ISKCON’s Governing Body Comission officially approves female diksha gurus

The GBC has approved female diksa-gurus for areas self-determined by regional governing bodies. This means that the devotees responsible for ISKCON in a given geographic area will be able to say whether they will allow women to act as diksa-guru (mantropadesh guru) within their zone. The measure passed by only five votes, and there were two abstentions. 27 members of the GBC were present for the vote. Before the measure becomes official, it will be voted on by the SABHA (Spiritual Advisors Bhagavata Assembly) and then will need to be vetted by ISKCON’s legal office before becoming final. The measure is expected to pass.

Other sources interviewed by The Hans India claimed that ISKCON’s Governing Body “did not come to any conclusion on the contentious issue which will be taken up again in the next GBC meeting”. However, an official resolution has already been released to the public.

The GBC has now formally endorsed two incompatible views in the matter of determining whether one can be a guru: one view follows shastra and the other abandons shastra. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Thus the GBC has formalized the start of a schism. This will break ISKCON permanently and destroy its preaching.

This is also the beginning of the end of ISKCON as an institution that follows sanatana dharma. yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah / na sa siddhim avapnoti na sukham na param gatim, “He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination” (Bhagavad-gita 16.23). Therefore, any institution that discards scriptural injunction will no longer be able to help its members achieve perfection.

It is a sad day in the history of the sankirtana movement that such a decision against shastra has taken place in the holy dham of Tirupati. This is very sad.

[Note: photo of GBC is a file photo from an older meeting, not current meeting at Tirupati.]
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  • The article has been edited to indicate that "The measure passed by only five votes". With two abstentions it means 15+10+2=27. It would be interesting to know name of those ten GBC devotees who disagreed. I mean to raise this topic in a public discussion today requires one to know where every participant stands first. Perhaps some devotees will discover that their guru voted in a "wrong" way too. Imagine the surprise.

  • Btw, "The measure passed by only two votes, and there were two abstentions. 29 members of the GBC were present for the vote" doesn't compute mathematically. If one side had two more votes than the other then the total must be an even number, ie 13+15=28 or 14+16=30. Two abstentions means the total yes+no should still be an odd number.

    It would be nice to have correct numbers so that this article could be used as reference.

  • Birth

    I was thinking today about this issue of women guru which my spiritual master did not approve of ( an understatement ) and thinking how the decision directly denies sastra.

    In Bhagavad gita we learn that each soul is travelling through the species based upon his karma. This woman guru decision ignores karma by pretending ( as modern karmis do ) that the soul in question was accidentally awarded a woman's body.

    In other words, except for the outer covering men and women are exactly the same. Of course when we say this we are denying sastra and guru.

    In a Srimad Bhagavatam purport His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta comments on Prahlada Maharaja's mother.

    She had been taken to Narada Muni's hermitage and heard him speak. But she later forgot Narada's instructions though she was an adult whereas her son still in her womb was able to retain them.

    Her inability to remember had everything to do with her subtle body.

    Someone.might argue that the GBC members took this into account. That would be speculation.

    In fact we know neither the GBC nor those supporting this decision have given the subtle body any consideration whatsoever. Instead they are thinking exactly as karmis do that what we take birth as is an accident.

    That is stated in Bhagavad gita. " The demonic say the world is simply the result of sex life " Bg. Gita 16.8

    It is instructive to note the next verse. Bg. Gita 16.9
    " Following such conclusions the demons engage in work to destroy the world "

  • It will destroyed to Iskcon very fast.
    GBC Members who was voted for the same , he can not have scence of Shashtra.

  • Dandavt pranaam
    Please accept my homble obbeices
    Dear dikshas guru and gbc members guru please let us now about our female shiksha gurus thank you very much
    Your most fallen servant Radhacharan das (krdm)

  • Kindly publish the names of all those who voted in support, who voted against, the ones who kept out. Saadhu Savdhaann!!!

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