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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG ), Sociology

When conducting any survey, one of the most important concerns a researcher has is in eliminating bias. Even if the bias is unintentional, if your survey is biased in any way, the results will be unreliable or misleading. As declared in the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, “The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all.” Bias prevents the discovery of truth. Therefore, both researchers and devotees have a common interest in eliminating bias.

My overall assessment of the survey is that while some of the questions are reasonable and interesting and not without some utility for ISKCON policymakers, the survey itself is strongly biased to produce results that reflect the opinion of the survey’s sponsor. In the survey there are various problems of response bias, especially framing bias, and also selection bias. It is also apparent that those who created the survey are unfamiliar with some of the basic principles of survey design. Prior experience and training do matter.

Now, I will present examples of these different biases. After that, I will address some general epistemological issues related to this survey and its purposes.Continue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG )

In order to defend H.H. Bhakti Vikāśa Swami’s criticism of the attempt to use mathematics to interpret Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statement about the ineligibility of Sunīti to become her son Dhruva’s dīkṣā-guru, Dāmodara Dāsa (BVKS) replies to Madana Mohana Dāsa (MG). Dāmodara Prabhu shows how the words “complete nonsense”, “foolish” and “supposed devotees,” as used by Mahārāja, are indeed justified. Dāmodara Prabhu also shows how Madana Mohana Prabhu has misunderstood Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s commentary regarding Sunīti and falsely portrays her has “jealous” and “vengeful,” in opposition to Śrīla Prabhupāda having nothing but the highest praise for Sunīti.Continue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG ), Philosophy

In the paper The Sunīti Pramāṇa and Set Theory, the authors apply formal logic to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statement in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.32 in order to prove that it does not indicate that women are generally disallowed from becoming dīkṣā-guru. However, their application of logic depends on three erroneous maneuvers: 1) accepting the possibilities of falsity or intentional ambiguity within that statement; 2) the unnecessary use of lakṣaṇā-vṛtti (indirect meaning) instead of the statement’s mukhya-vṛtti (direct meaning); and 3) oversimplification of the statement’s grammar to support a naïve, inadequate model of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s intent.

Before addressing the authors’ errors of interpretation, I would like to briefly state what the correct understanding of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s text is and why it should be read this way.Continue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG )

Dear Bhakti Vikāśa Mahārāja, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. On February 18, 2021, you were quoted by this site as stating: “The very fact that supposed devotees attempt to interpret Srila Prabhupada’s statements using mathematics shows how foolish and deviated they are from the basic methods ofContinue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG )

The very fact that supposed devotees attempt to interpret Srila Prabhupada’s statements using mathematics shows how foolish and deviated they are from the basic methods of spiritual understanding as taught by Srila Prabhupada. Why even bother to discuss mathematical approaches to “understanding” Srila Prabhupada’s purports? It is complete nonsense from the outset.Continue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG )

Background In January 2021, an anonymous author circulated a paper titled Sunīti’s Ineligibility in ISKCON. An analysis of two statements made by Śrīla Prabhupāda (further on referred to as SI for brevity). SI attempts to analyse Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport on SB 4.12.32 (or the “Sunīti pramāṇa”) with the aim to show thatContinue Reading

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In: Poison issue

Click here to visit the PCON Forum The poison conspiracy has meandered through the ISKCON rumor channels for about 20 years without adequately having been disposed of. On March 9th 2020 Gaur Purnima all of that changed with the release of the book DECEPTION and a movie of the sameContinue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG )

February 2021 Dear Swamiji, Yatibhyonamaha.  Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Here is a link to a lecture — it can be heard fully at this link — that Srila Prabhupada gave at Los Angeles on September 22 1972: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/720922sbla/ Here is the “key passage” from the lecture: Woman, they are generally equippedContinue Reading

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In: Female Diksha Gurus ( FDG ), Purports

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada Kalakantha Prabhu (and probably some others) have been circulating a paper titled “Suniti’s Ineligibility in ISKCON”, dated 11 January, which is saved and edited by someone named Anuttama.IC as per the document properties. Their paper explainsContinue Reading

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