Editing Srila Prabhupada's books

[Guest guest]

On 03 Jun 1999, Madhusudani Radha wrote:

 

> Similarly, some kind of footnotes should be inserted to suggest

> different ways of understanding what he meant by his "women are less

> intelligent" statements and the comment about women liking to be raped

> among others.

 

 

While I do not advocate the footnoting of Srila Prabhupada's books or any

other editing without his consent, as I have made quite clear in previous

comments, I offer my understanding of the "women enjoy being raped" mis-quote.

 

As we have discussed this amongst my godbrothers over the years it was

understood to mean some women IMAGINE or FANTASIZE being raped or forcibly

taken and find a kind of taboo titillation of sorts. They would never ACTUALLY

want to be raped or forcibly sexually assaulted but in their fantasy the

forcefulness is mentally controlled and erotically oriented and the outcome is

entirely different than a real assault scenario.

 

Similarly it is known that many men fantasize about having homosexual

relationships imagining the erotic taboo nature of the acts as enjoyable but

never wanting it to actually happen. They are not necessarily closet

homosexuals anymore than the women are closet masochists. It is just a

fantasy; an erotically motivated and extended imagination. Temporary and

subtle.

 

The mind is a very powerful thing. I think that was the point of Srila

Prabhupada's statement. No need to edit books for such things, otherwise we

would be editing/footnoting things of a seemingly mistaken or socially

unacceptable nature endlessly. Are we going to footnote scriptural statements

of God's dancing with other men's wives in the dead of night next? Where

would it stop? Who are we trying to please? If they are potential devotees

that we are hoping to develop they should be trained in a daiva varna first

anyway and such philosophical spiritual discussion comes later when they have

been cleansed by the holy names and prescribed duties.

 

 

 

I see it as just an opportunity to discuss and explain and preach the glories

of the Vedic culture and transcendental knowledge of scripture and guru. If

they don't want to hear that, what good are footnotes and edits?