Page 51 - M&M - Eng
P. 51
Comments on Previous Editions 269
By repeatedly referring to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s direct teachings
and to śāstra he refutes the arguments of materialistic ideologies
such as egalitarianism, feminism, liberal humanism and moral
relativism that tries to defeat ISKCON’s traditional Vedic culture
and values, even from within the movement. This book is
dealing with statements of Śrīla Prabhupāda like varṇāśrama-
dharma and feminism within ISKCON which many devotees
avoid discussing because these subjects are too controversial
to discuss openly. HH Bhakti Vikāsa Swami mentions in the
book that over the years, the leadership of ISKCON has quietly,
without consulting the wider body of devotees, promoted
assimilation with the broader society rather than conquest of
it by varṇāśrama-dharma. In this book he takes up statements
of Śrīla Prabhupāda and shows us why varṇāśrama-dharma
offers a comprehensive solution to the crises of the modern
world and very much related with that — why we oppose
feminism within ISKCON.
I feel that this is an extremely important book for all devotees;
both prabhus and mātājīs, because it helps us to understand
our real identity as Vaiṣṇavas following Vedic culture and
regulations and to not fall victim of becoming devotees
standing with one leg in the Vedic tradition and the other in
the hedonistic modern society of today.
Since only a few are pure devotees we have been given the
prescription of daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma as the original
divine method which Śrīla Prabhupāda advocated since the
beginning of his preaching in the West and later on after
establishing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the West he emphasized
the importance of this ideal social structure more so to help
devotees to come to the spiritual platform.
HH Bhakti Vikāsa Swami mentions the famous quote of
Śrīla Prabhupāda; “Fifty percent of my work is not complete,
because I have not established varṇāśrama-dharma,” both in