Does the GBC prohibit śūdras in ISKCON from becoming dīkṣā-guru? By Kṛṣṇa-kīrti-dāsaḥ 29 November 2025 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s celebrated statement — “Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra, he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa” (CC Madhya 8.128) — is oftenContinue Reading
Excerpt: In May 2025 the Supreme Court gave Bengaluru ISKCON control of the Hare Krishna Hill temple, rejecting Mumbai ISKCON’s claims, but in October a split verdict on Mumbai’s review petitions sent the matter to a larger bench, suspending Bengaluru’s victory. Madhu Pandit Das had hailed the earlier ruling asContinue Reading
Krishna Kirti das explains the basis of the authority of sad-achara (exemplary behavior), and why it’s necessary in order to obtain an authoritative answer to questions about dharma for which there are no points given in either the shrutis (Vedas) or smritis (literature composed by great sages and devotees).Continue Reading
Q: In the Soviet Union what were the main ideological objections to the Bhagavad-gita? ChatGPT: During the Soviet era, the main ideological objections to the Bhagavad-gita were rooted in Marxist-Leninist ideology, which viewed religion as an opiate of the masses that served to perpetuate social inequality and hinder the developmentContinue Reading
When women and men mix so freely, sexual assault, rape, etc., are bound to happen. The remedial measures of the demons such as sex education or therapy do nothing to curb that trend. The best way is to restructure your society, including personal customs, to minimize the possibility of contact between men and women.Continue Reading
I don’t know why you chose to publicly malign Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja when by your own admission there are other, more culpable ISKCON leaders who you could have come out publicly against yet chose not to name. But at least we know that whatever your reason, it has absolutely nothing to do with any child’s welfare. Continue Reading
Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 20.352 that among the sources of knowledge dharma given by one’s guru, other saintly persons, and shaof stra, “the shastra is the center for all.” Yet it is seen in many sampradayas that the acharya is still very much central to the practice and faith of the devotees. So, if the actual center is the shastra, then what does it mean to a community to keep the acharya in the center? This question is discussed and answered in this video by Krishna Kirti dasa of the ISKCON India Scholars Board.Continue Reading
The fundamental argument for allowing women in ISKCON equal access to positions in management (temple president, GBC, etc.) and also act as diksa-guru is that Srila Prabhupada introduced something new. But did he?Continue Reading
There once was a stree who gave diksha But wouldn’t give men any shiksha. With shyness she said To the third man she wed, “I’d burn in an agni pariksha.”Continue Reading
Are the methods of modern psychology and sociology compatible with Krishna consciousness? If you believe in one, can you believe in the other? And in the context of child protection, a field which relies on these two scientific fields, why do these questions matter? This article, first posted at the ISKCON India Scholars Board, addresses these questions.Continue Reading