by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Visakha dasi “These women are not ordinary women. They are preachers. They are preachers. They are Vaishnava. By their association, one becomes a Vaishnava.” (Srila Prabhupada, morning walk, March 27, 1974) Srila Prabhupada, India’s greatest emissary to the Western...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Visakha dasi sristi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami “The external potency, maya, who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit [spiritual] potency,...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Urmila dasi Published by ICJ (ISKCON’s Communications Journal), December 1998 The individuality of the self is a central teaching in Vaisnava philosophy, but what is our practical understanding of this term? Individuality is present in all living beings on...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Urmila dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 It was with great satisfaction that I read the introduction and texts of presentations to the GBC from respected Vaisnavis. It is due, in great part, to their dedication that there is now a greater mood of including...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Saudamani dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 There was a rumour going around that we ladies were in Mayapur to present some feminist agenda. The idea was that, under the influence of the modern women’s rights movement or the theology which denies the...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Rukmini dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 We have been enriched in ISKCON by the sannyasa culture many of the GBC represent. Perhaps no other spiritual organisation has this strength of austerity. But in our efforts to follow Srila Prabhupada in his...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Visakha dasi and Sudharma dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 The status of women in ISKCON has long been a contentious issue. Is ISKCON’s attitude to women a reflection of Vaisnava values or is it perversion of them? Are ISKCON members following Srila...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Sitala dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 Many of you may be wondering what this women’s presentation is all about. So, before setting the scene, I would like to assure you what this presentation is not about. . It is not about promoting...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Visakha devi dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 Srila Prabhupada left us with clear directives for women: in every stage of her life a woman must be protected, either by her father, her husband or her grown son. A woman is dependent and chaste; she is an...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Pranada devi dasi Dhanistha Prabhu wrote to the GBC in the 70s about the women’s parties. She never received a response. Saudamani Prabhu and I wrote you in 1988, asking that women be allowed again to give Bhagavatam classes. We never received a response. In 1990 I...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Kusa devi dasi Presented to the GBC in Mayapur 2000 These past few days I have relished participating in the application of vaisnava-siddhanta to management. Thank you! Burke Rochford’s report, submitted to the GBC last year, states: ‘I recommend that...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Radha devi dasi As ISKCON looks to solidify its institutional machinery, it will need to look very seriously, at the relationship between the institution and its individual members. ISKCON is a young society and is in the process of development towards maturity....
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Radha devi dasi Radhadesh, Belgium 28-29 June 1998 New Ramana Reti, Alachua, USA, 25-30 September 1998 If the truth is to be told, it is about everyone: men, women and children in our society who require recognition, honour and respect with sufficient opportunities...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
by Radha devi dasi Presented at the First Annual Women’s Ministry Conference 1997 Introduction This paper examines the question of what constitute appropriate roles for women in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). My purpose is to...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents
Presented at the 3rd Annual North American Women’s Conference New Vrindaban, October 1999 by Pranada dasi How many of you have seen the September/October issue of BTG? For me this issue is very telling. In fact, this single issue spoke volumes to me about women in the...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
by Pranada dasi Presented at the ISKCON Communications Conference, Radhadesh 1992 Over the past ten years, I’ve experienced a growing pain in seeing devotees (adults and children) leave the Krsna consciousness movement. Each time someone I know leaves, I feel a...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 9, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
by Pranada dasi Presented at the First Annual Women’s Conference 1997 I’ve been asked to speak on my experience of bringing the subject of the treatment of women in ISKCON to the foreground. I wanted to consider the challenges women have faced, what we...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
by Sudharma Dasi Presented to the GBC Body in Mayapur, 2000 To understand the seriousness of a disease it is important to recognise its symptoms. Otherwise, by minimising or ignoring the symptoms, the body may be invaded by a terrible, even fatal, illness. During the...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
by Yamuna Devi Presented to the GBC Body in Mayapur, 2000 What a week of Vaisnava sadhu-satsanga this has been! I leave the richer, having exchanged with my family members, old and new, Godbrothers, Godsisters, nephews and nieces. While I feel most unqualified to...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
This article appeared in Back to Godhead magazine 25-1, 1991) OBVIOUSLY, HAVING THE BODY of a man or a woman is not a qualification or disqualification for spiritual activities. Srila Prabhupada wanted his women disciples to be as qualified as the men in teaching...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
(This article appeared in Back to Godhead magazine 25-1, 1991) The first preaching engagement I went to after being initiated was an experience I will always remember. In the fall of 1988, I and several other devotees, armed with karatalas, mantra cards, prasadam, and...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
(This article appeared in Back to Godhead magazine 25-1, 1991) BY A QUIRK OF FATE, when my family and I were living on an ISKCON farm some five years ago, I was assigned to once-a-week nursery duty. On my first day, I went to the nursery at the appointed time with my...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
(This article appeared in Back to Godhead magazine 25-1, 1991) IN DISCUSSING THE ROLE of women in our movement, we must understand Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and the Vedic social ideal and balance those with the precedents Srila Prabhupada himself set....
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
(This article appeared in Back to Godhead magazine 25-1, 1991) Srila Prabhupada accepted women disciples lovingly into the familial embrace of his Hare Krsna movement, engaging us and encouraging us in all different types of service. He made us feel wanted and useful;...
by Lilamayi Gaurangi | May 8, 2015 | Blog, Historical Documents, Uncategorized
by Pranada dasi and Saudamani Dasi January 17, 1988 Dear Saudamani Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. In light of our conversation the other day, I want to share with you some further thoughts I have been having about the role...
