A.C. Bhakitvendenta Swami prabhupada is misogynistic

[atmarama108]

We should be fair to the context of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and not interpret from shallow criticisms. Any culture which degenerates to such point where even girl-children imitate low-morality as some form of liberty is the greatest disrespecter of women. We sometimes forget restraint and modesty are something to empower and respect. Srila Prabhupada brought the kind of liberation that greatest gift and role of a woman is to be a chaste wife and mother and supporter of the spiritual practices of the entire community. It is the world which disrespects the natural role and glory of woman, not Srila Prabhupada.

Women are the paradigm of a nation's downfall just as holy women are the foundation of a nation's elevation. When men and women treat each other as brothers and sisters it promotes only harmony and this is the actual teaching of Srila Prabhupada. But as Believerji pointed out, sometimes people are too busy doing sant nindya and sampraday bashing and exposing their own anti-Hindu biases.

A study which shows priests and nuns have over 50% failure to keep vows of celibacy is no example of anything. BOTH should hang their heads equally in shame. What a joke that western female "celibates" fail "slightly" less and are therefore held out to be example of "higher" morality.


One should understand the youth culture Srila Prabhupada found. It was utterly without guidance, all social restraint had broken down. Drugs, especially LSD were commonly used. How can anyone say He hated women when He encouraged bramacharya and proper marriage; promoted spirituality oriented child-raising and tried to lift entire families out of degrading circumstances of group sex, prostitution, drug culture and so forth. The truth is Srila Prabhupada loved the young people and made them His own children. Srila Prabhupada gave them His own rich heritage of braminical culture which He loved so much.

Thank you! Spot on!

[Adhvagat]

Hello I'd like to bring this thread back and ask some questions and present some points that really instigate me:

1) How should we be viewing the issue of men and women in modern society? Is it possible to transport or adapt any teachings from vedic times and vedic scriptures?

2) Why is sexual liberation viewed as the ultimate form of freedom? It seems to me that is born out of women's frustration over the years, being cheated and abused by ruthless men in several societies... Perhaps it's just a natural antithesis happening on the minds of soul being born as women? What else could it be?

3) I agree with the point that man and woman ARE NOT equal, and I view that as something natural. Both have enormous differences physiologically and psychologically and play different roles in our society, for example, woman is the mother, a child can't biologically be born without a woman and I think it's a great problem for a child to stay without a mother, specially in the early years. However, the modern condition of our society puts man and woman both in the same context, both need to work, earn money? Carl Gustav Jung used to say that women still haven't figured out how to go to work as women, so they acted like men in the workplace.

4) I think that people who have the most problem accepting what the Vedas tell about women are still very attached to temporary conceptions, men and women are temporary status in this world.

5) In the western society, in the circles of promiscuity (bar, night clubs, etc), it usually is the men who approach the women, there's even taboo about women approaching men. Even in the so called free society women still comply to something they would call sexism in another situation? Why so much contradiction? So, would it be fair to assume that in this particular case, elevation of men's conscience would equate in the decline of such places and promiscuous women? I know it sounds weird, but it's just some hypothesis.

6) It seems to me that these flawed concepts are born in a society in which sex is the ONE AND ONLY provider of pleasure. And while the illusion of freedom is sold to clueless men and women, they are more enslaved than people who follow the rules and regulations they dread and call backwards and mysoginistic.

[Quark23]

To be honest, I wouldn't introduce anyone to Prabupada's teaching; that'll give them a negative view of Hinduism. He not only says these things about women but uses the word 'rascal' even while referring to spiritual giants like Vivekananda and Ramakrishna and Aurobindo! He's the Fred Phelps of Hinduism. His followers are no better.

Interesting comparison, although I am unsure that it is really that simple - Prabhupada was a man in a specific time period.

I have problems with his seemingly misogynistic remarks however its a very up and down thing - on one hand in the first chapter of the Gita he makes a negative statement regards the intelligence of women but I have also heard that he thought all women should attain higher education and PHD's if possible?

It actually makes the whole process of coming to a true judgment / understanding on him very difficult.

I have to say though - when I was attending temple here in Australia I met some very closed minded senior devotee's who expressed a low view of women and thought they should be in the home, doing homely duties.

I always had a problem with this.