Cults & Society
Department: Group Report

Hare Krishna: women

6/11

Fundamental Human Rights in ISKCON

Radha devi dasi

[continued]
Human rights provide one measure of protection from abuse of power. While classification of people into different groups is a necessary part of a social institution, the presence of certain fundamental entitlements that are available equally to everyone will help to prevent classification from becoming objectification and oppression.  

Fundamental Human Rights are entirely consistent with Vaisnava philosophy. Srila Prabhupada himself recognised the existence of universal rights. In fact, he went so far as to stress that there are certain rights belonging to both human and non-human living entities. In a lecture he gave in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1975, Srila Prabhupada told his followers that all living entities have a birthright to use sufficient economic resources to maintain life. He said that a failure to understand this right springs from material conditioning.[xii] 

Srila Prabhupada also taught that human beings have equal spiritual rights to opportunities for advancing in the service of Krsna. The Gaudiya Math, the institution in which Srila Prabhupada took initiation, has been considered controversial for preaching a doctrine that holds that those born in varnas (social positions) outside brahminical society can be given brahmana initiation. Srila Prabhupada was criticised by spiritual practitioners in India who held that non-Indians could never become brahmanas. In defence of his practise of initiating non-Indians, Srila Prabhupada said that all living entities have a right to serve Krsna and to make advancement in Krsna consciousness. In a lecture he gave in Toronto, Canada in 1976, Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that these rights apply to both female and male disciples.[xiii] 

Thus, it is not the existence of fundamental Human Rights that are at issue in ISKCON, but the nature of those rights. Nor can we ignore, however, the practical effects of the policies we adopt. The type of rights we integrate into our social fabric will have a profound impact on the type of society we form.  

Systems of governance that do not grant Human Rights, however well intentioned, are systems with little accountability. Adding Human Rights to a system of governance creates a standard against which a leader’s conduct can be measured. Human rights are a codification of a leader's duties to his or her followers and help to hold that leader accountable for his actions. Open societies in which rights are granted are more stable and productive societies with less conflict, and with less behaviour that is destructive to other groups and to the environment as a whole than are societies that fail to grant such rights.[xiv] Adopting a declaration of Human Rights will help ISKCON to become a more productive and stable society.   

1/11 < > 11/11

Cults & Society
Department: Group Report

Hare Krishna: women

6/11

Fundamental Human Rights in ISKCON

Radha devi dasi

[continued]
Human rights provide one measure of protection from abuse of power. While classification of people into different groups is a necessary part of a social institution, the presence of certain fundamental entitlements that are available equally to everyone will help to prevent classification from becoming objectification and oppression.  

Fundamental Human Rights are entirely consistent with Vaisnava philosophy. Srila Prabhupada himself recognised the existence of universal rights. In fact, he went so far as to stress that there are certain rights belonging to both human and non-human living entities. In a lecture he gave in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1975, Srila Prabhupada told his followers that all living entities have a birthright to use sufficient economic resources to maintain life. He said that a failure to understand this right springs from material conditioning.[xii] 

Srila Prabhupada also taught that human beings have equal spiritual rights to opportunities for advancing in the service of Krsna. The Gaudiya Math, the institution in which Srila Prabhupada took initiation, has been considered controversial for preaching a doctrine that holds that those born in varnas (social positions) outside brahminical society can be given brahmana initiation. Srila Prabhupada was criticised by spiritual practitioners in India who held that non-Indians could never become brahmanas. In defence of his practise of initiating non-Indians, Srila Prabhupada said that all living entities have a right to serve Krsna and to make advancement in Krsna consciousness. In a lecture he gave in Toronto, Canada in 1976, Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that these rights apply to both female and male disciples.[xiii] 

Thus, it is not the existence of fundamental Human Rights that are at issue in ISKCON, but the nature of those rights. Nor can we ignore, however, the practical effects of the policies we adopt. The type of rights we integrate into our social fabric will have a profound impact on the type of society we form.  

Systems of governance that do not grant Human Rights, however well intentioned, are systems with little accountability. Adding Human Rights to a system of governance creates a standard against which a leader’s conduct can be measured. Human rights are a codification of a leader's duties to his or her followers and help to hold that leader accountable for his actions. Open societies in which rights are granted are more stable and productive societies with less conflict, and with less behaviour that is destructive to other groups and to the environment as a whole than are societies that fail to grant such rights.[xiv] Adopting a declaration of Human Rights will help ISKCON to become a more productive and stable society.   

1/11 < > 11/11

Cults & Society
Department: Group Report

Hare Krishna: women

6/11

Fundamental Human Rights in ISKCON

Radha devi dasi

[continued]
Human rights provide one measure of protection from abuse of power. While classification of people into different groups is a necessary part of a social institution, the presence of certain fundamental entitlements that are available equally to everyone will help to prevent classification from becoming objectification and oppression.  

Fundamental Human Rights are entirely consistent with Vaisnava philosophy. Srila Prabhupada himself recognised the existence of universal rights. In fact, he went so far as to stress that there are certain rights belonging to both human and non-human living entities. In a lecture he gave in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1975, Srila Prabhupada told his followers that all living entities have a birthright to use sufficient economic resources to maintain life. He said that a failure to understand this right springs from material conditioning.[xii] 

Srila Prabhupada also taught that human beings have equal spiritual rights to opportunities for advancing in the service of Krsna. The Gaudiya Math, the institution in which Srila Prabhupada took initiation, has been considered controversial for preaching a doctrine that holds that those born in varnas (social positions) outside brahminical society can be given brahmana initiation. Srila Prabhupada was criticised by spiritual practitioners in India who held that non-Indians could never become brahmanas. In defence of his practise of initiating non-Indians, Srila Prabhupada said that all living entities have a right to serve Krsna and to make advancement in Krsna consciousness. In a lecture he gave in Toronto, Canada in 1976, Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that these rights apply to both female and male disciples.[xiii] 

Thus, it is not the existence of fundamental Human Rights that are at issue in ISKCON, but the nature of those rights. Nor can we ignore, however, the practical effects of the policies we adopt. The type of rights we integrate into our social fabric will have a profound impact on the type of society we form.  

Systems of governance that do not grant Human Rights, however well intentioned, are systems with little accountability. Adding Human Rights to a system of governance creates a standard against which a leader’s conduct can be measured. Human rights are a codification of a leader's duties to his or her followers and help to hold that leader accountable for his actions. Open societies in which rights are granted are more stable and productive societies with less conflict, and with less behaviour that is destructive to other groups and to the environment as a whole than are societies that fail to grant such rights.[xiv] Adopting a declaration of Human Rights will help ISKCON to become a more productive and stable society.   

1/11 < > 11/11