Aug 17, 2016 — USA (SUN) —
Following is a comment by Visakha Priya dasi, disciple of H.H. Giriraja Swami, made on Dandavats.com:
"As far as I know, in my 38 continuous years in ISKCON, I never heard devotees call each other "gopi." This must be a new trend. When I first joined, and until the end of the eighties, everybody was calling everybody else Prabhu–including our temple presidents. Then, in the early nineties, the term "Mataji", which was normally used by some of the men to refer to or address women, began to be used among the women to address each other. Since I am almost 70 years old, I do not mind if those women who could be my daughters or grand-daughters call me mother, but when my contemporaries–or even seniors–do so, I consider it to be brainless impersonalism. Hare Krishna!"
I responded to the comment with three quotes, two from Bhagavatam and one from Srila Prabhupada, but Dandavatas refused to publish them even after I enquired. More on that later. First my original comment:
"'The Emperor was unable to bear the separation of his daughter. Therefore tears poured from his eyes again and again, drenching his daughter's head as he cried, "My dear mother! My dear daughter!" (SB 3.22.25)
Is Svayambhuva Manu, one of the 12 mahajanas a brainless impersonalist?
"[Gopis speaking to each other] O mother, in this forest all the birds have risen onto the beautiful branches of the trees to see Krsna. With closed eyes they are simply listening in silence to the sweet vibrations of His flute, and they are not attracted by any other sound. Surely these birds are on the same level as great sages."
PURPORT
… Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that the gopis would sometimes address each other as amba, "mother." (SB 10.21.14)
Are Gopis of Vrndavana brainless impersonalists?
"From the very beginning of life, all women they are treated as mother. That is the system, Vedic system. Everyone will call a woman as "Mother," never mind whether she is younger or older. It doesn't matter. Woman has to be addressed as "Mother." ( Bhagavad-gita 4.16 -- April 5, 1974, Bombay)
Is Srila Prabhupada a brainless impersonalist?
That was the comment that Praghosa dasa at Dandavats didn't want to publish. At first I couldn't understand, but now it is clear. He is a feminist who promotes that women should be called 'Prabhu'. He basically is against Krsna's Vedic culture -- one of the reasons he is so popular in Mayapura.
However the worst part is what it says about Visakha Priya dasi, who after 38 continuous years in ISKCON has apparently never read up to the 3rd canto of the Bhagavatam, what to speak of the 10th canto. And how embarrassing for her guru, Giriraja Swami to have such an illiterate disciple who considers those who actually know and practice Krsna's Vedic culture to be symptomatic of "brainless impersonalism." After seeing the direct statements of sastra and our acarya we can understand who is the brainless one.
We also note that she says "in my 38 continuous years in ISKCON". Why does she say that? To distinguish herself from people like Malati dd who were blooped from 1977-1993. Actually Visakha Priya dd has been in ISKCON longer than Malati dd!
What is the cause of Visakha Priya's brainlessness? It is a result of her bad association. Visakha Priya dasi is one of a cadre of female devotees who are under the influence of the Feminist Ministry aka Women's Ministry aka Vaisnavis Ministry living in Vrndavana. Others include but are not limited to Prasanta dd, Kusha dd, Mahadevi dd, Visakha dd, Malati dd, Narayani dd and others who banned WMM.
This cadre of feminists living in Vraja think that following Stri dharma is beneath them, that they are special and are after a "higher taste," the taste of the mellows of the residents of Gokula Vrndavana, especially the Gopis. Aside from their sahajiya mentality, disbarring them they would never fit in with the real Gopis of Braja who Krsna loves and cherishes. Why? Because these feminist sahajiyas think that Krsna's Gopis are "brainless impersonalists" who call each other "mother".
