Participation, Protection and Patriarchy: An International Model for the Role of Women in ISKCON

Radha Devi Dasi

[continued]

Shrila Prabhupada never intended his female disciples to be disparaged on the basis of their bodily forms.   Rather, he clearly instructed us that women engaged in the practice of Krishna consciousness make equal advancement with male devotees.  Indeed, to believe otherwise would indicate a profound lack of faith in the process of Krishna consciousness.

However, the belief that women are inferior is often reflected in our policy and in our practice. Women are dehumanised and devalued by our rhetoric and by accusations used to marginalise them.  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, one woman described how she was marginalised when she spoke out on the need for women to give Bhagavatam class.  She said it led to the end of her career in ISKCON management.  Having lived in the same community, I can comment on her treatment from personal experience.  Many women who looked to her as a leader, including myself, were told that she did not want to give Bhagavatam class because she was more interested in making money than in working in ISKCON management.  Thus, she was presented as avaricious and the true facts of her conflict with ISKCON management were concealed. Moreover, I have heard the Women’s Ministry dismissed as a "group of women who never cover their heads."  This statement, in addition to being inaccurate, misses an important point.  The real issue is the purpose and effectiveness of the Women’s Ministry; the extent to which the Women’s Ministry does or does not propose and implement sensible, useful policy for ISKCON.  The fact that some of the members of the Women’s Ministry may adjust small externalities in their dress according to time, place and circumstance should not determine the value of the Women’s Ministry as a whole.  The need to separate Krishna consciousness from external rituals has been the subject of much discussion in our sampradaya.  Similarly, this external consideration is not the proper measure by which to judge the Women’s Ministry. 

There are even more insidious, subtle, day-to-day minimisations of women that may be harder to observe.  The language we use marginalises women.  When we say "devotees and matajis" (mataji means mother) we are saying that women are in a category separate from devotees.  Such distinctions create a psychological space in which women can be ranked just a little bit lower than the rest of the Vaishnavas, who are the men. Clearly, everyone does not use the statement for such a negative purposes, and the distinction may be genuinely made out of a mood to offer respect, or used blindly simply because the terms used have become the norm in our communities.  However, the language creates the space in which the minimisation of women is possible.  Those who are immature in their faith naturally find these spaces and take advantage of them.  

Another example of the minimisation of women involves the Mayapur samadhi of Shrila Prabhupada.[vii]  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, His Holiness Bir Krishna Swami very accurately described the historical photographs that have been reproduced as paintings decorating the samadhi. Surprisingly the female disciples of Shrila Prabhupada are not in the paintings although they were in the original photographs.  It is without doubt disrespectful and a devaluation of women when they have been deleted from our institutional history.  More importantly, this deletion involves the Mayapur samadhi, a place of enormous significance in our movement.  Thus, the message that we as women get is multifaceted and extremely negative.  First, we are told, "Don’t speak."  If you do speak, you run the risk of being one of those women who never covers her head.  In other words, you become someone who should not be listened to, someone who is not reliable.  We are also told, "Don’t act,"  "don’t dance in the temple," "don’t stand in front of the Deities," "don’t give class," "don’t lead kirtan,"[viii] and do not participate in many other activities.  And the murals in the Mayapur samadhi go even further and say, "Don’t exist."  Women leave ISKCON and we are surprised.  To paraphrase Shrila Prabhupada, rather we should be surprised that women have stayed.

Participation, Protection and Patriarchy: An International Model for the Role of Women in ISKCON

Radha Devi Dasi

[continued]

Shrila Prabhupada never intended his female disciples to be disparaged on the basis of their bodily forms.   Rather, he clearly instructed us that women engaged in the practice of Krishna consciousness make equal advancement with male devotees.  Indeed, to believe otherwise would indicate a profound lack of faith in the process of Krishna consciousness.

However, the belief that women are inferior is often reflected in our policy and in our practice. Women are dehumanised and devalued by our rhetoric and by accusations used to marginalise them.  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, one woman described how she was marginalised when she spoke out on the need for women to give Bhagavatam class.  She said it led to the end of her career in ISKCON management.  Having lived in the same community, I can comment on her treatment from personal experience.  Many women who looked to her as a leader, including myself, were told that she did not want to give Bhagavatam class because she was more interested in making money than in working in ISKCON management.  Thus, she was presented as avaricious and the true facts of her conflict with ISKCON management were concealed. Moreover, I have heard the Women’s Ministry dismissed as a "group of women who never cover their heads."  This statement, in addition to being inaccurate, misses an important point.  The real issue is the purpose and effectiveness of the Women’s Ministry; the extent to which the Women’s Ministry does or does not propose and implement sensible, useful policy for ISKCON.  The fact that some of the members of the Women’s Ministry may adjust small externalities in their dress according to time, place and circumstance should not determine the value of the Women’s Ministry as a whole.  The need to separate Krishna consciousness from external rituals has been the subject of much discussion in our sampradaya.  Similarly, this external consideration is not the proper measure by which to judge the Women’s Ministry. 

There are even more insidious, subtle, day-to-day minimisations of women that may be harder to observe.  The language we use marginalises women.  When we say "devotees and matajis" (mataji means mother) we are saying that women are in a category separate from devotees.  Such distinctions create a psychological space in which women can be ranked just a little bit lower than the rest of the Vaishnavas, who are the men. Clearly, everyone does not use the statement for such a negative purposes, and the distinction may be genuinely made out of a mood to offer respect, or used blindly simply because the terms used have become the norm in our communities.  However, the language creates the space in which the minimisation of women is possible.  Those who are immature in their faith naturally find these spaces and take advantage of them.  

Another example of the minimisation of women involves the Mayapur samadhi of Shrila Prabhupada.[vii]  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, His Holiness Bir Krishna Swami very accurately described the historical photographs that have been reproduced as paintings decorating the samadhi. Surprisingly the female disciples of Shrila Prabhupada are not in the paintings although they were in the original photographs.  It is without doubt disrespectful and a devaluation of women when they have been deleted from our institutional history.  More importantly, this deletion involves the Mayapur samadhi, a place of enormous significance in our movement.  Thus, the message that we as women get is multifaceted and extremely negative.  First, we are told, "Don’t speak."  If you do speak, you run the risk of being one of those women who never covers her head.  In other words, you become someone who should not be listened to, someone who is not reliable.  We are also told, "Don’t act,"  "don’t dance in the temple," "don’t stand in front of the Deities," "don’t give class," "don’t lead kirtan,"[viii] and do not participate in many other activities.  And the murals in the Mayapur samadhi go even further and say, "Don’t exist."  Women leave ISKCON and we are surprised.  To paraphrase Shrila Prabhupada, rather we should be surprised that women have stayed.

Participation, Protection and Patriarchy: An International Model for the Role of Women in ISKCON

Radha Devi Dasi

[continued]

Shrila Prabhupada never intended his female disciples to be disparaged on the basis of their bodily forms.   Rather, he clearly instructed us that women engaged in the practice of Krishna consciousness make equal advancement with male devotees.  Indeed, to believe otherwise would indicate a profound lack of faith in the process of Krishna consciousness.

However, the belief that women are inferior is often reflected in our policy and in our practice. Women are dehumanised and devalued by our rhetoric and by accusations used to marginalise them.  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, one woman described how she was marginalised when she spoke out on the need for women to give Bhagavatam class.  She said it led to the end of her career in ISKCON management.  Having lived in the same community, I can comment on her treatment from personal experience.  Many women who looked to her as a leader, including myself, were told that she did not want to give Bhagavatam class because she was more interested in making money than in working in ISKCON management.  Thus, she was presented as avaricious and the true facts of her conflict with ISKCON management were concealed. Moreover, I have heard the Women’s Ministry dismissed as a "group of women who never cover their heads."  This statement, in addition to being inaccurate, misses an important point.  The real issue is the purpose and effectiveness of the Women’s Ministry; the extent to which the Women’s Ministry does or does not propose and implement sensible, useful policy for ISKCON.  The fact that some of the members of the Women’s Ministry may adjust small externalities in their dress according to time, place and circumstance should not determine the value of the Women’s Ministry as a whole.  The need to separate Krishna consciousness from external rituals has been the subject of much discussion in our sampradaya.  Similarly, this external consideration is not the proper measure by which to judge the Women’s Ministry. 

There are even more insidious, subtle, day-to-day minimisations of women that may be harder to observe.  The language we use marginalises women.  When we say "devotees and matajis" (mataji means mother) we are saying that women are in a category separate from devotees.  Such distinctions create a psychological space in which women can be ranked just a little bit lower than the rest of the Vaishnavas, who are the men. Clearly, everyone does not use the statement for such a negative purposes, and the distinction may be genuinely made out of a mood to offer respect, or used blindly simply because the terms used have become the norm in our communities.  However, the language creates the space in which the minimisation of women is possible.  Those who are immature in their faith naturally find these spaces and take advantage of them.  

Another example of the minimisation of women involves the Mayapur samadhi of Shrila Prabhupada.[vii]  At the "Vaishnavis in ISKCON" conference, His Holiness Bir Krishna Swami very accurately described the historical photographs that have been reproduced as paintings decorating the samadhi. Surprisingly the female disciples of Shrila Prabhupada are not in the paintings although they were in the original photographs.  It is without doubt disrespectful and a devaluation of women when they have been deleted from our institutional history.  More importantly, this deletion involves the Mayapur samadhi, a place of enormous significance in our movement.  Thus, the message that we as women get is multifaceted and extremely negative.  First, we are told, "Don’t speak."  If you do speak, you run the risk of being one of those women who never covers her head.  In other words, you become someone who should not be listened to, someone who is not reliable.  We are also told, "Don’t act,"  "don’t dance in the temple," "don’t stand in front of the Deities," "don’t give class," "don’t lead kirtan,"[viii] and do not participate in many other activities.  And the murals in the Mayapur samadhi go even further and say, "Don’t exist."  Women leave ISKCON and we are surprised.  To paraphrase Shrila Prabhupada, rather we should be surprised that women have stayed.