gbc reform

[Guest guest]

The following is an exchange between women devotees re: Bhakti Vikasa

Swami's book, Glimpses of Traditional Indian Life, containing many offensive

comments about women.

 

Please consider it as a 'restructing and reform recommendation' for

sanyasis.

 

Radhe, Mira

 

____________________

 

:06 pm -0800 10/01/01, Maria Ekstrand wrote:

 

 

Madhusudani dasi: Could someone please tell me where sastra instructs us

that it's OK for sannyasis to spend so much time on women; their role in

society, their lust, their participation in beauty contests etc. Somehow I

remember their job description as being slightly different.

 

 

Sita Curtosi: This exchange is not about sannyasis. It was about Mira's

objections to specific sections in a book called "Glimpses of Traditional

Indian life" which is written by Bhakti Vikasa Swami, a sannyasi and guru

in good standing who also speaks volumes about Krsna and is very careful to

follow his sannyasa dharma.

 

Mira: Mrs. Curtosi insists on defending the degrading words of Bhakti

Vikasa Swami and on impugning the reputation of the GBC which, in a general

letter condemned the sexist activities of the GHQ to which BVS belongs.

In doing this, well, Mrs. Curtosi overlooks a crucial point: A Sanyasi 's

real dharma is to relinquish family life, to fully dedicate himself to

the Supreme and to preach the message of pure love of God to all.

 

Krsna bluntly states in the Gita that the "learned sage sees everyone with

an equal vision and that if anyone with love gives Him a leaf, a flower or

water He accepts ." So, gurus should not be allowed to comment on women at

all...except to say that women are equal spirit souls and parts and parcels

of God .

 

frankly, in my opinion, it is absurd to argue that a sanyasi has a

fundamental right to engage in gender-stereotyping and to teach sexist

doctrine.

 

Therefore, by depicting women in disparaging and devaluing contexts

(pisachi, sex symbol, playmates) in his book , BVikas Swami exploits issues

of female body image and brings embarrasment and shame to himself, his

collegues and to the movement.

 

And since the GBC has designated a Women's Ministry to reverse the past

marginalization of women in Iskcon, it is only fair for me to reveal what I

find distressing about BVS's comments and to appeal to this Ministry to

ensure that those who hold positions of spiritual and administrative

responsibility exhibit balanced judgement.