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Zora Neale Hurston
November 2006 
Swami, Why Are You Trying to Hate on the Ladies?
Shaneequa
For the past several weeks I've been studying the Bhagavad-Gita as interpreted by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada (wow- what a name!) As the founder of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, Prabhupada interperets the ancient text within the context of Krsna consciousness, or the belief that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. While there are hundreds of different and often contradictory intepretations of the Gita, Prabhupada's book is one of the most universally recognized and accepted readings of the Gita. His commentaries are for the most part scriptually based, referencing a multitude of Hindu texts including the Vedas and the Upanishads. His analysis of the text is very thorough (sometimes too thorough), and his interpretations generally stick closely to the original meanings of the Gita.
Now having said this, I have a few bones to pick with Prabhupada. First of all, his treatment of women is abhorrent. In several instances, he refers to women as being "child-like" and inferior to men. Although the Gita does not suggest such ideas about women, Prabhupada strongly maintains that women are spiritually weak and require the supervision of men. He also declares that women are less intelligent than men and therefore are not capable of reaching Krsna consciousness on their own.
I must say I was rather disappointed with Swami Prabhupada's negative treatment of women, particularly since his views were not scriptually based. Given that the rest of his commentaries are rooted in Hindu scriptures, it's most unfortunate that he chose to express his personal bias against women within the framework of an otherwise impartial reading of the Gita. Not only does such a bias negate the highly influential role of women in the history of Hinduism, it discredits Prabhupada's reputation as a scholar and interpretor. It leads me to question his scholarly authority and authenticity, and causes me to speculate about the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of his other interpretations.
I realize that every individual will add his or her own unique slant to the interpretation of any text, but I can't help but feel cheated and insulted by this blatent act of irresponsibility and ungrounded bigotry. Why did Prabhupada feel it necessary to badger women so badly in his commentaries? Why was his hatred of women so strong that he couldn't rise above it in order to provide a bias-free interpretation of the Gita? What was it about women that frightened him so much? These questions are obviously rhetorical and will most likely never be answered, but they do merit some contemplation.
I know very little about the life of Swami Prabhupada, and perhaps some of the answers lie within his childhood or early adult experiences with women. I'm sure some of it is culturally-based, and some of it undoubtedly was influenced by the era in which he lived. But what puzzles me is how someone as brilliant and enlightened as he can also be so damn ignorant and bigoted. If he truly was a master of renunciation, then why couldn't he detatch himself from hatred? And if he truly believed in the omnipotence of Krsna, then why couldn't he see Krsna in women? It seems to me that anyone who reaches Krsna consciousness, regardless of their cultural influences or socialization, would be able to recognize the divinity in all life.
Maybe I'm being too hard on him. Afterall, he is a great scholar and one of the most enlightened beings I've ever encountered. I suppose that's why I'm so disappointed in his sexist ideologies. It angers me when someone who is so wise in most areas can be so ignorant in other areas. We often have a tendency to place spiritual leaders on pedestals and expect them to live up to some great ideal of perfection, but we forget that they are only human just like us. None of us is without fault, so I can't justifiably criticise him without being a hypocrite. I guess I should just accept him for who he is, and not for who I wish he were. All in all, I really liked most of what he had to say, and I plan on reading more of his books in the future. But damn, it really pisses me off that he comes sooooooo close to being totally cool and then ruins it by slandering half the population!
Access: Public
I just got his version of the book and will read and study.
(This blog has been chosen to be a part of Samme's Project that started here Linking The World One Blog At A Time. A project to link wonderful and thought-provoking blogs to each other in a long thread of links to bring awareness of love, joy and peace and propagate creativity to the world. Namaste! Thank you! )♥♥♥
Hi,
I have been to many Krishna events and related to the group for many years, but I agree that the relationship between the sexes presented is unacceptable. Much of it comes from teh culture in India, where, even though some women saints are revered, the general conditions of women are very negative. Many backword cultures around the world have this problem. I am glad that you do not see this message as being from the Gita. We can find truth in many traditional religions, while our spirituality must be above the dogma that goes along with them. Thanks for putting forth this commentary.
Peace & Blessings,
Ron
Hare Krsna Shaneequa!
I have the immense good fortune of being a personal disciple of Srila Prabhupada and served him personally for many years in the most sacred places in India. I have studied his books deeply and today, am a senior spiritual teacher with my own mission and disciples.
Srila Prabhupada's opinions are not his own, but he represents a very ancient spiritual lineage. The knowledge he presents in his books is not subject to the temporary fads and fashions of materialistic culture; rather, it is transcendental and eternal.
Prabhupada's behavior with women was invarably respectful and loving. Nevertheless he was very realistic and truthful about people's limitations. That is not a cause to find fault with him. Rather, you should be encouraged that he is not trying to deceive you with false flattery.
The most basic teaching of authentic spirituality is that we are not these material bodies, but transcendental spirit souls – beings of pure consciousness. But, in over 30 years of teaching and counseling people spiritually, I have never seen a woman actually realize this truth. To be fair, it is rare also for men to attain actual self-realization.
There are plenty of scriptural quotes substantiating these experiences and observations, both in the Gita and elsewhere. I am not going to post them here, but you can dig them up if you really want to find them.
In my experience of teaching in more than 30 countries around the world, however, the point of view you express is only found in economically developed cultures that exploit and consume most of the world's resources. It is rarely heard in the majority of the world. These other cultures are far from backward; in fact, from a spiritual point of view it is the materialistic West that is less advanced than cultures where the real truths of life are not covered over by false materialistic education and media.
I am not advocating the maltreatment or disrespect of women; but defending an exalted spiritual teacher I know from personal experience to be faultless. If you want to try to change my mind, I would be glad to hear evidence from you that you or some other woman you know has attained the perfection of self-realization in the terms described in the Gita. However, I am pretty confident that you will not be able to produce such evidence. In the meantime, I will continue to accept Srila Prabhupada's teachings at face value.
love,
Baba
Baba,
I find this opiniion that you have about women to be illusion. What makes you so realized and a woman not realized? What qualities do you associate with realization? Many woman that I meet are in a higher spiritual state than most men I meet. They are more loving and caring and have greater concern for the children of the world. Many who think they are very self realized (or saved) are selfish unspiritual people concerned with thier own salvation, rather than being loving people concerned with helping those around them. There are many more men in this sad state than women.
While I accept Srila Prabhupada as a saint and thank him for his many translations of scriptures, I do not find him to be self realized. He was on the path, but will be re-born like the rest of us mortals. He did not raise from the dead, as Yeshua the Christ did, who was the last soul to regain his complete spiritual nature and ascend beyond rebirth. The next two souls to ascend will be the two Fish!
Where you state that the west is material, India has become the most populated place on the planet, degrading thier ecosystems in a very servere fashion, and also becoming a nuclear power. All nations have thier ups and downs and within all peoples of the Earth and within all traditions you will find very spiritual people. Do not think that people of one contry are more spiritual: each country has spiritual and unspiritual people.
One way to know that a person is lacking in spiritual realization is if they do not have peace with thier sexual nature and try and fight against the natural way of life that divinity created for us. Prabupad had this illusion of teaching that sexuality was something unspiritual. Krishna did not have this issue and was a great lover. Yeshua was also married to Mary, contrary to what the unspiritual churches say.
You will know a spiritual person by thier loving nature and in this respect: women are more spiritually advanced than men. Get beyond teh mind and percieve with the heart and you will know the truth of this.
Peace and Blessings,
Ron
A person with advanced intelligence makes philosophical arguments based on authroitative sources. A person with an inferior intellect advances his own sentimental opinions without support. A person with a degraded intelligence avoids the real issues, and makes spurious vindictive personal attacks.
We do not take seriously such motivated ad hominem attacks, since they are the symptom of degraded intelligence. Actually, all such symptoms of degradation are simply due to ignorance and association of demoniac people.
But one who associates with actually saintly people completely gives up bad behavior and also becomes saintly. He easily transcends anger and illusion because he gives up meat eating and illicit sex life. All his statements are based on the bona fide Vedic scriptures. This is real spiritual life.
Anyone who expresses hate and intolerance in the context of so-called spiritual discussions is in illusion. We simply wish such foolish people a better quality birth in the next life.
love,
Baba
“Anyone who expresses hate and INTOLERANCE in the context of so-called spiritual discussions is in illusion.” = The attitude towards women proposed here, where the divine feminine gender is considered inferior, rather than an equal balanced part.
:-) Sunbow