but Dhruva Maharaja thought of his mother."
Here we see that a woman can be a siksa guru (instructing guru) just as powerful and influential as the diksa (initiating guru). But still according to the principles of Vedic culture she does not assume the position of initiating guru. A wonderful example of this is my wife, Vishnupriya devi dasi, who is affectionately addressed by my disciples as "Gurumataji." She is indeed a very powerful spiritual master, as confirmed by many of my disciples and aspiring disciples who take advantage of her mercy to becomes solidly situated in Krishna consciousness. But being in a woman’s body she has no ambition to initiate disciples. Instead she trains my students how to take shelter of me as the initiating guru.
Regarding the example of Jahnava-mata, hers is a very rare case of when a woman initiated disciples. However, it should be noted she is the energy of Lord Nityananda, an eternally liberated soul who descended from the spiritual world to assist Lord Nityananda in His transcendental pastimes. All of her disciples were counted as disciples of her husband, Lord Nityananda, who had departed from this world.
In this connection Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 11, Text 21 as follows:
"Jahnava-mata is also within the list of Lord Nityananda's followers. She is described in the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (66) as Ananga-manjari of Vrindavana. All the devotees who are followers of Jahnava-mata are counted within the list of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's devotees."
She was addressed as "mata" or "mother" and always kept her head covered. It's not that she kept her head uncovered, demanded to be be called "Prabhu", and made politics to be allowed to initiate disciples. She is worshipped very wonderfully in the following prayer by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in this prayer from his Kalyana-kalpa-taru:
"O Jahnava Devi! By the power of your divine qualities, be merciful to this servant of yours. Dispel this illusion which torments me. And relieve me of material existence. Let me take shelter at your lotus feet. You are Nityananda-sakti, the divine energy of Lord Nityananda Himself. You are the guru of Krishna bhakti. Be merciful to me and grant me the shade of your lotus feet, which are like a desire tree. You have delivered countless abominable sinners. Please deliver me in the same way. Today, praying for your mercy, this lowly sinner falls at your holy feet."
We should all bow down at the feet of Jahnava-mata begging her for her mercy that she bless us with pure love of God.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
But in any case of live or die, we have been ordered by Srila Prabhupada to make the entire world Krishna conscious. Therefore my desire is to take birth after birth as a servant of Srila Prabhupada's mission until the entire world does indeed become Krishna conscious. Ultimately, of course I will happily go wherever Krishna wants to take me at the time of my death. But if Krishna gives me a choice at the most auspicious moment of leaving my present material body, my choice will be to take birth afterbirth in this material world until all of the high court judges are wearing Vaisnava tilak.
Srila Prabhupada Applying Vaisnava Tilak
Video For the Day: Don't Commit Suicide
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version
Question: Can a Woman Be a Guru?
Dear Srila Gurudeva,Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I found these notes today when reading some documents written by one devotee for preparations of the classes. It was about the topic of women being a guru. I would like to share it with you and ask how to correctly understand it:
Women can be guru
In a letter to Silavati Devi (June 14, 1969), Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Now if you can induce all the women of Los Angeles to place an altar in their homes and help their husbands have peaceful, happy home life in Krishna consciousness, that will be very great service for you. The actual system is that the husband is the spiritual master to his wife, but if the wife can bring her husband into practicing this process, then it is all right that the husband accepts the wife as the spiritual master. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that anyone who knows the science of Krishna should be accepted as spiritual master, regardless of any material so-called qualifications, such as rich or poor, man or woman, or brahmana or sudra.”
This same point was confirmed again, years later (June 18, 1976), when Professor O’Connell of the University of Toronto asked Prabhupada, “Is it possible, Swamiji, for a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes. Jahnava Devi was Nityananda’s wife. She became. If she is able to go to the highest perfection of life, why it is not possible to become a guru? But not so many. Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become a guru. But man or woman, unless one has attained the perfection Yei krishna-tattva-vettä sei guru haya. The qualification of the guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Krishna. Then he or she can become a guru. Yei krishna-tattva-vettä, sei guru haya. In the material world, is there any prohibition that a woman cannot become a professor? If she is qualified, she can become a professor. What is the wrong there? She must be qualified. That is the position. So similarly, if the woman understands Krishna consciousness perfectly, she can become a guru.”
Your eternal servant,
Uttara devi dasi
Answer: Siksha Guru--Yes, Diksha Guru--No
Regarding female gurus, Srila Prabhupada clearly writes in his purport to SB 4.12.32:"Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Suniti. It was Suniti who had given him the clue which had now enabled him to be personally carried to the Vaikuntha planet by the associates of Lord Vishnu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Maharaja's mother, Suniti, was his patha-pradarsaka-guru. Patha-pradarsaka-guru means "the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way." Such a guru is sometimes called siksa-guru. Although Narada Muni was his diksa-guru (initiating spiritual master), Suniti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the siksa-guru or diksa-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru, and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja's diksa-guru. Still, he was not less obliged to Suniti. There was no question of carrying Narada Muni to Vaikunthaloka, but Dhruva Maharaja thought of his mother."
Here we see that a woman can be a siksa guru (instructing guru) just as powerful and influential as the diksa (initiating guru). But still according to the principles of Vedic culture she does not assume the position of initiating guru. A wonderful example of this is my wife, Vishnupriya devi dasi, who is affectionately addressed by my disciples as "Gurumataji." She is indeed a very powerful spiritual master, as confirmed by many of my disciples and aspiring disciples who take advantage of her mercy to becomes solidly situated in Krishna consciousness. But being in a woman’s body she has no ambition to initiate disciples. Instead she trains my students how to take shelter of me as the initiating guru.
Regarding the example of Jahnava-mata, hers is a very rare case of when a woman initiated disciples. However, it should be noted she is the energy of Lord Nityananda, an eternally liberated soul who descended from the spiritual world to assist Lord Nityananda in His transcendental pastimes. All of her disciples were counted as disciples of her husband, Lord Nityananda, who had departed from this world.
In this connection Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 11, Text 21 as follows:
"Jahnava-mata is also within the list of Lord Nityananda's followers. She is described in the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (66) as Ananga-manjari of Vrindavana. All the devotees who are followers of Jahnava-mata are counted within the list of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's devotees."
She was addressed as "mata" or "mother" and always kept her head covered. It's not that she kept her head uncovered, demanded to be be called "Prabhu", and made politics to be allowed to initiate disciples. She is worshipped very wonderfully in the following prayer by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in this prayer from his Kalyana-kalpa-taru:
"O Jahnava Devi! By the power of your divine qualities, be merciful to this servant of yours. Dispel this illusion which torments me. And relieve me of material existence. Let me take shelter at your lotus feet. You are Nityananda-sakti, the divine energy of Lord Nityananda Himself. You are the guru of Krishna bhakti. Be merciful to me and grant me the shade of your lotus feet, which are like a desire tree. You have delivered countless abominable sinners. Please deliver me in the same way. Today, praying for your mercy, this lowly sinner falls at your holy feet."
We should all bow down at the feet of Jahnava-mata begging her for her mercy that she bless us with pure love of God.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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