Understanding acharaya’s controversial statements

Lecture Summary:

Not compromising doesn’t mean confronting unnecessarily

Eg. Not compromising = doing surgery; confronting unnecessarily = not giving pain-medication, not being aware of patient’s particular complications

Lord Chaitanya’s social sensitivity

Eg. Didn’t insist that Haridas Thakura be allowed entry in Jagannatha temple

Eg. Took prasad only at brahmana’s house

Differentiate eternal spiritual message from medium, which includes language, recollected facts and contextual social message

Acharya’s social stands may not come from shastra, but from acharya’s pratyaksha and anumana eg statements on Hitler

Scripture on rape:

8 kinds of marriages – Forcible intercourse leading to marriage: Pishacha vivaha. Not prescription, but description

Different meanings of rape:

1. “expert at rape” – means aggression within affection to convert a coy woman’s no to yes

2. Ramayana translator – Rape of Sita – means abduction, not violation

3. Other ‘rape’ quotes – means involuntary pleasure due to orgasm during forcible penetration

In no way, shape or form does Prabhupada recommend rape – he doesn’t even recommend consensual sex.

Be intellectually responsible in presenting shastra’s message properly – share clarificatory message, develop ISKCON’s theological positions, and improve ISKCON’s online presence

See this controversy as a shock treatment for spurring self-improvement in our movement