Page 42 - Defending Prabhupada Words - By Harivlas Das
P. 42

Srila  Prabhupada  made  “some  concession”  after  he
            observed western society.  He permitted men and women
            to  serve  together  in  temples  as  celibates  and  also  as
            married couples living inside or outside the temple.  He
            permitted  women  to  engage  in  brahminical  functions,
            cooking for and serving the Deities and giving classes, etc.
            These  “concessions”  were  not  a  departure  from  shastric
            teaching  about  women  and  their  functions  in  Krishna
            consciousness.  Srila Prabhupada did not alter bona fide
            Vedic  shastric  statements  about  men  and  women.  He
            made  “some  concessions”  about  how  men  and  women
            could serve Lord Krishna together. Brahma das and others
            are  claiming  that  Srila  Prabhupada  would  have  made
            concessions by adjusting his comments about women in
            his books and conversations (or that his disciples who edit
            his books should).  Such a claim is an illicit extrapolation
            because  it  would  require  changing  the  philosophy  of
            Krishna  consciousness  which  explains  more  profoundly
            than any other tradition the reality of entrapment in the
            material world and how to get out of it.

            To  understand  how  much  Brahma  das  and  others  are
            attempting  to  misrepresent  Srila  Prabhupada’s  words  I
            will continue the scrutiny of Kapiladeva’s teaching to his
            mother Devahuti.

            “One who aspires to reach the culmination of yoga and
            has realized his self by rendering service unto Me should

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