Page 51 - M&M - Eng
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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
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