Endangered Species

ISKCON Ashramites in the West

In service of our beloved spiritual master,

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Kalakaṇṭha dāsa and Jitāmitra dāsi

Sweetsong Publications
214 NW 14th St., Gainesville, FL 32603

Copyright © 2020 Carl Woodham

All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 9781791647018
Dedicated to the past, present, and future leaders of ISKCON
who are courageous followers of
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
 Contents
Foreword Akhaṇḍadhī das ............................................................................................................................ 8
Introduction: A Short History of ISKCON Ashrams ..................................................................................... 11

Section One: The Krishna House Story ..................................................... 13

Chapter One: Reviving a Dormant ISKCON Ashram .................................................................................... 14
Chapter Two: Making Krishna Accessible ................................................................................................... 15
What Śrīla Prabhupāda Did .................................................................................................................. 15
Following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Footsteps ............................................................................................... 15
Innovations............................................................................................................................................ 15
Organics and GMOs .............................................................................................................................. 16
Chapter Three: Hardline Lessons ................................................................................................................ 17
A Big Mistake ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Course Correction .................................................................................................................................. 17
Dealing with Pitfall Philosophies ........................................................................................................... 18
A Case Study .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Chapter Four: The Simple ’60s to the Zealous ’70s .................................................................................... 19
A Shift in Attitude .................................................................................................................................. 19
Lingering Zealousness ........................................................................................................................... 20
Male-centric Impersonalism ................................................................................................................. 21
“The Whole World is a Nail” ................................................................................................................. 22
Getting Past the Zealous ’70s ............................................................................................................... 22

Section Two: Creating a Bhakti Habitat .................................................... 24

Chapter Five: Obstacles to Recruiting ......................................................................................................... 25
Obstacle #1: Complacency .................................................................................................................... 25
Solution #1: Appropriate Outreach ....................................................................................................... 25
Obstacle #2: Incomplete Marketing ...................................................................................................... 26
Solution #2: Create Ashrams ................................................................................................................. 26
Obstacle #3: Lack of Commitment ........................................................................................................ 27
Solution #3: Establish a Human Resource Director ............................................................................... 27
Chapter Six: Three Principles of Sama-Darśinaḥ ........................................................................................ 29
1. Ashram Equity ................................................................................................................................... 29
 Brahmacārī vs. Gṛhastha ................................................................................................................. 29
Brahmacārī Blues ............................................................................................................................ 30
Celibacy ........................................................................................................................................... 31
Sannyāsīs and Gṛhasthas ................................................................................................................ 32
2. Gender Equity .................................................................................................................................... 33
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s True Follower ................................................................................................... 33
Misogyny and Feminism in ISKCON ................................................................................................ 34
The Universal Prabhu ...................................................................................................................... 36
Domestic Abuse............................................................................................................................... 37
3. Guru Equity........................................................................................................................................ 37
Minimizing Formalities .................................................................................................................... 38
Guru Confidentiality ........................................................................................................................ 38
Seniority Equity ............................................................................................................................... 39
Treasuring our Devotional Communities ........................................................................................ 40
Chapter Seven: Balanced Temples and Ashrams ........................................................................................ 41
The Basis of sādhu-saṇga...................................................................................................................... 41
The Benefits of Inter-gender Temples ................................................................................................... 41
Manageable Boundaries ....................................................................................................................... 42
One Million Books ................................................................................................................................. 42
Chapter Eight: Women in ISKCON .............................................................................................................. 44
Driving Women away from ISKCON ...................................................................................................... 44
Why Gender Equity is So Important to Western Preaching .................................................................. 44
Are Women really the Problem? ........................................................................................................... 45
Chapter Nine: Crippling Offenses to ISKCON Vaishnavis ............................................................................ 46
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Greatest Innovation ............................................................................................... 46
A GBC Apology ...................................................................................................................................... 46
Vaishnavi Diksa Gurus and Western Outreach ..................................................................................... 47
Sustainable Krishna Consciousness ....................................................................................................... 49

Section Three: Attaining A “Normal Condition of Life” ............................. 50

Chapter Ten: Spiritual Marriage and Balanced Training ............................................................................. 51
Good Reasons to Marry in Krishna Consciousness ................................................................................ 51
The Irreplaceable Role of Gṛhasthas ..................................................................................................... 52
Chapter Eleven: Sex and the Single Sādhaka .............................................................................................. 54
Is Sex Bad?............................................................................................................................................. 54
Managing Sex Desire ............................................................................................................................ 54
Sex and Gṛhastha Life ........................................................................................................................... 55
Chapter Twelve: Five Keys to Successful Gṛhastha Life .............................................................................. 56
1. Thinking Positively about Gṛhastha Life ............................................................................................ 56
2. Patience............................................................................................................................................. 56
3. Vocation ............................................................................................................................................ 57
4. Pre-marital Counseling ...................................................................................................................... 57
5. Mutual Respect ................................................................................................................................. 57
Chapter Thirteen: Beyond Bodily Designations .......................................................................................... 59
Western or Eastern Dress? .................................................................................................................... 59
‘Fallen Gṛhasthas’ ................................................................................................................................. 59
Varnashrama and ISKCON .................................................................................................................... 60

Section 4: Takeaways ............................................................................... 62

Chapter Fourteen: Boiling the Milk? ........................................................................................................... 63
Advising a Starving Man to Fast ........................................................................................................... 63
Endangered Species or Pale Imitation? ................................................................................................. 64
Chapter Fifteen: Conclusion........................................................................................................................ 66
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Example ................................................................................................................. 66
Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis ............................................................................................................ 66

Appendices .............................................................................................. 68
Six Spiritual Values of Krishna House .......................................................................................................... 69
A Brahmacārīnī’s Story................................................................................................................................ 71
A Brahmacārī’s Story .................................................................................................................................. 74
Bhakti Basics: An Introduction to the Bhakti Academy .............................................................................. 78
Krishna House Testimonials ........................................................................................................................ 86
Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................................... 89
 Foreword
Akhaṇḍadhī das

Some days when I enter the corridors of Bhaktivedanta Manor, time stands still. The fragrance of a
certain incense and the frying of spices in ghee transports me back to the day I first walked into this
Hare Krishna ashram that sunny afternoon in July 1975. Apart from the mystical sound of Śrīla
Prabhupāda singing ‘Krishna Meditations’ emanating from a record player in one room, the Manor
building was deserted, for the devotees were enjoying a picnic lunch on the sunlit lawn.

As I had arrived late and prasādam had all been served, various devotees offered me preparations from
their own plates. We lounged on the grass and chatted. “This is what it’s all about,” I thought,
“discussing real spiritual philosophy with learned devotees.” I had found my people and the way of life
for which I had yearned.

Our philosophizing was curtailed when one devotee announced it was time for service. Service? That
was a new concept to me. “Sure,” I thought, “if that’s what you do here.” And off I went to pack peanuts
for distribution for a festival soon to be held on the streets of London.

Later, I was taken to the ashram dormitories. I had naively assumed that ashrams would have similar
facilities to university Halls of Residence: a small private room and shared bathrooms, perhaps. My host
brought me to an unfurnished room on the top floor of the Manor, pointed to a body-sized area of bare
boards in one corner and offered: “There are ten devotees in here. You can have that spot.”

Elements of my story are surely typical of many devotees who decided to enter the ashram as full-time
residents. The place, the circumstances, the personnel vary, but the emotions and insights gained by
fully giving ourselves to Krishna are familiar. Though most of us no longer reside in temple ashrams, we
attribute the lion’s share of our realizations, purification, advancement and devotion to those formative
ashram years.

Realizations arise from tapaḥ, austerity. In the ashram, austerities were both unavoidable and somehow
delightful, from the moment we awoke to the last thought at night. Through austerity we controlled our
activities, words and thoughts, discerning the helpful from distractions in service to guru and Krishna.
Such constant application of bhakti diminished the fire of lust in our hearts. We rose to challenges that
brought out skills and character that we never knew were there. The austerities we shared with our
ashram colleagues helped establish us as the lifelong devotees we are today.

Today the Manor has one of the most expansive networks of devotee householders outside of India,
most of whom have come to Krishna Consciousness through various congregational programs. After
serving as the Manor’s temple president and now a congregational member myself for many years, I am
constantly amazed by these sincere devotees who are so devoted to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Their devotional
practices, regulated home life, sattvic behavior and strong social morality are an absolute credit to our
movement. At the same time, I see how much these congregational devotees rely on those who do (or
did) live in the ashram for inspiration and guidance.

Endangered Species reaffirms the imperative need to facilitate the first ashram of spiritual studentship.
Residential ashrams for interested young adults are crucial for the mission of the only spiritual
movement with the authority and energy to make a real difference to this unenlightened world.
Why are residential ashrams so important? Ashramites build congregations, as evidenced by
Bhaktivedanta Manor’s phenomenal constituency. Congregations can enlarge themselves; they can
percolate into social, economic and political areas of society that ashramites cannot access. Yet
congregational members rarely encourage someone to move into an ashram or take other steps in
spiritual life that they themselves, for whatever valid reason, have not taken. Further, congregations are
often challenged to cross comfortably beyond their own cultural and social boundaries.

What then will happen to the so-called ‘Western’ constituency— those unfortunate individuals without
the benefit of dharmic upbringing and familiarity with Vaishnava culture? It is clear to many of us that
ISKCON in the pāścātya-deśa has lost momentum in its Western outreach. We are not even sure how to
phrase it. Sometimes it seems divisive to raise the issue. Are we criticizing the value and contributions of
our congregations? Of course not. We simply acknowledge that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission was to
engage all spirit souls, regardless of background, in Krishna consciousness. While Śrīla Prabhupāda was
so very good at it, today ISKCON appears to have lost confidence in its ability to reach people of diverse
ethnicities. In many centers and projects, we seem unsure how to do it, or if we can, or if we should.

Some say that the idea of joining an ashram or commune is passé, a hangover from the drop-out
anticulture of the 1960s that is not the way of today’s Millennials and Generation Z. Based on my
experience, I disagree. For the past twenty years I have run the UK’s largest retreat center, bringing me
in direct contact with all sorts of religious and personal development groups consisting of serious adults
often preparing to enter some sort of monastic or communal life. From these encounters I have
observed that although young people today are less driven to turn their back on society, they have a
greater awareness that they must care for themselves as holistic beings, striking a sustainable balance
between their outer and inner lives.

Sadly, lacking authorized Vedic guidance backed by appropriate care and facilities, these young people
usually interpret their spiritual need in all sorts of mundane ways: futile practices or useless tech
gadgets; swimming with dolphins; walking the Inca trail, and other such vain efforts to ‘find themselves’.

ISKCON is well behind the times in terms of understanding the public’s widespread demand for spiritual
nourishment through immersive retreats and long-term ashram residency.

We talk of succession planning for ISKCON, but from where will the future leadership of our society
come? Certainly, many will be drawn from inspired members of our congregations as well as the
extraordinary offspring of long-standing devotee families. But, if the future make-up of leadership does
not include a significant presence of new devotees trained in ISKCON ashrams, will our movement
reflect its original mission? Will residential ashrams be promoted as vital to the life of the movement, or
relegated to a relic of outmoded value?

I am therefore so grateful to Jitāmitra and Kalakaṇṭha prabhus for their perceptions, wisdom and
enthusiasm in reviving a dynamic ashram and producing this book to explain how they did it. They have
challenged us to acknowledge the plight of the dwindling population of residential ashramites—a
species facing with potential extinction, possibly even within our lifetime, because of the destruction or
loss of its habitat.

Thanks to our congregations, we are now in a strong position to recover the ashram habitat and
rejuvenate the species. Will our congregational leaders see the value in providing suitable ashrams so
that those dedicating themselves full-time can invest in devotion, study and character development
while further spreading the sankīrtana movement? The facility is there—if we have the will.

Endangered Species is an important book, one that I hope will open widespread consideration on this
subject.

Akhaṇḍadhī das, ACBSP, Wales, UK

 Introduction: A Short History of ISKCON Ashrams
In 1966, Śrīla Prabhupāda founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New
York. He was an impoverished 71-year-old holy man from Calcutta traveling outside of India for the first
time, secured by nothing more than a brief US tourist visa. Within a few months, his simple presentation
of Krishna consciousness attracted a small but serious group of bohemian Lower East Side youth who
could scarcely understand how much he had risked to come to them.

With Śrīla Prabhupāda’s encouragement, over the next few years his fledgling students opened ISKCON
temples in North America. These temples quickly filled with more young devotees who lived in modest
ashrams, first in cities throughout North America and then in Europe, Australasia and around the world.
Before Śrīla Prabhupāda’s passing in 1977, ISKCON boasted some 108 temples and ashrams.

After Śrīla Prabhupāda left this world, most of the young ashramites (ashram residents) who initially led
ISKCON turned their attention to marriage and family responsibilities. Gradually there were fewer and
fewer newcomers to take their place. Ashrams dwindled in importance. Although the temples founded
by Śrīla Prabhupāda all carried on, most of the ashrams diminished or closed.

During this time millions of Indians had immigrated to North America and other places where ISKCON
began. Having been attracted to ISKCON, these congregational members stepped in and took leadership
roles to preserve and expand ISKCON temples.

Today, ISKCON North America largely serves these congregational members who visit temples and
perform various services as much as their busy schedules allow. With temples solidly established
through congregational support, many ISKCON leaders wonder if ashrams are still important or even
possible. At the same time, they are concerned that ISKCON no longer deeply touches spiritually minded
locals.

ISKCON congregational members are generally steeped in a deep Hindu heritage that makes Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s gifts easy to appreciate. Yet for others, particularly for young Western devotees, an
ashram experience for at least a few months is all but essential for reaching a similar, lasting
appreciation.

Ashram experience plucks one from the conveyer belt of school/earning/marriage/family that has been
long shoved down the throats of young people as the ultimate path to human happiness. Human life is
meant for spiritual realization, yet because of such social pressure, most young people tend to push
spiritual life to the back of the priority list as something to be done in retirement. Especially for young
people, an ashram experience proves that spiritual life can be pursued immediately, and that doing so
prepares one for a happier, more fulfilling life, regardless of one’s vocation and family situation.

Śrīla Prabhupāda compared ashram life to the stock exchange; if you’re in business, you make more
money around other buyers and sellers. Similarly, ashram residents learn more about Krishna by
maintaining close association with other Krishna conscious people.

This book is our humble attempt to explain the vital importance of continuing ISKCON’s ashram culture
in the West, particularly in the wealthy, multi-ethnic, democratic countries where ISKCON first took root.
It is precisely in these places where capable young devotees living in ashrams are becoming an
endangered species.

We write this book based on our experience gleaned over fifteen years in helping to bring hundreds of
such persons to Krishna consciousness. This is a ‘how to’ book, not an argument in an armchair debate.
If someone feels they have a better approach than the one explained herein, we look forward to seeing
it work. Otherwise, in lieu of anything else that works, we humbly request interested devotees to read,
understand and try for themselves Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original system along with some contemporary
adjustments that Lord Krishna has so kindly allowed to work for us. Phalena paricīyate; one has to study
by the result.

In spreading Krishna consciousness, one size does not fit all. One must adjust, as Śrīla Prabhupāda
writes:

“To broadcast the cult of Krishna consciousness, one has to learn the possibility of renunciation in terms
of country, time and candidate. A candidate for Krishna consciousness in the Western countries should
be taught about the renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country
like India in a different way. The teacher (ācārya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must
avoid the principle of niyamāgraha — that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is
possible in one country may not be possible in another.” (Cc. Madhya 23.105).

Although we gear our presentation for Westerners, everyone is welcomed and appreciated at Krishna
House. Devotees of all backgrounds and ethnicities come together there and relish each other’s
company in Krishna consciousness. Krishna House is a microcosm of what the world can be, truly united
with Krishna at the center.

Endangered Species has three main sections. The first tells the history of Krishna House’s ashram
revolution. The second describes how to recreate the Krishna House phenomenon. And the third lays
out the teaching approach that has led to long-term spiritual success for Krishna House students.

By following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example in ISKCON’s early days, Krishna House has become a sanctuary
to help save an invaluable species from extinction. The results continue to exceed our expectations. May
you also find fulfillment and inspiration in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example.

Kalakaṇṭha das, ACBSP and Jitāmitra dasi, ACBSP

Gainesville, Florida, USA, September 18, 2020
Anniversary of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Arrival in the USA, 1966
 Section One: The
Krishna House Story
 Chapter One: Reviving a Dormant ISKCON Ashram
Though raised in Christian homes, in 1972, ten years before we met and married, we had each moved
into local ISKCON ashrams. In those days, many spiritually curious young men and women like us
dropped out of mainstream society and joined newly formed ISKCON ashrams, adopting Vaishnavism
under Śrīla Prabhupāda’s tutelage.

As ashramites we attended blissful kirtans and classes early each morning with dozens of friends. During
the day we cleaned the temple, performed kirtan on the streets, distributed books and prasādam and
raised funds for the temple. In the evening we gathered again in the temple for more kirtan and
scriptural study. Every day was a festival of deep spiritual enjoyment. We loved it.

Ten years later we married and set up our gṛhastha ashram. Due to our beloved temple ashram
experiences, we found it easy to maintain our spiritual practices as we grew a business and raised three
children. That’s why, over time, we felt sad to see ashram life decline in ISKCON.

By 2006 our children were grown. Some friends then asked us to manage the quiet ISKCON center in
Gainesville, Florida, also known as Krishna House. When we arrived, our mere presence immediately
doubled the daily morning program attendance—from two to four devotees, all of us in our forties and
fifties. I wondered what young men and women would think of four middle-aged people dancing around
a Tulasī plant at 5 in the morning.

Krishna House had some rooms that once served as ashrams but were now rented to college students
who were friendly but had no interest in Krishna consciousness. Devotional manpower and enthusiasm
were both in short supply. Only one youthful Westerner had been attracted to join the temple in the
past ten years, and he had moved on. Chances of attracting more seemed slim.

With nothing to lose, we adjusted things to be as similar as possible to our early ashram days. To our
surprise and delight, soon three young people moved into the former Krishna House ashrams and began
seriously practicing Krishna consciousness. The next semester there were six students. A few semesters
later the Krishna House ashrams were stuffed with thirty students.

Morning programs at Krishna House became dynamic, uplifting, fun and attractive. Krishna House
expanded harināma sankīrtana, book distribution, prasādam distribution and outreach programs.
Within a few years, dozens of Krishna House graduates had taken initiation from fifteen different
ISKCON dīkṣā gurus.

Today these bright, educated young men and women, most of them Western-born, lead kirtans,
perform pūjās, give classes and take responsibilities in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s service. They relish Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s books and discuss how to apply them. After receiving basic training at Krishna House,
hundreds have gone on to perform valuable service in ISKCON communities in North America, South
America, Europe, India and China.

How did this happen? It all came from following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example in the early days of ISKCON.
 Chapter Two: Making Krishna Accessible
What Śrīla Prabhupāda Did
Finding only passing curiosity from established adults, Śrīla Prabhupāda began ISKCON by attracting
young people to a convenient meeting place and holding regular kirtans and classes. He encouraged his
interested young friends to add Krishna to their lives. He did not immediately impose various cultural
practices and spiritual disciplines. As the budding students took more interest, he arranged residential
facilities for them and gradually introduced higher standards and practices.

Following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example, we first established regular classes and ashram facilities, then
introduced a systematic training program christened as, “The Bhakti Academy.” Encouraging bright
young people to ‘just add Krishna’ made introductory Krishna consciousness simple, attractive and
accessible to newcomers. Rupa Gosvāmī composed this verse which serves as the Bhakti Academy
motto:

Yena tena prakareṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveṣayet. “One should fix his mind on Krishna by any means. The
rules and regulations can come later.” [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.4].

Following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Footsteps

How are Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mood and program practically applied today?

- All serious students are eligible, regardless of background.

- Though the four regulative principles are non-negotiable, newcomers need only commit to eight
rounds of daily japa, gradually working up to sixteen.
- Morning program schedules are eased to 6:00 - 8:30 AM. They are mandatory for ashram
residents Monday through Friday. Students may sleep in or voluntarily attend weekend morning
programs.
- Dress standards are relaxed. Students are free to choose saris and dhotis or modest Western
dress, and neither style is pushed.
- Though men and women at Krishna House live in separate ashrams and strictly observe celibacy,
they otherwise interact in a friendly manner within clearly specified boundaries that they learn
before moving in.
- Gender discrimination during temple services is eliminated. (‘Men first’ norms are now so
ingrained in ISKCON temples that only very senior devotees remember the early days when they
weren’t.)
- Responsible students, even if uninitiated, are encouraged to perform tulasī ārati and guru-pūjā,
lead kirtans, give classes and help cook.
- Most importantly, harināma sankīrtana goes on blissfully several days each week.

Innovations
All the above practices were part of ashram life in ISKCON’s formative days. Other Bhakti Academy
practices are innovations. For example:

- Many young people these days are vegan, so vegan options are offered at most meals.
- Rather than going through Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books one verse per class, śāstra classes are
structured with well-planned curriculums that allow students to cover designated sections of
 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā each semester. (Clear, time-bound study objectives
attract educated newcomers.)
- Students who are attending college or working pay $500 per month for tuition, including room
and board, and offer service as their time allows. Other students contribute 20 hours of service
per week.

By adjusting for time, place and circumstance, by removing as many cultural hurdles as possible and by
maintaining a strict yet fun atmosphere, the Bhakti Academy has developed a life of its own. Without
trying to “make devotees,” the Bhakti Academy regularly receives applications from bhaktas and
bhaktins from all walks of life.

Organics and GMOs

After some time, we began receiving applications from second-generation devotees born and raised in
Krishna consciousness. For many of these young devotees, the Bhakti Academy was their first taste of
ashram life. We began to refer to these born-and-raised devotee students as ‘Organics.’ Other
students—the majority—are new to Krishna consciousness. We refer to these devotees as ‘GMOs’ or
Gauranga Modified Organisms.

Most Organics have never met GMOs. Seeing the GMOs’ enthusiasm makes Organics more serious
about and appreciative of their own Krishna conscious upbringing. Most GMOs are astonished to meet
Organics. They often say, “You’ve been doing this all your life? Amazing!” GMOs are keen to learn the
Organics’ musical, cooking and philosophical skills. And for their part, GMOs help disabuse Organics of
the notion that the grass might be greener in material life.

Another subset of Krishna House residents are international students at the University of Florida, some
organics and some GMOs. Most are from India, and many are in the West for the first time. Often the
Western students at Krishna House become their first new friends, and conversely they are the first
people of Indian descent met by the Western students. Despite their different backgrounds, they and
the Western-born students form deep friendships with Krishna at the center.

Though Bhakti Academy students come from many places and backgrounds, they quickly bond around
their daily services and spiritual practices. Whether their material bodies are black, brown, yellow or
white, their friendships create a warm, encouraging, light-hearted and infectiously fun atmosphere
reminiscent of ISKCON’s early days. Krishna House managers who formerly endured a dire shortage of
new devotees now often struggle with a different problem—where to put them all.
 Chapter Three: Hardline Lessons
A Big Mistake
Many devotees were joining at Krishna House. Everything was going great until we made a blunder that
set us back for a year.

After a short time in the ashram some young men began reading books advocating fanatic brahmacārī
life. Egged on by these books and clandestine input from manipulative “hardline” devotees who
considered the Krishna House program too lenient, their attitudes changed. They began taking separate
meals and having their own classes. They began withdrawing from and looking down on Krishna House
as a loose place for neophytes. They began speaking of the bhaktins as agents of māyā and gṛhasthas as
spiritual inferiors.

At first, we thought these young devotees were just going through a ‘pure devotee’ phase and would
get over it. Unfortunately, they only grew more extreme. The wonderful feeling of community that had
blossomed at Krishna House became politicized between the ‘real’ devotees and the rest. The rapid
growth stalled, and the quantity and quality of young people joining the ashram began to subside.

Although they had done wonderful service, eventually these radicalized devotees encountered their
own spiritual trouble. They and their manipulative mentors stole money, thinking themselves justified in
doing so because they were ‘real’ devotees. Some of them left Krishna House and others left Krishna
consciousness altogether.

Course Correction
Since then we have added the ‘hardline’ approach to Krishna consciousness to the list of ‘pitfalls to
avoid.’ We share this with young devotees at Krishna House, along with diversions such as ritvik,
Gaudiya Math, impersonal and sahajiyā philosophies. All these topics are freely discussed in public
classes or private counseling sessions. Students learn that no subject is taboo, and no practice is too
sacrosanct to question.

There are certainly ample ‘hardline’ references in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. However, we have come to
understand His Divine Grace’s books as a spiritual pharmacy full of various spiritual medications. There
are over-the-counter medicines that benefit anyone. Then there are prescription medicines that require
guidance before using. Only a quack prescribes the same medication for every ailment. A more qualified
physician carefully diagnoses a patient’s needs and then prescribes a nuanced application of powerful
medicines.

For example, in the mid-’70s a group of devotees in Los Angeles began selectively reading from Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s writings sections describing intimate stages of bhakti. Śrīla Prabhupāda directed them to
shut down their ‘gopi-bhava club’ and focus on bhakti basics.

To cure Westerners from materialism, hardline prescriptions rarely work. In the West, almost everyone
needs a gentle introduction, particularly those who are educated. It is impersonal to prescribe a
hardline, black and white, ‘one-size-fits all’ approach to such people. Once healed by Śrīla Prabhupāda,
given time, respect and proper encouragement, each person will find his or her own individual,
spontaneous and voluntary niche in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s world-encompassing house.
Dealing with Pitfall Philosophies
Bhakti Academy teachers help the newcomers understand that devotees on these various philosophical
tangents are sincere and well meaning. However, the inability of these devotees to work with the broad
saṇga of ISKCON devotees limits their association and puts them in a confrontational mood that is
unnecessary and harmful to spiritual growth. Bhakti Academy students learn to respect such devotees
from a distance but to avoid confiding in or putting their faith in them.

Inoculating newcomers from these spiritually counterproductive influences has helped produce several
new batches of stable, bright and enthusiastic ISKCON devotees, comfortable with themselves and with
ISKCON and less affected by the ego trips and politics that bogged down some of their predecessors.

A Case Study
What happens when hardliners zealously push newcomers in Krishna consciousness? In Gainesville in
1971, a young man who was one month away from finishing his pre-med degree took a serious interest
in Krishna consciousness. His eager young mentor convinced the young man that school was māyā, so
he dropped out days before receiving his degree. After some years of service, the young man left
ISKCON, returned to medical school and ended up becoming a doctor anyway.

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called
yogī or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one’s position and to try to attain
Krishna consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Krishna’s
māyā.” (Bg.3.33, purport).

To be Krishna conscious it is not necessary to go through such personal turmoil. Heavy preaching – the
‘chopping technique’ – may work elsewhere in the world, and it may even convince a few Westerners to
try bhakti for a while. On the other hand, treating interested Westerners respectfully and sensitively
allows them to easily add Krishna to their lives, transforming their career and family life to a sustainable,
progressive journey back to Godhead.

Especially in wealthy, multi-ethnic societies, young people require a nuanced application of Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s teachings. They need to understand all their choices in spiritual life and receive guidance
and encouragement to make sustainable personal decisions. With such proactive, positive training they
can easily become devotees and remain in Krishna consciousness throughout their lives.

The ‘hardline’ virus that sickened Krishna House is a microcosm of what happened to ISKCON in the
West decades ago. More on this, and its lingering impact on ISKCON, in the next chapter.
 Chapter Four: The Simple ’60s to the Zealous ’70s
The word ‘zealous’ comes from the Greek ‘zelo,’ the same root as the word ‘jealous.’ Though over the
years the words have diverged in meaning—zealous sometimes positive and jealous usually negative—
both words indicate a sense of intolerance. A jealous person cannot tolerate another’s success. A
zealous person cannot tolerate another’s point of view.

A Shift in Attitude
In ISKCON’s early and simple days, young men and women regularly joined the ISKCON ashrams, which
sprung up in cities throughout North America, Western Europe and Australasia. An attractive family
atmosphere pervaded the temples, with Śrīla Prabhupāda as the father of a blissful group of spiritual
brothers and sisters.

After some time, when most of these young men and women wanted to marry, they would receive
blessings if they were sufficiently ‘fixed up,’ mature and committed to Krishna consciousness. Becoming
a gṛhastha was a milestone of spiritual advancement.

Over the next few years, that pleasant family mood changed. Some male devotees began introducing
markedly different attitudes and treatment of female devotees. Less mature leaders, rarely with the
individual’s best interest in mind, began discouraging young men from marrying. From the congenial
days of the Simple ’60s, the Zealous ’70s ensued, bringing several new social norms, such as:

- Young men in ISKCON were encouraged to associate only with those in saffron.
- Married men in ISKCON were dismissed as fallen.
- Women in ISKCON were stifled and marginalized.

In the early 1970s, zealous young Western devotees returning from India sought to establish in ISKCON
their concepts of Indian culture, including some originating from Islam. Most brahmacārīs, aspiring for
sannyāsa, marginalized women’s roles in ISKCON, manifesting most visibly in the Radha Dāmodara
traveling Sankirtan Party. Led by two vibrant young sannyāsīs, this party grew to include hundreds of
men in several large converted Greyhound buses and dozens of satellite vans. They blanketed North
America, distributing unprecedented amounts of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. However, unlike Srila
Prabhupada, they were only interested in bringing male devotees to Krishna consciousness. As one of
their two leaders complained, “every time a woman joins, we lose a man.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged the Radha Dāmodara party. However, in 1976 gṛhastha temple presidents
complained to Śrīla Prabhupāda that Radha Dāmodara’s leaders were urging young brahmacārīs to
abandon their temples and travel, claiming that brahmacārīs should serve sannyāsīs and not gṛhastha
temple presidents. Śrīla Prabhupāda sided with the temple presidents. He also overrode GBC proposals
that would have cemented marginalized positions for women and gṛhasthas in ISKCON. While
appreciating his young disciples’ zeal, Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly saw its limitations.

As another example, when he learned that male leaders were restricting female devotees in various
ways, Śrīla Prabhupāda responded strongly:

“Who has introduced these things, that women cannot have chanting japa in the temple, they cannot
perform the arati and so many things That is not possible. Who has introduced these things, that women
cannot have chanting. If they become agitated, then let the brahmacaris go to the forest, I have never
introduced these things. The brahmacaris cannot remain in the presence of women in the temple, then
they must go to the forest, not remaining in New York City, because in New York there are so many
women, so how they can avoid seeing? Best thing is to go to the forest for not seeing any women, if they
become so easily agitated, but then no one will either see them and how our preaching work will go on?
(Letter to Ekayani dasi, December 3, 1972)

Lingering Zealousness
Challenges from the Zealous ’70s remain throughout ISKCON, often centered on the wearing of saffron.
Saffron cloth indicates detachment and spirituality. In traditional Vedic India, saffron is worn by
sannyāsīs, lifelong celibate monks who are respected as spiritual teachers. So revered is saffron in India
that the color is incorporated into the nation’s flag.

For many young Westerners in the ’70s who lacked deep understanding of Vedic traditions, wearing
saffron became a status symbol. For them, being a devotee meant wearing saffron for life. The broad,
simple and more convivial days of ISKCON in the ’60s that were so attractive to intelligent newcomers
were gradually overshadowed by these much narrower hardline attitudes.

Decades later, we know that nearly all devotees eventually marry. We also understand that healthy
marriages are essential for the growth of ISKCON. Yet some senior devotees, lamenting for the good ol’
days of the Zealous ’70s, still encourage ‘saffron-only’ and discourage marriage. Here’s an example from
a book still circulated in some ISKCON circles purporting to teach young men how to be brahmacārīs:

“It is not necessary or compulsory that everyone get married. The actual standard of brahmacārī life is
to go on and take sannyāsa; gṛhastha life is a consolation prize. At the marriage, everyone is smiling, but
the ex-brahmacārī new husband should not feel that he has anything to celebrate. But if one is so
unfortunate that he cannot maintain the firm determination to stay brahmacārī and is agitated so
severely by material desires that he cannot concentrate properly on service, then it may be better for
him to get married and be done with it rather than to flip-flop and totter on the mental platform
indefinitely.”

In this passage, the author, though a learned devotee, expresses his own opinion without reference to
śāstra or to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Marriage, he says, is a ‘consolation prize,’ and anyone whose personal
shortcomings force them to marry is ‘unfortunate.’

Were they to read such a statement, educated, cultured people—the sort we aspire to attract to
ISKCON—would detect fanaticism and likely lose all interest in Krishna consciousness. They would laugh
and marvel at the strange cultists who believe a groom should be unhappy at his own wedding.

Ironically, this sort of presentation of Krishna conscious gṛhastha life—demeaning it as a ‘consolation

prize’—is the very thing that too often causes brahmacārīs to repress their true natures and “flop and
totter on the mental platform indefinitely.” The resulting repression, indecision and dishonesty usually
lead to all kinds of chaos in the lives of sincere brahmacārīs who, if encouraged to be themselves, could
have been peaceful, productive preachers or congregational members.

In contrast, in his purport to Bhagavad-gītā 18.5, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “There are many purificatory
processes for advancing a human being to spiritual life. The marriage ceremony, for example, is
considered to be one of these sacrifices. It is called vivāha-yajña. Should a sannyāsī, who is in the
renounced order of life and who has given up his family relations, encourage the marriage ceremony?
The Lord says here that any sacrifice which is meant for human welfare should never be given up.
Vivāha-yajña, the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind so that it may become
peaceful for spiritual advancement. For most men, this vivāha-yajña should be encouraged even by
persons in the renounced order of life. Sannyāsīs should never associate with women, but that does not
mean that one who is in the lower stages of life, a young man, should not accept a wife in the marriage
ceremony. All prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord.”

If young male devotees are simply encouraged to be honest with themselves, in consultation with
trusted seniors they can peacefully make the very personal decision about if and when to marry.
Understanding that both marriage and lifelong renunciation are respectable options, young men
become free from artificial pressure. Such fortunate young men have a much better chance of achieving
a sustainable lifelong adventure in Krishna consciousness. Similarly, young women who are so inclined
may also choose a simpler life of celibacy in Krishna consciousness.

Male-centric Impersonalism
In addition to misleading young men, the aforementioned passage characteristically fails to give any
consideration to the bride’s point of view. What thoughtful woman would marry a groom who is
unhappy at the wedding? What sane woman would want a husband who sees her as a ‘consolation
prize’ an agent of illusion who has caused him to lose his higher principles?

In hardline circles, a woman’s feelings are rarely considered. Even if she is a highly qualified devotee, she
is seen as the personification of material entanglement, ultimately more as a sex object than an
individual person. As one highly educated young woman put it, after moving into a hardline temple,
instead of spiritual realization she began to identify with her body more than ever before (see ‘A
Brahmacārīnī’s Story,’ in the appendices).

The inability to understand or consider another’s feelings indicates a lack of empathy, the exact opposite
of spiritual advancement, which is defined as seeing others with compassion (para dukha-dukhī). A
compassionate devotee does not withhold empathy from others based on their body.

Lack of empathy indicates impersonalism. Unlike Vaishnavas, strict impersonalists heavily emphasize
knowledge and renunciation without any reference to the individual’s needs, nature or personal
relationship with Lord Krishna. This is due, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, to a fear of individual spiritual
identity. (Bg. 4.10, purport). The subsequent inability to be honest with oneself often leads to
renunciation performed out of pride or ignorance and not for the sake of spiritual advancement:

“Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said
to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent. Penance performed out of
foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of
ignorance.” (Bg. 17.18–19).

Many devotees have been hurt due to being pressured into renunciation even when it defied their
nature. Such impersonal pressure contradicts Vaishnava theology. When speaking to Uddhava, Lord
Krishna says, “For a devotee engaged in bhakti, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and
renunciation is generally not beneficial for bhakti.” (SB 11.20.31). Further, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.7
declares that renunciation and knowledge are neither the means to nor the goal of spiritual life; rather,
renunciation and knowledge are causeless by-products of devotional service to Lord Krishna.
In other words, although they may be very renounced, Vaishnavas know that renunciation is not a goal
in itself. Vaishnavas understand that true renunciation comes from devotion to Krishna. As such, rather
than evaluating others based on their body or varnashram designation, Vaishnavas treat all of Krishna’s
parts and parcels with loving detachment. This philosophy, broadly taught throughout Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s books, attracts thoughtful people everywhere. On the other hand, overzealous pushing of
renunciation usually drives Westerners away from Krishna consciousness.

Through his broad, positive teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, himself a perfect gentleman and renunciate,
invoked and continues to invoke love and trust in the hearts countless people, male and female,
sannyāsī, gṛhastha, brahmacārī or brahmacārīnī.

“The Whole World is a Nail”

To some extent the lingering consequences of the ‘Zealous ’70s’ continue to inflict many ISKCON
devotees with hard hearts and impersonalism. At Krishna House we do our best to prepare students to
encounter and tolerate these disturbing eddies in the blissful river of ISKCON. Part of that preparation is
to connect marriage with positive spiritual advancement, as was the standard in the dynamic ‘Simple
’60s.’

There are, of course, many strong statements from both śāstra and Śrīla Prabhupāda advocating a
simple life of renunciation. These are often quoted selectively by devotees unable to see all orders of life
with equal vision. More experienced devotees encourage everyone to be themselves. They avoid
pushing any particular order of life, citing the pros and cons of each in a neutral, objective way,
empowering each devotee with the freedom to choose how to serve Krishna.

Young devotees at Krishna House learn that marriage in Krishna consciousness is not like ordinary
marriage, for if done properly it brings long term, built-in devotee saṇga. Marriage is, as Śrīla
Prabhupāda writes, the natural condition of life for most men. Rather than pushing men towards
renunciation, better to prepare men for what most of them will actually do, while keeping the door
open for renunciation if they choose. To always advocate renunciation as the first, best option for all
men in Kali-yuga calls to mind the adage: “If your only tool is a hammer, the whole world is a nail.”

Getting Past the Zealous ’70s

The Zealous ’70s were characterized by the wholesale humiliation of women in ISKCON in a way Śrīla
Prabhupāda never taught, a result of the phantasmagorical idea that serious devotees do not get
married. Now it is clear that nearly all devotees do marry at some point in their lives, especially in the
West. And it is also clear that, as Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, ISKCON Vaishnavis are ‘as good as their
brothers.’

Though some old-timers sentimentally hanker for the good ol’ days, ISKCON will be stronger when the
Zealous ’70s are clearly in the rear-view mirror. A big part of that healing process is to give the
appropriate respect, care and training for those who enter the gṛhastha ashram—the great majority of
all Śrīla Prabhupāda’s followers.

While ISKCON practices of the ’70s have failed, at Krishna House we have discovered that ISKCON
practices of ’60’s can fill up ISKCON ashrams of today. Next we’ll lay out a step-by-step process for how
it is done.
Section Two: Creating
a Bhakti Habitat
 Chapter Five: Obstacles to Recruiting
During his amazing eleven years of personal worldwide preaching, Śrīla Prabhupāda proved Krishna
consciousness could transform everyone into Vaishnavas, regardless of their birth. People today can still
be transformed, regardless of how social externals have changed over the years. However, in many parts
of the world, today’s ISKCON constituencies have changed. In this chapter we will look at three principle
obstacles to local recruiting and a solution for each.

Obstacle #1: Complacency

Many ISKCON temples outside of India are supported and led primarily by devotees from the Hindu
diaspora. With such a pool of sincere and capable devotees, the temples are stable. What need is there
to reach a wider audience?

The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world, roughly 20 million people, 16 million of them Hindu.
Overall, Hindus make up 80% of India’s population and about 15% of all humanity. However, outside of
India, the Hindu diaspora accounts for only 0.3% of the world’s population. If ISKCON outside of India
focuses on the Hindu diaspora, the great majority of humanity stands to be overlooked.

In addition, there are many long-term drawbacks to ISKCON resulting from focusing exclusively on the
Hindu diaspora.

- ISKCON leaders will not learn how to reach non-Hindus.

- ISKCON will become increasingly irrelevant to most of the world’s population.
- Due to losing its unique international appeal, interest in ISKCON will dwindle in India and
elsewhere.
- As a minority ethnic religion, ISKCON may become more vulnerable to social and political
change.

Tens of thousands of wonderful devotees of Hindu heritage have sustained and expanded Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s temples. But ISKCON cannot afford to complacently depend on them alone.

Solution #1: Appropriate Outreach

ISKCON temples with large Hindu congregations naturally offer programs, food and classes designed to
meet their needs. To reach non-Hindus, the first step is to make targeted programs they will find
relevant, attractive and convenient. In addition to kirtan and prasādam, such programs may include
yoga exercises and a vegan menu as ways to attract today’s youth. If conducted properly and regularly,
these programs often result in a few bright young people taking serious interest in Krishna
consciousness.

To further advance, these newcomers will then need deeper education in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. For
this purpose, they need regular, stimulating morning and evening spiritual programs, just as Śrīla
Prabhupāda offered at 26 Second Avenue, first with his M-W-F evening kirtans and Bhagavad-gītā
classes and later with his morning lectures on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

While presenting Krishna consciousness at his first storefront temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave philosophy
in small doses and used examples relevant to his audience. He did not even introduce the regulative
principles until after his first initiations. Although today the regulative principles are known to all but the
newest guests, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s gentle approach can still attract and engage many young Westerners.

The combination of appropriate outreach and regular opportunities to hear and chant at the temple will
attract and prepare some sincere people to take the step into Vaishnava life. What then?

Obstacle #2: Incomplete Marketing

Suppose you were marketing a product but had no inventory. Suppose you were marketing a service but
had no one to do it. What would be the point?

In the same way, preaching Krishna consciousness without an ashram and an ashram leader means that
when we succeed in awakening interest in a conditioned soul who wants to experience bhakti
immersion, we are unprepared.

In ISKCON’s early days, when Śrīla Prabhupāda saw young people taking serious interest he quickly
established ashrams and leaders. All forms of ‘marketing’ Krishna consciousness—lectures, harināma,
book distribution—resulted in young newcomers moving into ashrams and, in turn, contributing to the
marketing. This win-win cycle made Krishna consciousness spread like wildfire.

Without ashrams and dedicated caretakers for newcomers, sporadic attempts at Western outreach
rarely bring active new devotees to Krishna consciousness.

Solution #2: Create Ashrams

Temple leaders who want to round out their marketing to non-Hindus need to arrange living facilities for
serious students. It is important to shrug off the “I’ll figure out a room when someone asks to move in”
attitude and establish ashram rooms prior to students asking. When the spider is hungry, she does not
chase insects—she builds a web.

Making devotees is up to Krishna, but making ashrams is up to us. Once there is an ashram in the
temple, recruiting and training can begin. Just as the consciousness of the parents attracts a certain
spirit soul to the womb, so Krishna inspires certain spirit souls to turn to Him when we as spiritual
parents are ready to accommodate them.

Creating a residential space, however simple, is an essential step to bringing young Westerners to
Krishna consciousness. This is what Śrīla Prabhupāda did with his tiny storefront on 26 Second Avenue.
He held public programs there, allowed students to live there, and even shared the bathroom in his
small apartment with his fledgling disciples. At first Śrīla Prabhupāda accommodated men only, but after
two years he instructed his ISKCON leaders to accommodate women as well. In July 1968 he wrote to
the ISKCON Boston temple president:

“A brahmacārīni ashram is certainly a great necessity because there are so many girl devotees who are
attached to our Krishna consciousness movement. Those who are married couple, there is nothing to be
said—simply to live together as husband and wife. But those who are not married certainly such
brahmacārīs and brahmacārīnis should not live together. That is a special restricted term of our cult. But
because in your country there is no distinction between boys and girls, or man and woman, they can
freely mix without any restriction, I did not give too much stricture on this point because by such
stricture they might be annoyed, and whatever Krishna consciousness they are trying to develop might
have been checked. But factually if you can organize a brahmacārīni ashram, it will be a very nice idea.”
Under Śrīla Prabhupāda’s direction, the young men and women living in ISKCON ashrams created
temples and congregations that grew around them. Ashramites created ISKCON congregational
members. Now, can ISKCON congregational members “pay it back” by saving ashramites from
extinction?

Some congregational members have reservations about supporting ashrams in ISKCON temples. They
may feel that ashrams attract people who are material failures and not deserving of support.

At Krishna House we keep the ‘lazies and crazies’ from crashing our ashrams by establishing a supervised
spiritual school, the Bhakti Academy. Our ashrams are not merely residential quarters; they are
dormitories for registered students. Applicants must sign a document stipulating the requirements for
enrolling in the school and certifying that they understand that violating these requirements is grounds
for dismissal and loss of residence. If a student becomes disqualified, they have no grounds to continue
staying in the ashram.

Those from cultured Hindu backgrounds usually do not require an ashram to become devotees, so they
naturally question the need for them. “Ᾱtmavat manyate jagat;” in this world we generally think that
everyone sees things as we do. However, we have experienced that those from non-Hindu backgrounds
almost always require an ashram experience to deeply embrace Vaishnavism. Once transformed into
Vaishnavas by the touchstone of bhakti, these young men and women become enthusiastic
representatives of the disciplic succession and contribute far more to ISKCON than the modest
investment required to accommodate them. Their enlivening presence also uniquely inspires the
children of devotees about the value and viability of ISKCON as a movement that can change the world.

Obstacle #3: Lack of Commitment

Running a temple requires capital and manpower. Lacking the ability to convert local people, ISKCON
leaders in wealthier countries often bring in qualified devotees from other countries to worship the
Deities and perform other services.

However, Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted temples to cater to local populations. In England, Kenya, Hong Kong
and elsewhere he directed his representatives to uncover local devotees and train them to perform
brahminical services. The same can be done today if we are willing to make a commitment. Being short
on manpower is all the more reason to invest in attracting and training new devotees.

Solution #3: Establish a Human Resource Director

We would not think of having a prasādam program without a cook or a Deity worship program without a
pujari. Similarly, a serious recruiting and training program requires a committed, qualified leader.

New devotees, particularly those new to the Vedic tradition, require a lot of care and attention. Who
will care for them? Nearly any sincere and experienced devotee can provide this care, regardless of their
age, nationality or background. However, with so much to do and often so few people to do it, we may
choose to assign newcomer care to someone with many other responsibilities. This shows low
commitment to attracting newcomers and as a result, the cycle of lax recruiting and lack of manpower
usually continues.

Experience has proven that the devotee in charge of newcomers care must undertake this service as
their main engagement. If there are no newcomers for the leader to train, he or she prepares everything
for the new arrivals and prays earnestly to Krishna to please send them. For many years at Krishna
House we have observed that when we provide them with a place to stay, a training routine and a
person to care for them, Krishna sends newcomers again and again and again.

If we can’t delegate devotee care to another qualified devotee, it is still possible for a temple president
to organize a recruiting and training program on a small scale. However, the temple president must be
able to lead the morning program most days and be prepared to invest many hours of training in the
newcomers.

When leaders focus on newcomers, they feel protected and naturally imbibe a service mood. Śrīla
Prabhupāda personally established this mood of selfless service, first in New York and then in San
Francisco. Then his students caught on and carried it to ISKCON centers around the world.

Once these three prerequisites are in place—programs, facilities and an attentive leader—the Bhakti
Habitat infrastructure is in place and a sweet Vaikuṇṭha mood of selfless service can manifest. That
mood itself becomes a powerful tool for attracting newcomers, changing the lose-lose cycle (low
commitment/low manpower) to a win/win cycle (newcomers attracting more newcomers).
 Chapter Six: Three Principles of Sama-Darśinaḥ
Individual situations for educating and housing devotees will vary, but the method for building a
Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere is the same everywhere. It begins with sama-darśinaḥ, seeing everyone with
equal vision.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a
cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. (Bg. 5.18)

Endowed with equal vision, advanced devotees see the soul within everyone and regard others with
sincere affection and respect. For example, when Drona sent Yudhiṣṭhira out to find someone inferior to
him, Yudhiṣṭhira came back empty-handed. Drona then proclaimed Yudhiṣṭhira fit to rule the world.

Yudhiṣṭhira’s elevated vision cannot be imitated, yet everyone can benefit by applying the sama-
darśinaḥ principle. What does this mean in the modern world? With equal vision, a person’s gender,
age, nationality or varnashram inclinations and other bodily designations can be seen as they are—
superficial. When devotees are treated with equal appreciation and heartfelt respect, a sweet mood of
compassion and tolerance emerges. Everyone catches the spirit of serving Krishna and encouraging
others in Krishna consciousness. The whole community becomes like Vaikuṇṭha, decorated with
cooperation, love, and respect for oneself and others.

Śrīla Prabhupāda precisely created this loving, accepting mood when he began attracting young
Westerners to Krishna consciousness in the 1960s. Our humble attempts to recreate it in Gainesville
have succeeded by his grace. What follows are three practical applications of sama-darśinaḥ that make
ISKCON viable for Westerners today.

1. Ashram Equity

Brahmacārī vs. Gṛhastha

Which ashram is better for spiritual life: brahmacārī or gṛhastha? Sometimes brahmacārīs may feel their
simpler and more austere way of life is essential and superior for advancing in Krishna consciousness.
Sometimes gṛhasthas may feel brahmacārī life is for those who are less mature and avoiding
responsibility. Unequal vision in this regard tends to be prominent in some ISKCON circles, so we will
explore this question first.

A foundational statement on this topic is found in Bhagavad-gītā (4.26) wherein Lord Krishna says,
“Some [the unadulterated brahmacārīs] sacrifice the hearing process and the senses in the fire of
mental control, and others [the regulated householders] sacrifice the objects of the senses in the fire of
the senses.”

In his commentary, Śrīla Prabhupāda elaborates:

 “The members of the four divisions of human life, namely the brahmacārī, the
gṛhastha, the vānaprastha and the sannyāsī, are all meant to become perfect
yogīs or transcendentalists. Since human life is not meant for our enjoying
sense gratification like the animals, the four orders of human life are so
arranged that one may become perfect in spiritual life. The brahmacārīs, or
students under the care of a bona fide spiritual master, control the mind by
abstaining from sense gratification. A brahmacārī hears only words concerning
Krishna consciousness; hearing is the basic principle for understanding, and
therefore the pure brahmacārī engages fully in harer nāmānukīrtanam –
chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. He restrains himself from the
vibrations of material sounds, and his hearing is engaged in the transcendental
sound vibration of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Similarly, the householders,
who have some license for sense gratification, perform such acts with great
restraint. Sex life, intoxication and meat-eating are general tendencies of
human society, but a regulated householder does not indulge in unrestricted
sex life and other sense gratification. Marriage on the principles of religious
life is therefore current in all civilized human society because that is the way
for restricted sex life. This restricted, unattached sex life is also a kind of yajña
because the restricted householder sacrifices his general tendency toward
sense gratification for higher, transcendental life.”

Being single or married really makes no difference to one’s Krishna consciousness. Bhaktivinode Thakur
has sung, “gṛhe thāko, vane thāko, sadā hari bole ḍāko: Whether you live comfortably at home or
austerely in the forest, chant the Holy Names always.”

What does make a difference? Finding our natural position. When we are in our natural ashram, we can
easily remain spiritually enthusiastic, steady and happy. For this reason, ashram equity is vital to
preaching. When both single and married ashrams receive equal recognition and value, new devotees
feel confident that they can be themselves in Krishna consciousness. This equal vision helps newcomers
accept others as well. The message is consistent and simple: one may serve Krishna sustainably in any
stage of life provided one is true to one’s own nature.

Brahmacārī Blues
Devotee men must decide between responsible marriage and single, celibate life. While most (though
not all) young devotee women prefer marriage, young devotee men must decide between responsible
marriage and single, celibate life.

Various factors can complicate this decision. For example, sometimes men are pressured to remain
brahmacārīs until they can take sannyāsa, regardless of their nature. Thus pressured, a brahmacārī may
fail to honestly evaluate his own heart and mind.

Fear of responsibility can also affect a man. After blissful years as a brahmacārī, to enter the world of
financial responsibility can seem no less daunting than Arjuna entering the Kurukṣetra war. Yet Krishna
teaches Arjuna that to avoid duties because they are troublesome is renunciation in the mode of
passion and never leads to elevation. (Bg. 18.8).
Shame can be another factor. Having been misled to indulge in pride in his renunciation and criticism of
devotional marriage, for fear of shame a man may later deny or resist his natural inclination to marry. As
Krishna says to Arjuna, “For one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death.” (Bg 2.34).

Regardless of the reason, if a man is naturally inclined to marry and yet avoids it, he acts not out of
spiritual advancement but out of aversion. Aversion and attachment are opposite sides of the same
coin, for both are impelled by the egoistic desire to be the controller. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā
(3.33), “Even a man of knowledge acts according to his nature, for everyone follows the nature he has
acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?”

The sama-darśinaḥ view is simple: brahmacārī life is the beginning of Vaishnava life, a time meant to
study and prepare to meet life’s challenges. A successful brahmacārī maintains spiritual practices into
maturity, even if he chooses to earn a living and raise a Krishna conscious family. It is quite honorable
for a brahmacārī to responsibly progress into gṛhastha life. Successfully making this transition requires
steadiness and depth of philosophical understanding. A successful gṛhastha is an ‘adhikārī,’ a competent
person whose life is built on devotional service and personal integrity.

Broad-minded Vaishnavas recognize brahmacārī life as a humble position, a preparatory step on a long
journey. A well-trained brahmacārī is always respectful toward all, including gṛhasthas and Vaishnavis,
as well as devotional marriage itself. In that frame of mind, he is well-positioned to succeed in spiritual
life, either as a gṛhastha or sannyāsī. With this understanding, mature spiritual guides help newcomers
objectively evaluate all available options.

Celibacy
We may say that the four orders of life are not equal, because three observe celibacy and one does not.
Celibacy is essential for gaining control over the mind and senses, so it is mandatory for aspiring new
devotees. Having mastered sex desire for an extended time, such devotees can successfully navigate
gṛhastha life, remaining fixed and enthusiastic in Krishna consciousness.

However, celibacy has its limitations. Since it is also practiced and recommended even by
impersonalists, celibacy in and of itself fails to lead to love of Krishna. Hearing and chanting alone
awakens bhakti; renunciation, including peaceful celibacy, is a by-product of bhakti.

In a lecture on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, 1.2.19, in Los Angeles in August 1972, Śrīla Prabhupāda compares
celibate austerity (tapasya brahmacaryeṇa) to a staircase and the bhakti process to an elevator. Both
can get you to the top floor, yet one requires a slow, step-by-step grind while the other takes you to the
top quickly and directly.

Nonetheless, some push celibate life as the sole and true path to Krishna. This is a disastrous mistake for
preaching in the West, for it instantly discourages young women and men who might otherwise become
devotees.

Overemphasis on celibacy can lead sincere devotee men to unnatural repression and pride. Too often,
poorly mentored ISKCON celibates fizzle and end up in some sort of awkward, unstable, non-celibate
relationship, often illicit, dragging naïve devotee women down with them.

Celibate ISKCON ashrams established on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s compassionate and encouraging mood
provide great training for young men and women interested in spiritual life. After basic training, those
whose nature truly accommodates lifelong celibacy and simple, impoverished monastic life can continue
ashram residence. The rest, most devotees, become gṛhasthas, especially in the West.

The buoyant spiritual programs in a sensible ISKCON ashram make spiritual advancement and celibacy
easy. Whether going to school, working or serving full time in the sankīrtana mission, ashram life allows
the ashramite to experience the higher taste of inner fulfillment that balances their secular education
and career.

Work, study and service are balanced with recreation (yuktāhāra vihārasya… Bg. 6.17), the blissful and
spiritually constructive activities of bhakti. At Krishna House we tell our college student friends that
ashram life is like ordinary college life except the parties are in the morning.

Since every living being is a pleasure-seeking entity (ānanda mayo ‘bhyāsāt), this system of spiritual
recreation naturally works well. As one young Krishna House resident recently said, “Thanks to Śrīla
Prabhupāda I am a celibate, sober vegetarian—and loving it.”

Balanced ashram training in the West means, in nearly all cases, to prepare the student for responsible
spiritual married life. Thus for sustainable, life-long and progressive Krishna consciousness, celibacy
plays an important but limited role. A person who understands this easily sees the celibate and non-
celibate with equal vision.

Sannyāsīs and Gṛhasthas

Vedic tradition directs sannyāsīs, advanced devotees who have taken lifetime vows of celibacy and who
are venerated for their learning and detachment, to travel from place to place enlightening materialistic
householders. However, there is no need for sannyāsīs to ‘save’ spiritually fit ISKCON householders from
family life. Such householders are also enlightened devotees and are more often seen as friends and
peers by mature ISKCON sannyāsīs.

Śrīla Prabhupāda describes Lord Caitanya, a sannyāsī, leaving Jagannath Puri to tour South India: “Being
a sannyāsī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in the fourth order of life and was thus due all respect and
adoration, whereas Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, as a householder, was in the second order. A sannyāsī is
supposed to offer blessings to a gṛhastha, yet now, by His practical behavior, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
requested the blessings of a gṛhastha. This incident shows the special significance of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu’s preaching. He gave equal status to everyone, regardless of material considerations. His
movement is thoroughly spiritual [italics ours]. Although apparently a gṛhastha, Sārvabhauma
Bhaṭṭācārya was unlike the so-called karmīs interested in sense gratification. After being initiated by Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya was perfectly situated in the spiritual order; therefore it was
quite possible for him to offer blessings even to a sannyāsī. He was always engaged in the service of the
Lord, even at home.” (Cc. Madhya 7.69)

In the past, some zealous ISKCON sannyāsīs disparaged gṛhastha life as if to do so was their duty.
Today’s more mature ISKCON sannyāsīs counsel and encourage everyone to serve Krishna according to
their nature, regardless of their ashram or gender, just as Śrīla Prabhupāda did.

In a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class in Bombay in 1971, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this essence of Vaishnava
sannyāsa can be accepted by everyone:
“Vaishnava sannyāsī means anyone who gives up everything and devotes simply his time for pushing on
Krishna consciousness movement. . . . So this sannyāsī can be accepted even in gṛhastha life. Because in
one sense, all these boys and girls who are working for Krishna, they have no other desire. They are all
sannyāsīs because they have no desire to achieve any result out of their work . . . They are engaged in
preaching work because they want to satisfy Krishna . . . Therefore, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam
karoti (Bg. 6.1). They are all sannyāsīs.”

We can reach Westerners effectively by presenting the brahmacārī, gṛhastha and sannyāsa orders of life
in the mature, inclusive, Krishna conscious way Śrīla Prabhupāda did. Anyone can understand the simple
philosophy: while various orders of life have their purposes, Krishna consciousness is independent of
any of them.

2. Gender Equity

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s True Follower

When Śrīla Prabhupāda visited Gainesville in 1971, a reporter asked, “How can one recognize your true
follower?”

Śrīla Prabhupāda could have answered in many ways: ‘My true follower chants Hare Krishna, wears
devotional dress, reads and distributes my books,’ etc. Instead he replied, “My true follower is a very
perfect gentleman.”

A gentleman is recognized by the way he treats others. Yet in Krishna consciousness, aspiring gentlemen
have a problem. In his books and lectures, Śrīla Prabhupāda makes many strong, critical statements
about women in general. He describes women as less intelligent, child-like, and a cause of degradation
for men. He cites scriptural references saying that women always require protection.

How should a man who wants to be a true follower of Śrīla Prabhupāda view such troublesome persons?

Let us first look at how Śrīla Prabhupāda treated women. He had some 1,500 female disciples whom he
loved and who loved him. Once in Mayapur before an assembly of sannyāsī godbrothers he said of his
disciple Mālatī dāsī, “She would cut her throat for me and I would do the same for her.”

In the mid-1970s Śrīla Prabhupāda criticized the women’s liberation movement of the day as artificial
and materialistic. He called it a plot by lusty, lazy men to exploit women sexually and get them to do
men’s work. At the same time, he encouraged his female disciples to do all kinds of ‘men’s work,’ such
as learning and teaching Krishna conscious philosophy, distributing books, worshipping Deities, leading
kirtans and more.

Śrīla Prabhupāda inspired and cared for women in spiritual life by making a clear distinction between
devotee women and ordinary women. On a morning walk he said to Visakha Dasi, “Anyone who thinks
they are a woman is less intelligent.” On the same point, in Sri Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Adi 7.31-32), Śrīla
Prabhupāda writes that female devotees spreading Krishna consciousness are, “As good as their
brothers.”

Although Śrīla Prabhupāda saw and treated his female disciples as spirit souls, equal with their brothers,
some of his male followers focused only on his critical statements about women in general, overlooking
his equanimity and love for all, regardless of gender. Such men felt entitled to insult and discourage
women in ISKCON in an ungentlemanly way—something Śrīla Prabhupāda himself never did. Men who
criticize or marginalize women in ISKCON because of their gender display a serious misunderstanding of
Vaishnava philosophy. While describing the fall down of Ajāmila, Śrīla Prabhupāda said,

“The training was that he was training to become a brāhmaṇa, ṣamo, dama,
but the progress became checked on account of being attached to a woman.
Therefore according to Vedic civilization, the woman is accepted as hindrance
to spiritual advancement. The whole basic civilization is how to avoid . . .
Woman . . . You do not think that only woman is woman. The man is also
woman. Don't think that the woman is condemned; man is not. Woman
means enjoyed, and man means enjoyer. So this feeling, this feeling is
condemned. If I see one woman for enjoyment, so I am man. And if woman
also sees another man for enjoyment, she is also man. Woman means enjoyed
and man means enjoyer. So anyone who has got feeling of enjoyment, he is
considered to be man. So here both sexes meant for . . . Everyone is planning,
"How I shall enjoy?" Therefore he is puruśa, artificially. Otherwise, originally,
we are all prakṛti, jīva, either woman or man. This is outward dress.” (SB.
6.1.64-65, 9/1/1975, Bombay)

Young devotees can easily understand this philosophy and be comfortable even when they read strong
statements about women in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.

There is no Krishna conscious philosophical basis for adverse attitudes towards women. The first
teaching of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gītā is that we are all souls, not our bodies. To see and judge
people on the bodily platform is as ignorant as considering oneself one’s body. If, as Śrīla Prabhupāda
said, anyone who thinks they are a woman is less intelligent, it follows that one who thinks of himself as
a man and someone else as a woman is also less intelligent.

Misogyny and Feminism in ISKCON

As Lord Krishna explains, every living being, including male and female human beings, are souls,
Krishna’s parts and parcels. Yet in another remarkable philosophical blunder, some male-bodied
devotees have proudly proclaimed their superiority over female-bodied devotees simply because of
their gender. Some have even professed that the power of Krishna consciousness can transform low-
born men to be high-class brahmanas and gurus yet cannot transform women to the same extent
because of their unchangeable gender.

Such philosophical speculations reveal the dark and ugly non-Vaishnava trait of misogyny—a congenital
dislike or ingrained prejudice toward women. Mental health professionals describe misogyny as an
insidious condition, one that the sufferer can almost never recognize on his own. They say it is generally
rooted in a past traumatic experience with a female in one’s life, often one’s mother.

When they hear there is misogyny in ISKCON, some of our Godbrothers bristle. Others nod their heads,
as do nearly all of our Godsisters. However, when young Westerners hear someone say that women are
expected to play particular social roles in ISKCON, they think “Taliban” and lose interest in Krishna
consciousness. While those who advocate restricted social roles for Vaishnavis may dispute that they
suffer from misogyny, it is undisputable that none of them regularly bring young Westerners to Krishna
consciousness, as Śrila Prabhupāda did so wonderfully. Though a few Westerners may occasionally join
in hardline environments, the steady flow of bright newcomers Srila Prabhupada attracted will be
missing. “A cup of milk in the ocean,” it is said, “does not make a milk ocean.”

To see misogyny in ISKCON is unfortunate but not surprising, as all of us come to Krishna consciousness
with some baggage. However, some ISKCON men burdened with misogynistic tendencies become
leaders, and, taking Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements out of context, teach new men that misogyny is part
of Krishna consciousness. As a result, the misogyny problem in ISKCON proliferates, even in a society
dedicated to serving Krishna and rising above the bodily platform.

It is important to understand clearly that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s critical statements about materialistic
women do not mean he suffered from misogyny. Nor do they justify misogyny in others. These
statements must be taken in context with equally critical statements about low-born materialistic men,
such as, kalau śūdra sambhavāḥ: in Kali-yuga, everyone is born a śūdra or less. We also find Lord
Krishna’s emphatic urging for everyone, regardless of birth, to become His devotee:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayah
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“Those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras
[workers] – can attain the supreme destination.” (Bg. 9.32).

In his purport to this verse Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “It is clearly declared here by the Supreme Lord that
in devotional service there is no distinction between the lower and higher classes of people. In the
material conception of life there are such divisions, but for a person engaged in transcendental
devotional service to the Lord there are not.”

Those who follow Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings of spiritual equality are sometimes labeled ‘feminists.’
This is a misnomer, for feminism advocates material equality between the sexes. Śrīla Prabhupāda
engaged men and women equally in spreading Krishna consciousness. Was he a feminist for doing so? In
fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda led his disciples with love and encouraged each of them to find their unique way
of pleasing Lord Krishna. With this transcendental, loving, gender-neutral approach, Śrīla Prabhupāda
made devotees of Lord Krishna among people all over the world, even in societies previously untouched
by Vaishnavism.

Though this aspect of Krishna conscious philosophy is crystal clear, in ISKCON female devotees often
receive inferior care and facility. For example, devotee women have been compared to non-devotee
women in countless Bhāgavatam classes. Devotee women have sometimes been abused mentally,
emotionally and sexually by male leaders. The brahmacārīni ashrams that Śrīla Prabhupāda established
are nearly all closed. In many parts of the world, however qualified they may be, female devotees are
rarely or never invited to give class or allowed to worship the Deities. During morning services, women
devotees have often had to struggle for the right to have access to the Deities and to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
vyāsāsana. During āratis, female devotees, however senior, routinely receive Deity prasādam only after
it has been offered to all the male devotees, however junior. During classes, again without regard to
seniority, male devotees chant Sanskrit verses first while female devotees must wait for the speaker to
call on them.
Female devotees are often assigned to limited varieties of service, regardless of their natural talents and
inclinations. And as of this writing, highly qualified Vaishnavis who otherwise meet all requirements
given in ISKCON law, have yet to be allowed to give dīkṣā, spiritual initiation, solely because of their
gender.

Do any of these situations appear gentlemanly? Do they reflect Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mood or his
teachings?

The Universal Prabhu

After Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure, the question of how to address female devotees in ISKCON became
controversial. The masculine ‘Prabhu,’ meaning master, does not linguistically apply to females. Yet Śrīla
Prabhupāda addressed his early female disciples as “Yamunā Prabhu,” “Śīlavatī Prabhu,” and “Mālatī
Prabhu.” Later, he introduced the Chanakya Pandit aphorism that a learned man sees all women as
mothers and thus addresses them as ‘Mātājī.’

If it’s linguistically incorrect and if Chanakya recommends ‘Mātājī,’ why did Śrīla Prabhupāda address his
female disciples as ‘Prabhu?’ While launching ISKCON, seeking to imbibe in his young disciples the
natural serving mood of the soul, Śrīla Prabhupāda taught them to address each other as ‘Prabhu’
without gender discrimination. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes,

“As servants of the Supreme Lord, all living entities are one, but a Vaishnava, because of his natural
humility, addresses every other living entity as prabhu. A Vaishnava sees other servants to be so
advanced that he has much to learn from them. Thus, he accepts all other devotees of the Lord as
prabhus, masters. Although everyone is a servant of the Lord, one Vaishnava servant, because of
humility, sees another servant as his master.” (SB 7.5.11).

At Krishna House we returned to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s earlier practice and found it more effective for
many of the same reasons Śrīla Prabhupāda called female disciples ‘Prabhu’ when starting ISKCON.

- When we address others as ‘Prabhu’ we take the humble position and see them as our master,
worthy of our respect and honor. This creates a wonderful culture of respect. Unfortunately,
people in western countries don’t necessarily value and respect mothers or the social role of
mothering.
- The global use of the term ‘Prabhu’ is powerful for preaching because it helps everyone see
others as spirit souls and devotees of Krishna, not as men or women.
- When referred to as ‘Mother’ or ‘Mataji’, some Vaishnavis feel they are being seen first and
foremost as women and thus limited to a certain social role in ISKCON, even if they are not
inclined to be motherly.
- In North America, if a man addresses a young woman as ‘Mother’ or ‘Mātājī’” he will be
perceived as cultish, perverse or even profane. As one senior devotee noted, “Where I come
from, if you address someone as ‘Mother’ it is usually followed by another (swear) word.”

Still, many male devotees fail to recognize the great preaching value of the universal ‘Prabhu’ and insist
that all female devotees must be addressed as ‘Mātājī’ whether they like it or not. These men also fail to
understand that the purpose of Chanakya’s aphorism is to help men control their lust and not to
pigeonhole women. By imposing their preferred address on someone who doesn’t like it, they place the
detail of ‘Mātājī’ over the principle of tṛṇād api sunīcena, treating others with respect.
In addition, female devotees often feel uncomfortable addressing other women as ‘Mataji,’ particularly
their peers and juniors, yet male devotees expect them to do so.

In practice, among those of Hindu descent, “Mataji” is acceptable and appropriate to use when
addressing women. Otherwise, according to their age and situation, some ISKCON Vaishnavis prefer to
be addressed as ‘Mātājī’ and others as ‘Prabhu.’ Preachers who are actually ladies and gentlemen are
able to see others as spirit souls. Thus they address women in only one way: as they wish to be
addressed.

Domestic Abuse
Overriding basic Krishna conscious teachings by some men suffering from latent anti-women attitudes
and other emotional problems has led to domestic abuse, which has been condemned by ISKCON’s GBC.
One impersonalist writer coined a misogynistic phrase that has been bandied about in some ISKCON
circles: “Cows, drums and wives improve when they are beaten.” When this reference once came up in
conversation, Śrīla Prabhupāda admonished his male students: “Do not do it.”

In summary, ungentle, discriminatory practices against women were all but unknown in ISKCON during
its infancy. Doing away with such practices at Krishna House—an easy task, except for ISKCON’s
Vaishnavi dīkṣā problem, which our students understand is now being corrected by the GBC—has, over
the past few years, opened the doors to a steady flow of hundreds of young new female and male
devotees moving into the previously empty Krishna House ashrams. Equitable treatment of women at
Krishna House has created a phenomenonal flow of new devotees found in no other North American
ISKCON temple during this time.

At Krishna House, young men are trained both to value Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission and to aspire to
become his true followers. Both goals are reached by ensuring that young men’s attitudes toward
women are firmly rooted in the spiritual vision as expressed in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings and actions.
Their treatment of women as spirit souls marks them as the gentlemen Śrīla Prabhupāda desired his
followers to be.

3. Guru Equity
To succeed in Krishna consciousness, a devotee needs healthy relationships with many sīkṣā (instructing)
gurus and one dīkṣā (initiating) guru. Śrīla Prabhupāda is and will always remain the pre-eminent sīkṣā
guru for every devotee associated with ISKCON, for he is clearly the unique senapati bhakta predicted by
Bhaktivinode Thakur as the devotee who would lead a worldwide bhakti movement. In Mayapur in April
1975, Śrīla Prabhupāda announced that he wanted ten million acharyas in ISKCON. Even when that lofty
goal is reached, Śrīla Prabhupāda will always remain ISKCON’s one and only Founder-Acharya.

To develop a relationship with Śrīla Prabhupāda as a sīkṣā guru and immerse oneself in his teaching,
living as a single, celibate ashramite is ideal. Such an experience is virtually essential for new devotees,
though devotees more acquainted with Vaishnava culture may accomplish the same thing at home as
gṛhasthas. Either way, after establishing a deep and healthy respect for Śrīla Prabhupāda and mastering
the basics of his teachings, a student wanting to further advance may choose a dīkṣā guru for formal
initiation—a crucial step, as detailed by Srila Rupa Gosvāmī in the Nectar of Devotion.

After initiation, each disciple will naturally think of their dīkṣā guru as their special link to Krishna. Many
ISKCON communities consist of disciples with special affinity for one, two or three particular ISKCON
gurus. In ISKCON’s early days, every devotee was a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, which fostered a
powerful sense of unity. How can that unity continue to exist among disciples of many different gurus?
Here are a few lessons we have learned at Krishna House.

Minimizing Formalities
Vaishnava etiquette directs many formal behaviors regarding gurus, such as offering special public
respect to one’s dīkṣā guru and his godbrothers. Devotees in India and in Indian congregations can easily
understand and appreciate such ceremonial respect and deferential behavior. However, to Westerners
unfamiliar with the Vaishnava tradition, such formalities can seem alien and cultish.

Once a senior ISKCON sannyāsī/guru brought his mother to visit a temple. Upon seeing him, several
devotees offered obeisances to him, making an awkward scene he described as, “looking like an air-raid
drill.”

Most ISKCON gurus who actively preach to Westerners understand this point and are content with
minimal public honor.

Guru Confidentiality
“Who’s your guru?” This is often the first question devotees ask each other upon being introduced. And
yet, quoting Rūpa Gosvāmī, the ISKCON Disciples Course teaches that as far as possible one should keep
the identity of one’s guru a private matter. How does a newcomer resolve this bewildering
contradiction?

Why would it be said that one’s guru should remain a secret? There are two reasons.

1) A humble devotee does not proudly present himself as a disciple of any particular guru, for a
mature devotee does not try to borrow prestige from an exalted mentor. Śrīla Prabhupāda said
that a bug may sit on a throne, but that does not make him a king.
2) A disciple should feel so unworthy that he keeps his guru’s identity secret as so to not embarrass
his guru for having accepted such an unqualified disciple.

In Kali-yuga many tend to think in just the opposite way. “My guru is great,” the proud disciple thinks,
“because he has someone as qualified as me as a disciple.” There is a Hindi saying: pahale guru ko
chhipate the, ab guru ko chhapate hai: “In the old days, the guru’s name was hidden. These days it is
published in the newspaper.”

To identify as a disciple of a particular guru excessively and publicly can become a kind of upādhi,
another external designation such as man, woman, black, white, old or young. Neophyte devotees
canvas newcomers to take initiation from their guru, with no consideration of the newcomer’s actual
spiritual needs. This mentality leads to ‘guru groupism,’ a party spirit pitting disciples of one guru against
those of another, pleasing neither guru in the process.

For this reason, simply glorifying one’s guru in public can be divisive. Short of keeping one’s guru a total
secret, if a devotee simply adopts a more modest attitude and respects the mood of a guru-neutral
community, everyone feels comfortable and accepted. This is sama-darśinaḥ in relation to gurus,
beautifully summarized by Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1936 on the occasion of his guru’s Vyasa Puja:

“Gentlemen, the offering of such homage as has been arranged this evening to the Acharya deva is not a
sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or acharya deva, we
speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating
my guru from yours or anyone else's. There is only one guru, who appears in infinity of forms to teach
you, me, and all others.”

The community mood of sama-darśinaḥ regarding gurus is vital and effective for building devotional
communities in the West. Observant preachers minimize the importance of any individual guru and
focus on the needs of young devotees to develop appreciation for Śrīla Prabhupāda. At Krishna House,
this approach has resulted in a community with disciples of fifteen different gurus who live in a mood of
harmony and cooperation. Krishna House students and staff appreciate their gurus in private meetings
with godbrothers and godsisters. In public, they glorify Lord Krishna and Śrīla Prabhupāda, which brings
together all the devotees.

Seniority Equity
Aside from gurus, what about formalities showing respect to senior devotees?

Vedic etiquette requires one to offer respects to one’s elders. Offering such respect comes easily to
cultured Hindus. In 1966 it was also easy for young Westerners to offer respect to an elderly swami from
India. Today, however, to many young Westerners, offering respect to older Westerners seems
unnatural. Newcomers at first often find it cultish and irrelevant when elders recount long years of
practicing bhakti.

The spontaneous spirit that characterized ISKCON’s early, burgeoning days in the West was informal. In
those days, ‘senior devotees’ were just a couple of years senior to ‘junior devotees.’ Now, ISKCON is
blessed with true seniors, lifelong, accomplished bhakti practitioners who are certainly worthy of
respect. Nonetheless, as with dīkṣā gurus, if today’s senior devotees also remain content with a minimal
amount of deferential behavior from today’s junior devotees, Śrīla Prabhupāda remains in the center for
everyone. Then, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s unique and naturally attractive qualities will insure we have more
junior devotees around, now and in the future.

In ISKCON’s early days Śrīla Prabhupāda sometimes referred to his more experienced disciples as
ISKCON’s ‘elderly members,’ although most were only in their twenties. He dispatched them to foreign
countries to open new ISKCON branches and accepted their recommendations for initiates. He showed
them respect by serving them or asking for their advice.

Today’s ‘elderly devotees’—who are actually elderly—can similarly preach wisely in the West by
minimizing the respect they feel they are due. Teaching by example, the wise elder shows respect to
newcomers by serving prasādam and addressing them as ‘Prabhu,’ just as Śrīla Prabhupāda did on 26
Second Avenue. Newcomers are touched by such displays of humility from elders. This approach to
preaching captures the mood of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who said, amāninā mānadena; “One should offer
all respect to others and expect none himself.”

If today’s senior devotees treat newcomers with respect, in time the newcomers will reciprocate.
Especially for Western youth, respect must be commanded, not demanded.

How about honoring Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciples? Śrīla Prabhupāda’s four thousand initiated disciples
were certainly fortunate to have his direct blessings. However, giving them excessive recognition often
creates an unintended obstacle for young Western newcomers, who tend to distrust religious hierarchy.
Moreover, the mood of awe and reverence interferes with the family mood that is so conducive to
expanding Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission. Rather than glorifying his disciples, if we glorify Śrīla Prabhupāda
himself at an appropriate time and in an appropriate way, it is much easier for newcomers to accept.

Respect for gurus and seniors is an important part of Vaishnava etiquette. Yet imposing it too soon can
turn Westerners away from even trying Krishna consciousness. Rūpa Gosvāmī’s advice again applies:
“Somehow or other think of Krishna. The rules and regulations can come later.”

A simple, balanced Krishna conscious environment, devoid of a stifling sense of seniors and juniors and
formality, attracts Westerners to bhakti. The focus remains on Śrīla Prabhupāda, Lord Caitanya, and Lord
Krishna. This is sama darśinaḥ in relation to seniority.

Treasuring our Devotional Communities

Though we may be spiritually connected to our gurus, we generally live in physical separation from
them. Our success as devotees depends more on our relationships with our local devotional community.
“Treat them well,” H.H. Bhakti Tīrtha Maharājā advises, “for they may be the people who are with you
when you die.”

To take shelter of a devotee community requires understanding sama-darśinaḥ. Healthy devotional

communities are naturally diverse. A devotee blessed with equal vision treats all others with full-hearted
appreciation, respect and love, regardless of ashram, ethnicity, gender or guru lineage.
 Chapter Seven: Balanced Temples and Ashrams
The Basis of sādhu-saṇga
Genuine sādhu-saṇga takes place when devotees speak about Krishna’s name, pastimes and service
with other devotees. This leads to happiness and ecstatic love of Krishna:

mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they
derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” (Bg.
10.9).

Chanakya Pandit says that a wise person can take good instruction from any source. It follows, then, that
a wise person is respectful to all, regardless of their external covering. We naturally gravitate to like-
minded association, but if we are overly selective of our association based on ashram and gender, we
fall short of the view of the mahātma, the broad-minded Vaishnava.

For example, if brahmacārīs associate only with other brahmacārīs, perhaps with pride in being men and
feeling disdain for women, their bodily consciousness sends them in precisely the wrong direction and
leaves them stranded on the neophyte platform.

Of course, a male devotee’s association with female devotees should be properly tempered, as detailed
later in this book. At the same time, one who is mature in bhakti can find inspiration, guidance and
appropriate association from any advanced devotee, regardless of their external situation. Then ISKCON
temple communities can flourish with young male and female residents putting Krishna at the center,
just as they did in the movement’s early days.

The Benefits of Inter-gender Temples

ISKCON temples in the West that have tried being men-only centers have generally struggled to attract
new devotees. They inadvertently create a sense that women are not welcomed in ISKCON, or simply
tolerated, as if their presence is a problem and their very existence a disturbance.

By contrast, Śrīla Prabhupāda, himself a sannyāsī, welcomed and facilitated female devotees in his
temples. When we applied Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approach at Krishna House, giving male and female
devotees equal facility, respect and treatment, young women and men began joining regularly. In this
spiritually charged co-ed environment, these young people’s sex desires calmed and diminished.

Though it may seem counter-intuitive, by associating respectfully and informally in public situations—
just as they have done in school all their lives—young men and women in the West find their sex
impulse more manageable than in a cloistered, ‘forbidden fruit’ environment. The resulting family
atmosphere, disciplined yet loving, has proven to regularly attract new people to Krishna consciousness.

Brahmacārī life is meant for spreading Krishna consciousness, an activity that inevitably means
interacting with women. Some brahmacārīs are taught to interact with women in a strained, artificial
way. History proves this practice unsustainable for brahmacārīs. History also proves that disdainful
treatment of women poisons the dissemination of Krishna consciousness in the West.

Manageable Boundaries
Śrīla Prabhupāda often quoted Lord Krishna’s statement, “striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās:” anyone can
approach the supreme destination. (Bg. 9.32). By applying this philosophy, within two years of arriving in
America he successfully created dozens of dynamic, attractive ISKCON communities characterized by
rapid growth and friendly Krishna conscious dealings between male and female devotees.

Anyone who knows Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books can easily understand this point philosophically. Yet when
single men and women become devotees in the same temple, how can they remain peaceful?

At Krishna House, with some easily learned boundaries, young male and female devotees share
sadhana, preaching, kirtan and other Krishna conscious adventures in a warm, accepting, loving family
environment. They learn that living in a temple is a great time to develop a relationship—with Krishna
and with Krishna’s devotees. They understand that if they want ordinary conjugal relationships, they can
live elsewhere.

Newcomers interested in Krishna but unable to give up their boyfriends or girlfriends are encouraged to
live outside the ashram and gradually develop Krishna consciousness as congregational members.
Anyone actively trying to find a boyfriend or girlfriend while living at Krishna House is warned and, if
they persist, promptly escorted out of the ashram.

More serious students, however, easily learn to draw lines so inter-gender interactions can be Krishna
conscious yet not so familiar as to disrupt a celibate environment. Such parameters are certainly new for
young Westerners, yet in the context of a celibate yoga ashram they can be easily understood and
accepted. At Krishna House, these strict prohibitions include:

- The Rule of Three. Never be alone with someone of the opposite sex, especially in a closed
room or driving in a car.
- No touching. Avoid deliberate physical contact with the opposite sex.
- “Pass the salt.” Keep conversations to Krishna katha and Krishna seva. Strictly avoid flirtatious
and extended mundane conversations. No private texts or emails.
- Choose appropriate mentors. Avoid revealing your mind, either in person or electronically, to
someone of the opposite sex. Instead, reveal your mind to confidential devotees such as
authorized senior devotees or respected and trusted same-gender peers.

One Million Books

Despite our simply following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s example, some devotees consider any inter-gender
environment a deviation. They dismiss Krishna House as having a loose atmosphere and claim the
graduates do not become serious devotees.

This opinion is remarkably uniformed. In fact, in the past ten years dozens of Krishna House graduates
have taken initiation from fifteen different ISKCON gurus. Many are active in the ISKCON mission,
running temples and preaching centers, organizing outreach and distributing books. Their efforts have
resulted in nearly one million of Śrila Prabhupāda’s books distributed. They have conducted hundreds of
successful outreach programs, attracting dozens of new devotees to Krishna consciousness.
Other Krishna House graduates have completed their advanced education, established professional
careers and begun contributing financially to ISKCON while living at home and maintaining their ashram-
inspired hearing and chanting.

One way or another, after their basic training the great majority of Krishna House’s hundreds of
graduates have remained active devotees, regularly chanting and following the regulative principles.
Like most of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciples, Krishna House graduates fondly remember their early days in
ISKCON as sweet, peaceful, enlightening days relished in an exciting atmosphere of loving acceptance
and encouragement. It is an experience that stays with them, one they want to share with others. This
powerful, transformative experience, so common in ISKCON’s early days in the West, has become rare.
From our experience, this deterioration has come about because of ongoing marginalization of women
in ISKCON.
 Chapter Eight: Women in ISKCON
Driving Women away from ISKCON
Imagine you are a young woman entering an ISKCON temple for the first time. When young men come
near you, if they acknowledge your existence at all, they avoid eye contact and always seem in a hurry.
You might wonder if you might have unknowingly contracted leprosy or some other infectious disease.

Imagine how you, the prospective new bhaktin, would feel if you saw female devotees relegated to the
rear of temple rooms, always following the men when greeting the Deities, chanting the daily
Bhāgavatam verse only after men have chanted, receiving ghee lamp and flower prasādam after all the
men, and not allowed to serve prasādam to men or to be being served prasādam by men. Would you be
attracted to be part of such a community?

Suppose before visiting you had read, “You’re not this body,” in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. When you
then saw such discriminatory behavior by men towards women based on their bodies, would you not
find the devotees hypocritical, speaking one thing but practicing something else? Would you be
interested to get involved with ISKCON?

Where gender discriminatory practices exist, ISKCON communities typically fail to reach young
Westerners. On the other hand, where women are treated kindly and given all the respect and facility of
their brothers, ISKCON communities thrive and attract new Western devotees, both male and female.

Śrīla Prabhupāda established his North American temples with this inter-gender mood, dismissing
criticism from some conservatives in India: “Not knowing that boys and girls in countries like Europe and
America mix very freely, these fools and rascals criticize the boys and girls in Krishna consciousness for
intermingling. But these rascals should consider that one cannot suddenly change a community’s social
customs.” (Cc. Adi 7.31-32, purport).

Even today, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approach has proven to consistently attract educated young American
men and women to become serious devotees of Lord Krishna. While living in the ashram, these young
men and women develop a natural, relaxed, and blissful mood of mutual respect and devotional
friendship while remaining fixed in their vows of celibacy. Such a joyous and memorable experience in
their youth helps them remain fixed in Krishna consciousness for life.

Why Gender Equity is So Important to Western Preaching

Śrīla Prabhupāda taught and demonstrated how a self-realized person is compassionate to everyone,
regardless of their body. Lord Krishna teaches the same principle. Understanding and applying this basic
Krishna conscious philosophy is essential for successfully spreading the Krishna consciousness
movement in the West.

If young women are thought of and treated as sex objects to be avoided, they will naturally be
discouraged from exploring Krishna consciousness, much to the detriment of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission.
On the other hand, if young women are facilitated and encouraged in devotional service, they empower
the Krishna consciousness movement through their spiritual enthusiasm and sincere, effective
preaching. When preaching Krishna consciousness, women are, as Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “as good as
their brothers.”
ISKCON needs female devotees for other reasons as well. In the short term, their presence in Western
temple communities makes Krishna consciousness more attractive to young men, who are accustomed
to inter-gender environments. In the long term, fixed up devotee wives can join with similarly
committed devotee husbands to create solid families and peacefully spend their lives in Krishna
consciousness.

Misguided devotee men often fail to appreciate devotee women. If these men later choose to marry,
they often find a lack of qualified candidates because so often women feel unwanted in ISKCON and
don’t join or stay. And even if such men manage to marry, because they have imbibed a negative
attitude towards women, they can find it difficult to treat their wives respectfully, leading to domestic
abuse, broken homes and psychologically challenged children.

For all these reasons, improved treatment of female devotees is essential to ISKCON’s worldwide
success. Seeing this, Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged, facilitated and boldly spoke out on behalf of his
female disciples.

Are Women really the Problem?

Once in Los Angeles a brahmacārī complained to Śrīla Prabhupāda about the daily playing of the famous
Brahma Saṁhitā (Govindaṁ) recording featuring Yamuna Devī. He referred to Lord Caitanya’s statement
that a sannyāsī should not even hear a woman’s voice. He suggested using a recording of Śrīla
Prabhupāda chanting the prayers instead.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was not pleased. He replied that the recording was choral. He then suggested that
anyone disturbed by the sound of women’s voices should go to the forest. His point was clear: if a man
is agitated in the presence of women, rather than removing women from his environment he should
remove the unwanted desires from his heart. The problem is not female presence; the problem is male
lust.

As Śrīla Prabhupāda demonstrated, a self-realized person will not be agitated in any circumstances
(tāṁs titikśasva bhārata . . . Bg. 2.14). Men who are fighting lust in their hearts will be disturbed when a
woman simply enters a room. Men who are transcendentally at peace will not have such feelings. Such
men, regardless of their ashram, are dhīras (undisturbed persons) treating women as spirit souls in an
accepting, compassionate, gentlemanly way. Such mature and peaceful men and women can spread
Krishna consciousness throughout the world.
 Chapter Nine: Crippling Offenses to ISKCON Vaishnavis
strī-bāla-vṛddha, āra ‘caṇḍāla’ ‘yavana’
yei tomāra eka-bāra pāya daraśana
kṛṣṇa-nāma laya, nāce hañā unmatta
ācārya ha-ila sei, tārila jagata

“If they see You just once, even women, children, old men, meat-eaters and members of the lowest
caste immediately chant the holy name of Krishna, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters
capable of delivering the whole world.” (Cc. Madhya 18.121-122)

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Greatest Innovation

When asked what was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s greatest innovation in spreading Krishna consciousness
around the world, devotees generally point out his liberal treatment of women. He accepted female
disciples in his temples and facilitated and cared for them as he did his male disciples. When some
godbrothers criticized him for this, he responded strongly, pointing out how their lack of understanding
Western culture left them incompetent to spread Krishna consciousness around the world.

Recreating Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approach to Vaishnavis that he originally established in ISKCON North
America has worked miracles at Krishna House. When women are treated properly, young men and
women become enthusiastic devotees. Unfortunately, the Society to which we introduce these bright
young Westerners does not always share the same sama-darśinaḥ values that have initially inspired
their spiritual lives. Many graduates find their faith challenged by lingering gender discrimination in
ISKCON.

A GBC Apology
ISKCON’s GBC has recognized gender discrimination in ISKCON as a serious problem caused by deviation
from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings and intent. In 2000 the GBC passed the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, the Women’s Ministry presentation on March 1st, 2000 to the GBC Body brought a clearer
understanding of the mistakes of the past and the need to provide equal and full opportunity for
devotional service for all devotees in ISKCON, regardless of gender, and

WHEREAS, it is clearly following in our line that all people are welcome to join Lord Chaitanya’s
sankīrtana movement and are capable of developing full love of God, and

WHEREAS, it is our belief that many of the social issues that confront us are exacerbated because the
voice of our women, who are the mothers and daughters of our Krishna conscious family, have been
hushed and stifled due to misinterpretation of our Vaishnava philosophy, and thus the human and
interpersonal needs of our devotees have been minimized,

THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED THAT:

501 [STATEMENT] 1. The members of the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness offer their humble apologies to the women of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s society who,
because of our own shortcomings and those of the Society, have suffered due to a lack of protection,
support, facility and appreciation for their service, devotion and vast contributions to the Society, and
2. [ACTION] All GBC Body members and other leaders shall hold istagosthis [meetings] in each of their
respective temples to establish the priority of providing equal facilities, full encouragement and genuine
care and protection for the women members of ISKCON. Also, separate meetings should be held with
the leaders and women of each temple to address the women’s needs and concerns,

Women’s Participation 19 [LAW]

A. All ISKCON temples are to allow all qualified devotees, regardless of gender, to speak on Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, etc. during the regular temple class.

B. All ISKCON temples designate half of the temple room area, divided in the center from the altar, for
the ladies.

C. If the management in a particular temple feels it is unable to implement these proposals, the
Executive Committee will appoint a small team of senior devotees, including women, to sensitively
review the particular local situation.

Vaishnavi Diksa Gurus and Western Outreach

Around the same time as this GBC apology, some of Śrila Prabhupāda’s lady disciples began receiving
requests for spiritual initiation. When their applications came to the GBC, a controversy began that has
continued ever since.

The hermeneutical debate on this matter has been covered ad nauseam, and we will summarize it only
briefly here as follows. Opponents refer to such ladies as FDGs (Female Diksa Gurus) and insist women
should not be allowed in ISKCON because in one purport (SB 4.12.32) Śrila Prabhupāda writes that Suniti
could not initiate her son Dhruva because she was his mother and a woman. Proponents refer to such
ladies as VDGs (Vaishnavi Diksa Gurus) and point to several direct statements from Śrila Prabhupāda
that ‘all my sons and daughters will initiate disciples’ and that ‘some, but not many’ Vaishnavis serve as
diksa gurus in our spiritual lineage.

For the sake of this discussion we will refer to spiritually advanced ladies as Vaishnavis, not females. Śrila
Prabhupāda explained this distinction countless times. To see otherwise, he said, is material:

Guest: I know that our bodies are not eternal, and we have to leave them, and some are made male
bodies and some are made female bodies. But our spirits, our souls, are there any differences?

Śrila Prabhupāda: No. As spirit soul there is no difference. Bodily difference is material.

(Room conversation, London, 1973).

While philosophical differences remain, the practical side of this debate is a different matter. To
educated and cultured people in the pāścātya-deśa, Western countries, gender discrimination is as
repulsive as racial discrimination. Women are considered as capable as men. For example, as of this
writing, the prime ministers of Germany and New Zealand are women, and they are highly popular in
their countries. Even the current American president, no champion of women, is by popular sentiment
forced to appoint a woman to the country’s supreme court. To Westerners gender equity is the norm
and the contrary is backwards, ignorant and sometimes indicative of mental illness.
This debate in ISKCON is understandable, because VDG opponents preach almost exclusively to
audiences of Hindu descent, for whom differing gender roles are generally more acceptable. The
contrast in audiences is quite vivid. A leading VDG opponent acknowledges that he has not brought a
non-Hindu to Krishna consciousness in over forty years. Nor, to his knowledge, have most of his fellow
leaders in ISKCON India, who mostly oppose VDGs in ISKCON.

VDG advocates who address more diverse audiences know that, especially in the West, presenting equal
spiritual opportunity in bhakti to both men and women, as Śrila Prabhupāda did, is necessary to attract
newcomers to Krishna. At Krishna House we believe that Śrila Prabhupāda had it just right: ‘some but
not many’ VDGs in the pāścātya-deśa will be sufficient for our preaching needs. However, having none
turns bright Western men and women away from ISKCON.

“Ah,” VDG opponents say, “but young Westerners have been joining at Krishna House for many years,
even without any VDGs in ISKCON.” That’s true. However, our brothers who oppose VDGs overlook the
reason why: Krishna House leaders have fought vigorously for VDGs for many years, producing a film,
attending meetings and writing books on the subject. Seeing their leaders fight for equal spiritual rights
for women in the West has inspired sufficient faith in hundreds of newcomers to join and stick with
ISKCON, despite what they consider a lingering, ignorant attitude towards women in the movement. The
hundreds of devotees who have joined ISKCON at Krishna House patiently await the favorable resolution
of the VDG debate.

Opposition to VDGs centers in India. Outside of India, multiple surveys have shown that having VDGs in
ISKCON enjoys wide support among devotees around the world. Thus in 2019 the GBC resolved that
individual continental leadership bodies could decide whether or not to allow VDGs to serve in their
areas. This wise and fair resolution embodies Śrila Prabhupāda’s statement:

“A candidate for Krishna consciousness in the Western countries should be taught about the
renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country like India in a
different way. The teacher (ācārya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the
principle of niyamāgraha — that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one
country may not be possible in another.” (Cc. Madhya 23.105).

Unfortunately, as of this writing our brothers in India are not content with this statement and still
oppose VDGs anywhere in ISKCON. Perhaps those who read this book will better understand why VDGs
are essential to ISKCON’s success in the West. Certainly our brothers in India still want those of non-
Hindu descent to join ISKCON. After all, Śrila Prabhupāda’s followers all over the world glorify His Divine
Grace the same way each day:

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe

nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

Lingering Offenses
The absence of Vaisnavi diksa gurus in ISKCON as well as prevalent domestic abuse demonstrate
lingering negative attitudes towards women in ISKCON. Śrila Prabhupāda initiated some 1,500
Vaishnavis, mostly Westerners. Although they felt protected during Śrila Prabhupāda’s physical presence
in this world, since his departure most of these women have felt hurt, discouraged and angered by the
treatment they have experienced in ISKCON. Nonetheless, many have continued with exemplary service,
a credit to their determination and sincerity. That does not mean, however, that everything is fine.
Scriptures explain that a woman is to be protected, which means that she feels happy, secure and
enthused. As the GBC’s 2000 resolution and the ongoing VDG debate show, ISKCON still struggles to
actually protect women and enjoy the concomitant auspicious atmosphere.

Whatever cultural arguments may be put forward, one unmistakable truth remains: marginalizing
female devotees in the name of Vedic culture often offends them and, in countries where gender equity
is widely accepted, cripples preachers who seek to attract intelligent people to ISKCON. As Hindu culture
is generally more tolerant of differing roles for men and women, this continued marginalization of
women by ISKCON’s leadership underscores the movement’s increasing dependence and focus on the
Hindu diaspora and neglect of the needs of preachers who want to reach a wider audience.

For more explicit evidence of the mistreatment of women still lingering in ISKCON, please read “A
Brahmacārīnī’s Story,” in the appendices of this book. This firsthand account was written by a bright,
highly educated young woman who joined a major Western ISKCON temple community several years
after the abovementioned GBC resolutions were passed. For contrast, please also read “A Brahmacārī’s
Story,” also in the appendices.

Sustainable Krishna Consciousness

As described in Chapter Four, the zealous promotion of renunciation in 1970s ISKCON led to the
marginalization of women and marriage in the movement. Time has proven both that most men marry
and that the movement requires happy, secure and respected women.

As a simple supplement to other, more thorough books on this subject by ISKCON’s Gṛhastha Vision
Team and others, the next section summarizes what we at Krishna House teach our students about
marriage in Krishna consciousness. This open-minded approach helps our graduates, including those
pursuing monasticism, to feel enthusiastic about remaining in Krishna consciousness throughout their
lives.
 Section Three:
Attaining A “Normal
Condition of Life”
 Chapter Ten: Spiritual Marriage and Balanced Training
“The soldiers in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm
and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition
of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are
divisions of varṇāśrama—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and
sannyāsa.” (SB. 8.2.30, purport).

Śrīla Prabhupāda took great pride in his married disciples, strong and fired up devotees who helped him
spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. In the UK, for example, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s married
disciples, starting with nothing, succeeded wonderfully where Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sannyāsī godbrothers,
backed and funded by the Gaudiya Math, had failed. Similarly, his married disciples pioneered Krishna
consciousness from Dallas to Deutschland to Delhi. Through his gṛhastha disciples Śrīla Prabhupāda
reached millions of people around the world.

The simplicity and spiritual focus of renounced life are very attractive, especially to young men who are
still uncovering their deeper selves. Nonetheless, it is important for young devotees to know the many
positive aspects of spiritual marriage.

Good Reasons to Marry in Krishna Consciousness

Marriage is much more than a response to sexual agitation. A Krishna conscious marriage is a stable,
solid platform for spiritual advancement. As such, marriage is a vital rite of passage for the aspiring
lifelong devotee. Many important considerations may lead one to decide to marry, including:

- A desire for more control over one’s living situation, diet and finances—options which are
available in ISKCON for sannyāsīs and gṛhasthas but usually not others.
- A desire for understanding and companionship.
- A desire for new challenges in spiritual life.
- A desire for more self-expression.
- A desire to develop personal pūjā and bhajan.
- A desire to do a particular type of service, such as business or a professional career, which is
inappropriate for renunciates.
- A desire to raise children.

All such desires can easily be pursued as part of one’s service to Lord Krishna.

In many passages, such as the following, Śrīla Prabhupāda distinguishes and encourages Krishna
conscious household life.

“As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one
should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But
when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be
attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Krishna
consciousness. If one is in full Krishna consciousness, he can make his home
very happy, because this process of Krishna consciousness is very easy. One
need only chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs
 offered to Krishna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gītā and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things
will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way.
The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare
Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to
develop Krishna consciousness, following these four principles, then there is
no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial,
not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be
abandoned.” (BG 13.8, purport).

Further, a gṛhastha can do everything for Krishna, as Bhaktivinode Thakur sings:

mānasa deho, geho, jo kichu mor arpilun tuwā pade, nanda-kis'or!

“Mind, body, and family, whatever may be mine, I have surrendered at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of
Nanda!”

Krishna conscious family life thus differs from ordinary family life because devotees know to put Krishna
first. For devotees, family life is automatically part of their service for Krishna. In Bhagavad-gītā 5.2,
Krishna recommends such work for Him as superior even to external renunciation.

The Irreplaceable Role of Gṛhasthas

Since Śrīla Prabhupāda said he considered varnashram dharma as fifty percent of his mission, one must
ask, what is varnashram society without gṛhasthas? Gṛhasthas alone are meant to generate the money
and resources needed to support the other three ashrams. And without mothers and children, there is
no society at all.

Spiritually healthy gṛhasthas contribute funds and benefit ISKCON in many ways. They raise children
deeply rooted in Krishna consciousness. Those with healthy marriages and spiritual lives make a positive
spiritual impression on their countrymen (yare dekha tare kaha Krishna upadeśa. Cc. Madhya 7.128).
Because they deal with and resolve common life challenges in a Krishna conscious manner, gṛhasthas
can readily show ordinary people how to Krishna-ize their lives. Gṛhasthas also learn management and
business skills which they can use to help expand ISKCON.

Raising a family and maintaining a marriage in Krishna consciousness also gives a gṛhastha couple
invaluable experience in building relationships. Such experience helps them grow to be patient, wise,
experienced Krishna conscious teachers, counselors and gurus. Lord Rṣabhadeva places parents on the
same level as gurus and demigods (SB 5.5.18):

gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt

pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt
daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān
na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum

“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never
become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.”
For all these reasons, experienced ISKCON leaders encourage devotees to be true to their own nature
and select the order of life appropriate for them. They speak positively to young devotees about all
options and avoid the fallacy of filling them with confusing and negative thoughts as they enter life in
Krishna consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged his followers to remember and to trust Krishna in
all circumstances of life.

Our next three chapters outline the lifelong devotional training provided at Krishna House. As you read
them, you’ll see how this training returns to the Simple ’60s attitudes, giving new devotees peaceful
minds and hopeful hearts for a lifelong experience of Krishna consciousness.
 Chapter Eleven: Sex and the Single Sādhaka
Is Sex Bad?
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.11) Krishna declares Himself to be sex life that is not contrary to religious principles.
The great acharya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, himself a lifelong celibate, said that if he (as a
renunciate) were allowed, he would willingly have sex to propagate Krishna conscious children. So, sex
itself is not bad. However, misusing sex can destroy spiritual life.

Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that irresponsible, unmarried (illicit) sex is demonic, for it enhances bodily
identification and contaminates the mind and heart. Within a regulated Krishna conscious marriage,
however, sex can be used for Krishna. If something can be used for Krishna, it should not be
categorically rejected in a false and often prideful attempt to be renounced. In the Nectar of Devotion,
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes:

prāpancikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ

mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate

“One who rejects something, not understanding its relationship to Krishna, is incomplete in
renunciation.”

Misguided renunciation is called phalgu-vairāgya. Phalgu means ‘dry.’ In Bihar, the sacred Phalgu River
often flows invisibly under its riverbed. On the surface the river appears dry, but water lies just beneath.
Similarly, one engaged in phalgu-vairāgya, dry renunciation, appears renounced from sex desire while
saddled with deep attachment for it just below the surface.

One can avoid this needless and spiritually destructive hypocrisy by understanding that comfortably
refraining from sex or using sex within marriage are acceptable, respectable and effective ways to deal
with sex desire while advancing in Krishna consciousness. Understanding the clear distinction between
licit and illicit sex is crucial for newcomers, for it allows them to gain a measured perspective on
managing their sex impulse. Devotees gaining such perspective avoid becoming either hopeless or
fanatic.

Managing Sex Desire

Dealing with sex desire can be daunting for young devotees, particularly in the digital age in which
pornography has all but destroyed the peace of mind that comes with self-control. Still, every devotee
must deal with sex desire, for the knots of sexual attraction bind one to the material world. The great
majority of devotees choose to marry and gradually master sex desire through regulation. Śrīla
Prabhupāda encouraged disciples struggling with sex desire to marry, explaining that married or
renounced, life’s goal, love of Krishna, is the same, as is the opportunity to achieve it.

When grappling with sex desire, Haridasa Thakur’s method of dealing with the seductive prostitute is
instructive. One can address one’s lust as Haridasa addressed the prostitute: “Please sit over here. I’ll be
with you as soon as I finish chanting.” Haridasa Thakur did not repress, condemn or run from the
prostitute. Nor did he deny her existence. He acknowledged her, treated her respectfully and gradually
won her over to Krishna consciousness. So it is with sex desire. One can neither sustainably repress it,
run from it, nor deny its existence. One must make peace with sex desire through Krishna
consciousness.
Despite the West being sex-obsessed and rife with immoral, pornography-plagued values, this approach
to the sensitive topic of sex provides hope and inspiration for new devotees at Krishna House. On the
other hand, the ‘all or nothing’ approach from the zealous ’70s has failed to consistently attract qualified
devotees, at Krishna House and elsewhere in the West.

Sex and Gṛhastha Life

Students naturally want to know: once married in Krishna consciousness, where does sex fit in? Śrīla
Prabhupāda encouraged his followers to minimize sex, using sex only for conceiving Krishna conscious
children. More importantly, he expected his married disciples to chant Hare Krishna and remain faithful
in their marriages. He did not insert himself in their bedrooms. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s experienced followers
also observe this judicious policy. Sexual expectations and understandings are essential topics for pre-
marital counseling. After marriage, if the union is to succeed, they are the business of husband and wife
and no one else.

Condemning sex outright both defies Krishna’s statement in Bhagavad-gītā and belies the practical
experience of successful ISKCON gṛhasthas. Such devotees understand that sex plays an important but
limited role in a sustainable Krishna conscious marriage. With a balanced understanding of this delicate
topic, new devotees can move forward peacefully in their spiritual lives.
 Chapter Twelve: Five Keys to Successful Gṛhastha Life
Successful marriages in Krishna consciousness are an irreplaceable asset to ISKCON, both for the couple
and for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission and legacy. Benefits include:

- Husband and wife have built-in devotee association that aids their spiritual advancement.
- Devotee children can grow up in a stable, loving Krishna conscious environment, giving them a
good opportunity to be devotees themselves.
- Young devotees, almost all of whom will marry, have role models.
- The greater community appreciates Hare Krishna families as moral, positive people.

What does it take to achieve a stable, fulfilling, peaceful Krishna conscious marriage? Here are five keys.

1. Thinking Positively about Gṛhastha Life

Rather than seeing marriage as evidence of spiritual weakness, mature devotees see marriage in Krishna
consciousness as a fresh and transformative opportunity for personal growth. As challenging as it may
be, a successful marriage in Krishna consciousness benefits the progressive devotee in many ways.
Krishna conscious gṛhastha life provides a peaceful, sustainable platform for practicing sādhana-bhakti.
Responsible gṛhasthas transcend selfishness and learn to put the needs of others first, rising to higher
levels of self-control. And most importantly, spiritual marriage softens the heart and teaches one how to
freely give unconditional love to others.

2. Patience
While some devotees trust their parents to arrange their marriage, most devotees must select their own
spouse. As such, it is generally better to wait until one is fully mature before making such a
consequential decision. There is a biological factor in this advice; the human brain does not fully mature
until the mid-to late twenties. When both husband and wife are well-established in their own identities
as adults and as devotees, their marriage will have a better chance of success. Until that time,
brahmacārī or brahmacārīni life is ideal.

Similarly, by the time they reach their late twenties, those rare souls who naturally feel comfortable
living as renounced, financially dependent singles can maturely and responsibly consider lifetime
commitments to renounced life.

On the other hand, waiting until well into one’s 30s or even 40s to marry—as is often the case for those
who unwisely pursued lifelong renunciation—is less due to patience and more a result of indecision or
fear. Generally, one’s late 20s or early 30s is the right time to decide one’s long-term ashram.
Postponing the decision can be detrimental. H.H. Tamal Krishna Goswami once asked a respected
twenty-eight-year-old brahmacārī whether he wanted to marry or take sannyāsa. After considering, the
young man said he wanted to remain a brahmacārī. Maharājā replied, “That means you want to get
married.”

In other words, a man who is truly inclined to renounce has a strong, clear and unshakeable desire to do
so. He understands the physical, mental and financial implications of a renounced life and is fully
comfortable with them.
Choosing between renounced and married life is a decision that deserves thoughtful consideration. At
Krishna House we encourage young devotees to be patient, honest and open-minded about this subject.
Prematurely deciding on either route is a symptom of the mode of passion. Postponing the decision out
of fear indicates the mode of ignorance. Patiently waiting until one is a mature devotee is in goodness.
Patience opens the door to a life of transcendence.

3. Vocation
A Krishna conscious husband must be capable and responsible to support a family. Though a Krishna
conscious wife may also have a career, she and her husband may prefer to live simply on one income
during her child-rearing years so she can give her full time and attention to the crucial work of nurturing
their children. Any mother will confirm that raising children attentively is a full-time job.

In the early days of ISKCON, most devotees expected to be lifelong preachers. We now know that,
vocationally, very few devotees are so inclined. This is normal, for in any religious congregation there
are dozens of members with other careers for each one who pursues a career in the ministry.

One of the reasons is financial. In America, for instance, there are some 350,000 religious congregations.
The average annual income for a professional working in these congregations is $55,000 USD. No full
time ISKCON minister in America whom we know receives anywhere near this amount of compensation.
At most, full-time ISKCON ministers generally receive only subsistence-level facility and stipends.

While life as an ISKCON career minister in the West can be financially austere, it is richly rewarding
spiritually. Still, gṛhastha couples who want to spread Krishna consciousness full time these days usually
arrange supplemental sources of income. Although a career as a Krishna conscious preacher is a great
blessing, few devotees will actually pursue it. Most will seek work situations that allow them to preach
and serve the mission part time. Aspiring devotee husbands must weigh all these factors when
considering a vocation.

4. Pre-marital Counseling
While they are considering marriage, a prospective bride and groom greatly benefit from appropriate
guidance on such topics as spiritual standards, finance, sex, family aspirations and living arrangements.
A good counselor uncovers the landmines that can potentially blow up a marriage and provides the
couple a chance to come to terms on crucial issues before marriage.

5. Mutual Respect
To have a successful Krishna conscious marriage, husband and wife must be firmly situated on the
spiritual platform, seeing and treating each other not only as spirit souls but as devotees of Lord Krishna.
While a husband may command his wife’s respect through his gentlemanly and responsible dealings, he
cannot demand it. A disciple husband once asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “Isn’t it true the wife should do
anything the husband asks?” Śrīla Prabhupāda replied, “And you should be so arrogant? You are
chanting Hare Krishna—she is chanting Hare Krishna. What is the difference?”

In Śrīla Prabhupāda’s insightful answer lies the secret for a successful Krishna conscious marriage.

In summary, ISKCON leaders serve Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission well by training men to respect women as
spiritual equals and by training women to look first and foremost for gentlemanly and responsible
husbands. Such enlightened leaders allow all young devotees to feel positive about their future in
Krishna consciousness. Even if such devotees choose not to marry, they will do so with a healthy respect
for, and not a nasty aversion to, the gṛhastha ashram.
 Chapter Thirteen: Beyond Bodily Designations
As wise people don’t judge books by their covers, so devotees are best evaluated by content rather than
appearance.

Western or Eastern Dress?

Regarding clothing, Krishna House avoids the all-or-nothing position. Whatever one’s wardrobe
preferences, one transcendental fact remains: wearing dhotis and saris does not make one advanced,
while wearing ordinary clothes does not make one fallen. At Krishna House we teach that dress is a
detail, not a principle. We encourage everyone to wear whatever modest dress is comfortable. This
mood helps create a relaxed atmosphere that attracts new devotees.

When left to their own choices, we find devotees about evenly split between Eastern and Western
wardrobes, and no one thinks much of it. We do train the students in a bigger concern: paying too much
attention to others’ dress can lead to offenses.

Here is an example of this point from Caitanya-līlā. Upon first seeing him, the great renunciate
Gadādhara Pandit thought Puṇdarka Vidyānidhi to be a materialist due to his lavish appearance.
However, upon seeing Puṇdarka Vidyānidhi’s advanced bhakti, Gadādhara Pandit begged his forgiveness
and accepted him as his spiritual master. In this and other instances, advanced devotees avoid judging
others by their dress or other externals.

When men want to wear saffron dhotis, if they meet the appropriate criteria, they are welcome to do
so. Krishna House brahmacārīs sometimes travel and distribute books and sometimes live peacefully at
the temple. Everyone understands that single men choosing to wear white dhotis are also brahmacārīs
and single women wearing various colors are brahmacārīnīs.

Deciding whether to put on saffron requires a young man to consult with experienced and caring
seniors. A sannyāsī friend advised us that, before donning saffron, it is also auspicious for a young man
to obtain the blessings of the senior Vaishnavis in the community.

‘Fallen Gṛhasthas’
All over the world ISKCON gṛhasthas live visibly normal lives, externally connected to the society around
them while internally remaining serious in their sādhana-bhakti. Senior ISKCON renunciates befriend,
visit and frequently stay with such householders and think nothing of it. Less advanced devotees may
look at these apparently ordinary householders as mundane and fallen. This attitude is both superficial
and a dangerous precedent for Vaishnava aparādha. It is also a major turn-off for prospective new
devotees.

As members of the only ashram meant for generating money, gṛhasthas do well to be prosperous.
Although Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted gṛhasthas to live simply on ISKCON farms, experience has proven
that very few in the West have been able to support a family by working the land and maintaining cows.
Most devotees must deal with heavy material responsibilities as their service for Krishna, as Arjuna does
in the Bhagavad-gītā.

To simultaneously maintain both vocational and spiritual duties takes tremendous patience, sincerity
and determination. Therefore, gṛhasthas are called ‘adhikārīs,’ those who are advanced enough to
capably meet such challenges. To criticize such accomplished and serious devotees for being worldly is
offensive and detrimental for spiritual advancement.

In Śrīla Prabhupāda Līlāmṛta we read this quote from His Divine Grace: "That is the standard of living in
America. You cannot say, 'No, I shall not lie down in this nice apartment. I shall lie down in the street. I
am a sannyāsī!' Then nobody will respect me. So we have to use cars, but we should not be attached to
it. Our attachment should be for Krishna, and for Krishna's service we can accept anything."

Whether it is saffron, white or khaki, one’s dress—and one’s entire external situation—is far less
important than one’s attachment to hearing and chanting about Krishna in the association of serious
devotees. We advance in Krishna consciousness by appreciating the good in others and avoiding the
passionate propensity to find fault. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that we must be strict with ourselves and
lenient with others. With his wonderful ability to emphasize the good in others, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave
love and encouragement to all his disciples, men and women, brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas and sannyāsīs.

Varnashrama and ISKCON

During his final pastimes in this world, Śrīla Prabhupāda stated that he had established book distribution
as 50% of his mission and now wanted to add the other 50% by establishing varnashram dharma. One of
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s personal associates and confidantes during this time was Abhiram das, the former
temple president of ISKCON’s Miami and Calcutta branches. Abhirām Prabhu explains the background of
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s ‘50%’ statement.

“Śrīla Prabhupāda was concerned with everyone, including women, children and the much broader
spectrum of society that he expected would soon be drawn to worship Krishna within their practical
ability. Yet ISKCON’s status quo had shifted in the mid- ’70s to a sannyāsa aspiration for everyone,
including women, which led to broken marriages and unhappy ladies.

“Many men, who were mostly unfit for celibacy, nonetheless chased after the new status quo of being
officially declared a saint by dint of wearing saffron cloth. While greatly energizing book distribution and
preaching, this trend perverted many aspects of the ISKCON society. Inevitably, fall downs began to
increase and the dyke composed of youthful zeal began to crack. Using youthful energies to hold back
natural inclinations for the sake of a higher mission proved unsustainable, including for many official
sannyāsīs.

“As news of fall downs continued to pour into Śrīla Prabhupāda's mail, he began to worry and vocalize
his concern about this trend. This increasing concern, along with Śrīla Prabhupāda's intention to build its
God-given solution—varnashram farm communities— substantially motivated his last trip west in the
summer of 1977.

“As he said to me, ‘I will go to Gītā-nāgarī. I will sit down and teach you how to live off the land.’ He also
said to Tamal Krishna Goswami, Brahmānanda Swami, Bhakti Caru Swami, Upendra and myself, ‘Fifty
percent of my work is incomplete because I have not established varnashram. I have one lamentation,
that I have not established varnashram.’ ”

Śrīla Prabhupāda was unable to complete that trip to Gītā-nāgarī and left this world in 1977. Since then,
his followers have struggled to understand and implement his desire. Devotees have established farm
communities around the world with mixed results. In economically simpler countries, some of these
farming projects have achieved a degree of self-sufficiency. However, in North America and elsewhere in
the West, ISKCON farm communities have been forced to survive by various means other than simple
agricultural production.

Consequently, in North America, most gṛhastha devotees, lacking other good options, have applied
varnashram principles in Krishna consciousness by practicing sādhana-bhakti and living as simply as
possible while working and preaching in urban environments. At Krishna House we accept this way of
life as a reasonable fulfillment of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s aspiration for varnashram dharma in ISKCON.

Hearing this, and seeing examples among successful devotees, newcomers feel hope and confidence in
remaining in Krishna consciousness throughout their lives, whether on a farm or in the city. At Krishna
House, newcomers learn that a lifelong commitment to Krishna consciousness is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
essential intention for introducing varnashram. As he wrote:

“The varnashram system is for convenience sake in the material world. It has nothing to do with spiritual
life. Acceptance of varnashram means a little easy progress to spiritual life, otherwise it has no
importance to us. For example, all my European and American disciples have no varnashram position,
but spiritually because they have followed the rules and regulations and also my instructions, their
advancement spiritually is being appreciated by everyone. Always remember that varnashram life is a
good program for material life, and it helps one in spiritual life; but spiritual life is not dependent upon
it.” (Śrīla Prabhupāda Letter, Oct. 19, 1974)

To implement varnashram dharma in Kali-yuga would require enormous preaching accomplishments,

such as influencing political and social leaders to be Krishna conscious. Such accomplishments are very
difficult, especially in the West. Unable to perform them, some zealous varnashram advocates in
ISKCON have instead turned to an easier pursuit: pressuring ISKCON Vaishnavis to ‘toe the line,’ cover
their heads and live as traditional varnashram women, whether they are naturally inclined to or not.
Citing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s criticism of the Women’s Liberation movement of the ’70s, these zealous
varnashram advocates insist that any Vaishnavi who does not fit into a certain social mold is unchaste
and unfit for Krishna consciousness. ISKCON has suffered greatly as a result, as discussed in Chapter
Eight.

While claiming to champion Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings, these devotees themselves cannot do what
Śrīla Prabhupāda did: consistently bring Westerners to Krishna consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda quoted
a humorous aphorism in this regard: “Big big monkey, big big belly, Lanka jumping, melancholy.” Some
people talk a good game, but when it comes to doing something as wonderful as Sri Hanuman’s jump to
Lanka, they become silent.

Intelligent young men and women in the West will accept Krishna consciousness if doing so allows them
to be themselves without having to fit into a certain social mold. Given freedom to choose, at Krishna
House these bright young men and women generally gravitate toward preaching and book distribution.
If they carry on with chanting and following the regulative principles, it is not important whether they
later choose to be preachers or professionals or to live in condos or cottages. Everyone is encouraged to
find their unique way of pleasing Lord Krishna. Once they have a clear direction in mind, young devotees
are further encouraged to seek appropriate mentorship, fulfill their dreams and sustainably apply Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s teachings in their lives.
 Section 4:
Takeaways
 Chapter Fourteen: Boiling the Milk?
Advising a Starving Man to Fast
Since Krishna consciousness is ever fresh, over the years ISKCON has gone through many changes. In
ISKCON’s early, expansive days, Śrīla Prabhupāda dispatched disciples all over the world to open centers.
Then in May 1972, he wrote several letters to leading disciples with this theme:

“You can thin milk by adding water and you can make it thick by boiling. Now is the time for us to begin
the boiling process. Now you know everything how to be a Vaishnava brahmana, now you must practice
these things or the whole thing will be a show only. Better to develop the small number of devotees we
have, make them truly Krishna conscious boys and girls than to go on getting many followers who do not
understand and practice the real principles. Better one moon that many stars.”

Sometimes we hear similar ideas circulating in ISKCON today. Some devotees imagine ISKCON is
struggling in the West because the devotees are too compromised with Western culture. Better to be
pure, they say, usually defined as following strict Vedic/varnashram dharma norms, than to compromise
with fallen Westerners in the name of spreading the movement.

Such assertions reflect at best a narrow understanding of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life and instructions. His
‘boil the milk’ instruction in 1972 clearly did not mean that he wanted to stop attracting new devotees;
after 1972, Śrīla Prabhupāda personally pushed book distribution, opened new temples and initiated
thousands of new disciples, all the while urging his existing disciples to help him in these pursuits. Would
he have done all this if ‘boiling the milk’ had become his sole focus?

At times Śrīla Prabhupāda stressed high standards and other times big expansion. Though his
instructions on principles are unwavering, as we so often see, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions on details
of devotional service vary according to time, place and circumstance. How does one distinguish a
principle from a detail? “That,” Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “requires intelligence.”

We must apply our intelligence to understand when to expand and when to ‘boil the milk.’ In his post-
1972 writings, Śrīla Prabhupāda indicates the ideal balance between preaching and Vaishnava behavior.
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 4.103, Sanātana Gosvāmī praises Haridāsa Thakur for both his ideal
behavior and his simultaneous preaching. “Similarly,” Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport, “the
members of the Krishna consciousness movement chant a minimum of sixteen rounds a day, which can
be done without difficulty, and at the same time they must preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu
according to the gospel of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. One who does so is quite fit to become a spiritual
master for the entire world.”

Here Śrīla Prabhupāda’s definition of exemplary behavior includes simply chanting sixteen rounds and
following the regulative principles. At Krishna House we have observed that graduates who maintain
their initiation vows remain enthusiastic to preach as well, regardless of how much or how little they
incorporate more intricate details of Vaishnava behavior in their lives.

Still the question remains for many ISKCON leaders: should ISKCON reach out to newcomers or boil the
milk by implementing varnashram in ISKCON? How do we resolve these apparently conflicting
instructions?
We turn again to the example of the pharmacy; all the medicines are there, but a patient needs a
prescription from an expert physician to pick the right one for his particular disease. Which of Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s instructions are most applicable at present?

Right now in much of the ISKCON world, temples are desperate for manpower. For decades many of
these shorthanded temples in the West have relied on religious workers, especially from India, to
conduct Deity worship and other services. The system of importing pūjārīs and cooks has been fraught
with many difficulties, and these days they are getting worse. For some temples, learning to attract
devotees locally is becoming necessary to avoid cutting back on Deity services and outreach programs.
For others it is a matter of simple survival. As one senior ISKCON leader put it, at a time like this ISKCON
leaders must “recruit or perish.”

Though at times it may have been appropriate to set aside recruiting to focus on elevating devotees to a
higher standard, at this time in ISKCON there are few new devotees, particularly Westerners, to so
elevate. For this reason, attracting newcomers and giving them basic Krishna conscious training appears
to be a far greater priority. With ashramites an endangered species in ISKCON North America, to suggest
curtailing effective Western outreach in favor of ‘boiling the milk’ seems like advising a man dying of
starvation that he should fast to improve his health. As a sannyāsī friend put it, “If we want to boil the
milk, there must be some milk to boil.”

Endangered Species or Pale Imitation?

Krishna House welcomes newcomers with a relaxed environment and does not pressure them to
immediately reach for higher standards. In time, each new devotee’s spiritual growth manifests in its
own organic way. Still, seeing these Krishna House students’ advancement as too slow, some ISKCON
leaders question whether these students are serious devotees. It is a fair question. Here are the facts:

Over the past few years, over three hundred devotees have joined Krishna House. In comparison to
ISKCON communities in other parts of the world, that number is not very significant. However, in North
America, such a wave of new devotees joining a temple has not been seen in nearly fifty years.

Most Krishna House graduates remain staunch devotees. Collectively, they have distributed some one
million books in North America. Some serve ISKCON as temple presidents, book distributors, chefs,
volunteers and financial supporters. This year, four Krishna House graduates are applying to the GBC
College. After leaving Krishna House, many of these devotees move on to other ISKCON temple
communities. Here is a partial list of North American ISKCON communities that have benefited from
Krishna House graduates:

Alachua
Atlanta
Berkeley
Chicago
Columbus
Dallas
Denver
Gita Nagari
Hillsborough
Houston
Kansas City (RVC)
Los Angeles
New York (Bhakti Center)
New York (Brooklyn)
New York (Harinama Ashram)
New Vrindaban
Portland
Potomac
San Diego
San Jose (ISV)
Tallahassee
Tucson
Ypsilanti

Aside from North America, Krishna House graduates also presently serve ISKCON communities in China,
Southeast Asia, India and Europe. Wherever they go, Krishna House graduates are generally appreciated
as balanced, enthusiastic devotees who make valuable contributions to their community.
 Chapter Fifteen: Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Example
Śrīla Prabhupāda showed how to bring Krishna consciousness to people of every background. He is the
first Vaishnava spiritual master to come to the West and prove that Westerners and everyone else in the
world can become serious devotees of Lord Krishna, filling otherwise pointless and dissatisfying lives
with sustainable bliss and knowledge.

For preachers of Krishna consciousness in the West, reaching Westerners is more difficult than reaching
those of Vedic heritage who naturally share many of ISKCON’s values and practices. Even today, when
devotees of Indian heritage generously support ISKCON, Krishna consciousness remains as viable as ever
for others as well. Sadly, Western-born brahmacārīs and brahmacārīnīs are an endangered species, yet
their numbers can be replenished if ISKCON leaders focus on meeting their physical, spiritual and
psychological needs, just as Śrīla Prabhupāda did. These needs include providing equal, respectful
treatment for the female of the species.

Currently most ISKCON temples in North America are led and populated by devotees of Vedic heritage.
Seeing this imbalance, sincere servants of Śrīla Prabhupāda from every background seek to bring bright
young Westerners into ISKCON. In the 1960s and 1970s, Śrīla Prabhupāda proved Westerners could be
attracted to join ISKCON. Though times have changed, Krishna House has proven that Westerners can
still be transformed into wonderful Vaishnavas. If a sincere devotee of any age, whether Indian or
Western by birth, applies the methods and policies Śrīla Prabhupāda used, he or she can still nurture
serious Western Vaishnavas. Endangered Species is our humble attempt to present the steps for
applying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s approach and show how it has worked and continues to work consistently
at Krishna House.

Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis

Under Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati’s direction, Śrīla Prabhupāda sailed west with the thesis that
Westerners can become devotees of Krishna. The antithesis of this idea is that only those of Hindu
descent can be serious Vaishnavas. The synthesis of these two positions will manifest when today’s
ISKCON devotees, including those of Hindu descent, learn how to regularly attract and train Western-
born devotees as Śrīla Prabhupāda did.

Śrīla Prabhupāda saw the whole world as his family. Without differentiating between any bodily
designations, he gave his love to everyone. Seeing his unconditional love, tens of thousands from all
walks of life became his followers. He gave his followers a world of joy in Krishna consciousness and
asked only that they do as he had done, sharing Krishna consciousness freely with others, without
discrimination.

For ISKCON leaders today, the question remains: how important is it to reach Westerners? All over the
world, Śrīla Prabhupāda brought local people, including Westerners and other non-Hindus, to Krishna
consciousness. If we do what he did, this unprecedented facet of his legacy can continue. The facilities
are there, and the steps are clear. In the West, as in India and everywhere else, undiscovered devotees
are standing on every street corner. At Krishna House we have learned that if we simply make nice
arrangements for their care, Krishna in their hearts will inspire endless cascades of new devotees to take
shelter at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet.
Appendices
 Six Spiritual Values of Krishna House
Krishna House has adopted a set of spiritual values distilled from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It
Is by Saunaka Rishi Prabhu from the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies. Here are the values and their
applications.

Sama-darśinaḥ (equal vision)

The Gītā advocates equality of all living beings, meaning life is respected regardless of race, gender,
caste, creed or species. Rather than seeing life as a temporary chemical function, one with equal vision
sees an eternal spiritual energy. Thus Krishna says that the wise see a saint, a laborer, a dog and an
elephant with equal vision, and–while acknowledging their material differences–see real substance in
their spiritual equality, linking everyone with God, and, consequently, with each other.

At Krishna House, everyone is welcomed and accepted and given an equal opportunity to develop bhakti.

Icchā (choice)
The Gītā begins by Arjuna choosing to seek guidance from his friend Krishna and ends with Krishna
saying, “Now you’ve heard everything; do what you wish to do.” By leaving the choice to Arjuna, Krishna
acknowledges his freedom. Krishna teaches Arjuna openly, truthfully and affectionately, without
demands or dogma. The Gītā establishes that love, including love for the Supreme, depends on choice.
Arjuna can freely choose to fight for Krishna or to flee for his own reasons.

Krishna House leaders avoid pressuring people to join or to stay. Three times each year, qualified resident
students are invited to re-enroll. Those who chose to move on are given a warm farewell.

Ahiṁṣa (nonviolence)
Nonviolence means to act in a way that causes the least harm. The context of the Gītā, a battlefield,
helps us appreciate that ahiṁṣa does not mean pacifism. Still, a life of ahiṁṣa means avoiding violence
whenever possible, including its subtle forms: cruel words, causing others confusion or distress,
withholding information and even mistreating our own bodies.

Non-violent policies of mutual respect create a strong sense of unity. Krishna House values and protects
this ‘family mood,’ free of politics and envy, which has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful
aspects of ISKCON’s early communities.

Acharya (teaching by example)

An acharya is one who leads and teaches by example. Through a deep understanding of bhakti, an
acharya shows how to live a full life with a minimum of possessions, how service gladdens the heart, and
how spiritual life is practical life. By their behavior, acharyas inspire integrity and good character in
others. Teaching by example is the essence of education; showing by example is the essence of
leadership, and exemplifying one’s principles is the basis of dignity, respect and trust.

As we find these profound qualities in the life and teachings of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya Śrīla
Prabhupāda, we accept him as the pre-eminent acharya for the Krishna House, a permanent model for
our staff and students and for all in ISKCON.

Amānitva (humility)
Humility, freedom from the passion for honor, rests in wisdom and manifests in behavior. Humility is not
weak; it nurtured Arjuna’s self-esteem, self-confidence and courage. It allowed him to know, love and
serve God. Humility perfumes our communication. It is the jewel of the broadminded and opens the
door to spiritual life. It is the most attractive quality we can possess.

Krishna House students learn that real humility goes beyond superficial pranams. Humility means serving
others quietly, without expecting recognition and with the goal of making them happy.

Prīti (affection)
In the Gītā Arjuna listens to Lord Krishna’s advice and chooses his path because he wants to please Him.
Their relationship is based on love, and Krishna has shared His knowledge with Arjuna because of this
love. The ability to offer and receive affection enriches all the other Gītā values.

Krishna House leaders deal lovingly with all students, doing their best to show Lord Krishna’s love for
each jīva through their personal dealings. This sometimes requires the tolerance of a loving parent, as
Śrīla Prabhupāda often showed with his disciples.
 A Brahmacārīnī’s Story
This account comes from an educated young woman describing events several years after the GBC
apologized to women in ISKCON in 2000.

As a young woman of European descent, I started chanting Hare Krishna while I was in college. After
many years of intensive study and exams, I received my advanced college degree. It was good to get
college behind me, and I decided that I wanted to spend some time living in a temple. I was fired up and
enlivened by watching footage from the early days, when Śrīla Prabhupāda's 'sons and daughters' were
blissfully undergoing extreme austerities serving him and his mission. I wished I could have been there.

I looked forward to austere ashram life, where I would spend 24 hours a day engaged in loving service to
Krishna. I anticipated cold showers in the early morning hours, cramped ashram quarters, daily kirtans,
harināmas, maybe even book distribution or quantity cooking, all of which I hadn't done before. I was
looking forward to a huge dose of camaraderie and spiritual bliss. I was nervous and excited. This was
what I had been looking forward to for so long. Though I had high academic credentials, I did not want
to live my life in a materialistic career. I just wanted to be a full-time devotee and go back to Godhead.

Two weeks after graduating, I moved into the ashram. At first it was quite what I expected. But before
long came some experiences that almost destroyed my spiritual life.

Rules and regulations came in cascades and were the focus of my experience. I thought to be Krishna
conscious I would have to be meek and quiet, accept daily chastisements and do what I was told. The
first thing I was told was to correct my appearance; if I didn't part my hair in the middle, and if my sari
pleats weren't in the center, then it signaled to one and all that I was a prostitute. I was mortified, for I
used to part my hair a little to the side. Had I been sending out the message that I was a degraded loose
woman? I felt ashamed. I did not want to be thought of as a prostitute. I was also told that if I sat with
my knees hugged into my chest in the temple, that that was another sign of being a prostitute. I
complied with every instruction.

We girls were referred to as 'spaced-out brahmacārīnis’. It was a running joke/theme in the temple. We
felt that, being Western, we were very much uncultured, and we felt inferior. Our main chance for value
and worth was to get married, and the girls who had married senior men were looked up to as the most
surrendered girls. By marrying a senior man, you would learn to be Vedic, and, especially if they were
Indian, by integrating into his family you would be highly honored and respected by the community.
I heard stories of some of the Western girls having difficulties in their marriages to senior men. The
husbands would approach the girl's spiritual master to request him to instruct the girl to submit. This
seemed to be a standard practice.

Our major flaw was being in a woman's body. We were told to stand in the back of the temple when
greeting the Deities. We were not allowed to chant in the temple room with the men during japa time.
We all had to file out of the temple room after kirtan and chant japa elsewhere. I always made sure that
I was not the last one to exit, in case it looked like I was lingering.

Women were not allowed to lead the kirtan during the āratis, and I don't remember seeing a woman
offering ārati to the Deities, except on Rādhāstāmī. A visiting sannyāsī told the women that we should
not dance at the front of the temple near the Deities during the āratis. The complaint was that we were
too enthusiastic in our dancing, which was seen as a disturbance and lacking culture, although we were
all fully covered by our saris and our dancing was no more enthusiastic than the men's side. We
congregated meekly at the back of the temple after that, and I was very sad because I used to love
dancing for the Deities in the mornings.

Some girls had a service requiring them to go into the temple room to change the flower arrangements
for Śrila Prabhupāda’s vyasāsana during japa time. Although it was their service, many of the girls felt
scared or embarrassed to go into the temple room while all the men were chanting japa there. I did that
service once, and I felt extremely bodily conscious and ashamed when I had to go into the temple room
with the flowers. I thought, "I'm not supposed to be here. I better make sure I am covered up and run
out as soon as I can. I don't want anyone to think I am lingering with the men, like a loose woman. I just
want to be chaste."

The interactions we had with our leaders were most often chastisements, regularly being told
everything we were doing wrong. I remember during ashram meetings everyone sheepishly staring at
the floor while being told in no uncertain terms what rascals we were. I was afraid of my ashram leader.
I wanted to be perfect, and I didn’t want to do anything wrong, risk offending anyone, or for anyone to
doubt my sincerity. My leader said to me once that we girls were just sponging off the temple
financially. We were all working hard in our services, and it was devastating to hear our leader
questioning our sincerity.

There was no positive upliftment, no reading groups, very few organized outings and no focus on
building the relationships between us. There was a sense that you didn’t know who you could trust. No
one asked how I was doing, and although I was externally dutiful, internally I was deeply struggling
because of the cold, lonely, and sometimes harsh environment.

The daily Bhāgavatam classes focused on what a scary place the ‘outside world’ was. I became afraid to
live outside the temple, but with no caring and positive connections in the ashram, I began to feel
despondent.

The management discouraged mentors and banned some senior women from visiting. Only one senior
female devotee was allowed to give class on a regular basis, and the theme of her classes was usually a
pastime demonstrating that a woman's primary duty in life is to serve her husband. While there is
nothing wrong with this statement according to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings, this aspect was
emphasized to us so strongly in our training that it almost seemed to eclipse the essential spiritual
teachings of our philosophy that I had come for.

The messages we were hearing over and over again, in many different classes and in instructions from
our leaders, seemed to be heavily weighted towards telling the women that we were second-class and
that we should be restricted to cooking and cleaning. Looking back, I wish there had been more classes
about Krishna’s qualities and pastimes. As a new devotee, being reminded so often about my position as
a woman strengthened my bodily consciousness and inferiority complex.

The male devotees were the most important devotees in the temple. It was understood that men had a
rational brain, which was superior to the female emotional brain. Men and women weren't to talk or
look at each other. It seemed as if the men were as uncomfortable as we were. Since they were at the
top of the pecking order, if a brahmacārī was coming towards you, as a woman you were to look down
and move out of the way. If a brahmacārī had to talk to you, he would look at the floor or to the side,
never talking to you like a person. When this would happen, I wished I could sink into the floor and
disappear rather than spend another moment in this woman's body. I had come to Krishna
consciousness for a transcendental experience, yet I never felt so bodily conscious and ashamed in my
life.

Overall, I had gotten what I had come for – there were blissful kirtans, service, prasādam and scriptural
education, but the price was much more than I had bargained for. Then things really got crazy.

After some time, a devotee manager took an interest in marrying me. He was very insistent. I became
concerned with what was happening because I felt it was wrong. Because my service forced me to be
around him, I wanted to change it. When I meekly approached my authorities about it, they said no.

I felt very dejected and increasingly demoralized, as I had taken the inferiority complex of being in a
woman's body to heart. After trying to end the forced association and being harassed by the pushy man
I could not escape, I gradually submitted to the idea of just going along with what he wanted, and I
thought at least if I got married I could get out of the brahmacārīni ashram which was so cold, lonely
and harsh. But I was afraid for my future, and I felt like there was no one I could talk to who could help
me.

I was trying to just surrender and ‘accept my fate’, but I had never experienced fear like I felt in that
situation. With no mentors or friends with influence, I felt as hopeless and desperate as a trapped
animal. I felt like other people were making decisions for me, people I didn’t trust to have my best
interests at heart. But as a woman I thought I wasn’t supposed to be independent, so I didn’t say
anything and went along with it all.

As preparations started for our wedding, I was feeling increasingly desperate. I worked up the nerve to
ask the temple authority for permission to leave the temple for a short break. The response I received
was very curt and dismissive. "No, you're not going anywhere. You're just an emotional woman who
needs to get married." Somehow Krishna helped me stand my ground and I persisted with my request.
Finally, I got permission to leave for a few days.

I left the temple with no intention of returning. I just didn’t feel safe there. After some time, I returned
to my parents' home in another state. I was absolutely devastated and confused. On one hand I felt
responsible for staying so long in that situation and for my part in letting things get out of hand. But on
the other hand, I felt that the way I was trained, and the lack of care, groomed me to accept being taken
advantage of. I thought that if I wanted to be a devotee there was no other way. If I wanted to practice
spiritual life in a temple, I would have to accept everything that came with it. And when it became too
much for me, I felt like a failure.

While I kept the regulative principles, due to the fear and shame associated with life in a temple
community I drifted away from active devotional life. Though I became distant from ISKCON and
devotional service, I never gave up on Krishna. It took quite a few years and regular counseling before I
could again visit an ISKCON temple without those painful memories coming back to me.
 A Brahmacārī’s Story

I began practicing Krishna consciousness in my late twenties, having been cultivated from 2010-2014 by
devotees in my hometown. I began chanting 1 round of japa per day, gradually increasing to 16 rounds
by increasing by one round per day each month. At the same time, I attended kirtan, cooking classes and
Bhagavad-gītā talks at our local center. Eventually I became part of the team there and began
distributing books and cultivating guests. The guidance I received was quite disciplined in terms of the
fundamentals - waking early, prioritizing japa, reading, offering food and sankīrtana. At the same time, I
had no standing in any ashram and I found myself attracted more and more to the brahmacārī lifestyle.

A couple of years later I spent Kartik with my Gurudeva and other advanced preacher-devotees at
ISKCON’s Govardhan ashram. There I was blissfully absorbed in a regulated schedule, including taking
rest and rising early, morning and evening temple programs, 4-5 hours of group reading daily and a
simple life, unplugged from the modern world but rich in devotee saṇga. This was my first immersion in
this kind of lifestyle. I experienced a profoundly uplifting effect on my mind and spiritual practices that I
could not reproduce on my own. I was convinced that I wanted a lengthier experience of full absorption
in chanting, reading, service and brahmacārī saṇga. So, I moved to another city in which the local
ISKCON temple had an active brahmacārī ashram.

When I joined the ashram, I was fortunate to serve under the care of a temple president who took time
to get to know me, regularly checked in with me, engaged me in service according to my propensities
and made me feel valued and cared for. Living arrangements were simple but sufficient - I shared a
room with other brahmacārīs, I was given traditional attire and storage space for personal effects.
Prasādam was very good and we learned to make our health a priority. I was given an appropriate
amount of responsibility quickly, so I quickly took on a sense of ownership in the local services. I was
also encouraged to take the opportunity to travel to the dhāma with senior devotees for intensive
hearing and chanting on a regular basis. All in all, I was very fortunate to have an experience of care,
based on a vision of my long-term potential in Krishna consciousness. The local management did a good
job of avoiding the traps of neglecting or exploiting their brahmacārīs and because of that, I still feel
very dedicated to the devotees and deities here.

I was 33 years old when I entered the ashram, older than the average new brahmacārī and far older
than the traditional Vedic ideal of 5 years old! When I joined, I did not have a clear idea of my plans –
could I survive in the ashram? How long would I remain a brahmacārī? Although I did not have
immediate answers to these questions, I proceeded based on my faith in Krishna- bhakti and Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s instructions on the value of brahmacārī training for men in Krishna consciousness. I was
immensely pleased to discover that not only would I survive and thrive as a brahmacārī, but that I would
learn tremendously important lessons for my spiritual practice and my life in general. Over the past 5+
years, I’ve committed to training as a brahmacārī and guiding and teaching others how to take the most
advantage of the opportunities for growth afforded in this ashram.

One aspect of ashram living that I noticed immediately was the concentrated effect of following the
same program in the same space with other serious devotees. I observed that I was almost immediately
capable of a greater degree of sense and mind control, organization and efficiency than I was otherwise
qualified for on my own. This phenomenon wasn’t just limited to my early days in the ashram either –
almost six years later I still notice the boost that comes from being in close ‘synergy’ with other
devotees. This observation, repeated across time and circumstances, makes it progressively easier for
me to appreciate Krishna’s devotees and feel myself dependent on them.

Brahmacārīs receive other tangible proofs of the value of devotee association. For example, ashram life
provides many opportunities for both receiving and giving guidance and inspiration. In other words, if I
have a sincere desire to serve, I may be called by Krishna at any time to act as either a teacher or a
student in relationship with any other brahmacārīs. I also see that brahmacārī life deliberately places me
alongside devotees of different ages, backgrounds and personalities, necessitating qualities like
tolerance, and skills such as communication, interpersonal sensitivity and conflict resolution. All these
things will offer tremendous practical benefit throughout my life. Much can be said about the deep
problems that human society suffers from in the absence of such training. Men generally lack such
qualities and abilities without training - I certainly did. I’ve been fortunate to serve in a very progressive
ashram, which deliberately helps the devotees to develop the inward-looking perspective and the
external skill sets necessary for both material and spiritual success.

Aside from benefiting through association, I experience that ashram life in general is an ongoing
opportunity to introspect and refine myself through personal endeavor. For example, my training has
included a strong focus on both abstract understanding and practical application of theory, so I can see
that philosophical knowledge has increased side-by-side with practical competence in things such as
cleanliness. I can therefore vouch for the truth of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statement (SB 1.9.26, purport) that
‘[the] brahmacārī-āśrama is especially meant for training both the attached and detached.’ I know that
my future success will be built on the advancement I’m making now. Because brahmacārī training is
meant to create a foundation for life, it includes setting aside time for mastering life skills and for
removing unwanted obstacles to pure devotion. It’s clear to me that skill development and anartha-
nivṛttī both progress proportionately to how much I put into them, so it’s a great relief and privilege to
have full permission to ‘work on myself!’

Brahmacārī training includes the development of a strong work ethic. I have experienced the great
satisfaction that comes from surrendering to Krishna’s service and to Krishna’s devotees. My journey as
a brahmacārī has been characterized by a gradual, steady increase in the quality and quantity of service
responsibilities that I have. This dynamic, when guided by experienced leadership, has kept me out of
the two trouble areas known as the ‘comfort zone’ and the ‘burn-out zone.’ In the comfort zone I simply
follow the dictates of my mind and work only as hard (or concentrate as well, or plan as effectively, etc.)
as I absolutely have to in order to get the minimum done. Surrender remains theoretical in the comfort
zone and knowledge isn’t effectively transformed into realization. In the burn-out zone, the opposite
problems exist. Due to constantly taxing the body and mind, putting out fires and thinking only in the
short-term, I overextend myself and lose spiritual strength. In between these two is the ‘stretch zone’,
where I learn how to be comfortable outside my comfort zone, to take on fresh challenges and steadily
improve the quality and quantity of my services to Krishna and His devotees.

All my lessons and the benefits of brahmacārī life have manifested under enlightened, benevolent
leadership. Respect for authority is a fundamental part of our philosophy. Indeed, personal success and
capacity for leadership both take their root in one’s ability to follow. Surrendering to the association of
devotees, to the purificatory processes of brahmacārī life and to the ‘stretch zone’ is consistently in my
best interest. By seeing that, my appreciation and affection for authority has steadily increased.
Advancement in brahmacārī life has also meant being asked to take up leadership responsibilities as I
become qualified to do so. The perspective that I’ve gained from taking leadership positions has
deepened my appreciation for the difficulties inherent in leading and guiding others. This in turn has
made me more humble, tolerant and appreciative of spiritual and managerial authority in my own life.
Being a brahmacārī and having traveled widely through ISKCON, I’m fortunate to have some perspective
on my particular ashram in relation to others I’ve seen. There is some variety in the moods of ashrams,
due to cultural differences, varieties of leadership styles and local priorities in preaching and service
profile. In general, my home ashram is notable for having a very liberal mood, which reflects the
character of our ashram leader and of our temple president. I have seen that this focus on supporting
new devotees and patiently allowing them to grow into their potential is very much a hallmark of the
local flavor and it goes a long way to maintaining rapport and a sense of belonging. Devotees who spend
time here are generally very appreciative of this and become inspired to dedicate more and more of
themselves to the community’s mission. Another defining characteristic of our ashram is a strong focus
on hearing and chanting. All brahmacārīs are expected to read for at least an hour a day, and we have a
rich schedule of classes, seminars, public reading groups and a strong culture of relishing and discussing
śāstra and its application in our lives. I would also say that we have a steady commitment to
sankirtana/outreach activities, with multiple harināmas, college programs and book distribution events
weekly. Our Sunday feast program attracts many local Western guests and is noted by visitors for its
sweetness and accessibility to the young modern Western person.

Brahmacārīs in our ashram also learn how to serve appropriately within the social body of the
community. We are trained to be respectful of Vaishnavis and women in general, but to not be familiar
in our dealings. The entire social system of our devotional culture is based on mutual respect and we
believe that this culture of respect begins with brahmacārī training. As such, our brahmacārīs are
expected to be exemplary in terms of humility and attentiveness to time, place and circumstance. All of
our brahmacārīs’ actions are rooted in respect for ourselves and others. In terms of interacting with
women, this respect manifests as politeness, verbal and emotional cultivation of the conception of all
women as mothers and respect for the tremendous power of women by deferring to women in offering
physical and emotional space. Senior brahmacārīs lead by their example, showing how to move in a way
that is free of the problematic mentalities of exploitation and aversion.

As our ashram has developed, we have had the privilege of witnessing members move on (‘graduate’) to
the gṛhastha ashram as well as to roles as senior brahmacārīs. We take these transitions as a sign of
success of the program and our culture reflects that. Because transition is a natural part of human life
and because it can also be quite challenging, we began holding change of ashram ceremonies within the
ashram and in the temple with the broader community. These are opportunities to praise the qualities
of the transitioning devotee, to offer guidance and blessings and to send a message about the
importance of having healthy transitions under Krishna-conscious guidance. Transitioning devotees find
these ceremonies to be very supporting and encouraging. By doing this, we make it clear that transitions
are normal and healthy but should be done under careful guidance. Our ashram devotees are trained to
have a realistic view of ashram transitions and to remain friendly with graduated members of the
ashram, understanding that devotees who have begun developing their gṛhastha ashram will have new
time-commitments and challenges to face that have to be respected. In our community, brahmacārīs
specifically fill the role of providing support for graduating members of the ashram, acting as reliable
sources of friendly care and Krishna-conscious service opportunities to devotees who are navigating the
ups and downs of ashram transition.

----

Author’s note: Many thanks to these two sincere devotees who have shared their stories for this book. As
you may note, the brahmacārī story reflects many of the values laid out in this book—equal vision,
devotee care, and more. By contrast, the brahmacārīni’s story reflects the tragic mistreatment many
sincere and capable Vaishnavis have received from ISKCON leaders, especially since Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
departure. Sadly, it is a story that is too often repeated, driving women from ISKCON with heavy and
often overlooked consequences.

Correcting this imbalance is more than the decent, moral and gentlemanly thing to do; it is imperative if
ISKCON is to remain a credible international organization, relevant in the modern world, able to attract
high-caliber devotees internationally as Śrīla Prabhupāda did.
 Bhakti Basics: An Introduction to the Bhakti Academy
(Note: This introductory brochure is given to all newcomers at Krishna House.)

Welcome to the Bhakti Academy at Krishna House in Gainesville. Whether you’re in college,
working or studying full time in the ashram, we aim to provide a fun and insightful spiritual experience
that you can enjoy now and take with you anywhere you go.
Krishna House, known formally as ISKCON of Gainesville, has been teaching bhakti-yoga in
Gainesville since 1971. In 2008 Krishna House developed the Bhakti Academy as a live-in center for
bhakti students.
Krishna House is an independent affiliate of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness. In 1965, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, known simply as Śrīla Prabhupāda,
arrived in New York alone and nearly penniless. In 1966 he founded ISKCON. Before his passing in 1977,
this remarkable guru inspired millions to take to the ancient practice of bhakti through the 108 temples,
schools and ashrams he established throughout the world. During this same brief time, he also
published seventy volumes of classic bhakti texts translated into English from Sanskrit and Bengali, some
for the first time. His books provide the basis for the Bhakti Academy curriculum, and his murti form
graces the Bhakti Academy temple/classroom.
Today ISKCON has about 800 branches throughout the world. ISKCON’s seven purposes, all
educational in nature, can be viewed at http://www.krishna.com/seven-purposes-iskcon-0.
ISKCON is led by a Governing Body Commission (GBC) which assigns a representative for each
ISKCON branch. Krishna House is overseen by our local GBC member and a board of directors comprised
of several accomplished Gainesville residents. The Board appoints a President to directly manage
Krishna House affairs and care for the residents. As a student at Krishna House, you will also have an
ashram leader to assist you with any needs.
Students at Krishna House practice a spiritual path with a deep, venerable tradition, following
clearly stated requirements. One does not have to be a member of ISKCON to live and study at Krishna
House, nor must one make any commitment beyond keeping their agreements during the semester for
which they have enrolled.
Here are some practical details about living at Krishna House:

Bhakti Teachers at Krishna House. At Krishna House, a variety of skilled and experienced bhakti
teachers offer you classes and personal guidance. Your ashram leader, temple president and Krishna
House chaplain can all help you with practical needs and spiritual consultation. Our daily class teachers
include knowledgeable men and women from all walks of life who freely give their time with sincere
care for your well-being.

Key Books. The Sanskrit Vedas, India’s ancient wisdom literature, describe the science of spiritual life
and its application in society.

- The Bhagavad-gītā, with its seven hundred verses, taught by Sri Krishna, contains the philosophical
essence of the Vedas. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, now translated in nearly 100 languages,
is the most widely read edition in history.

- The Śrimad Bhagavatam tells the story of Krishna’s remarkable activities in eighteen thousand verses.
- The Bhakti Academy curriculum includes a daily study of Śrimad Bhagavatam, using select verses to take
one deeply into the science of bhakti.

- Other Vedic texts in the Bhakti Academy curriculum include Sri Īṣopaniśad, The Nectar of Devotion
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta Sindhu), and the Nectar of Instruction (Sri Upadeśāmṛta.)

- Śrīla Prabhupāda’s biography, Śrīla Prabhupāda Līlāmṛta, is read weekdays during lunch.

Sadhana (Spiritual Practice)

In addition to chanting sacred mantras and reading spiritual books, offering obeisances or respects, is a
basic practice of bhakti-yoga that is a powerful way to transcend the false ego. Here is how to offer
obeisances:

1) Bow down on your knees and touch your forehead to the ground.
2) Place both hands on the floor.
3) Recite the following Sanskrit mantra:

nama o viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

Translation: “I offer my respectful obeisances to Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is

very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. I bow to you, servant of Sarasvati
Gosvāmī. You are kindly teaching the message of Lord Caitanya in the Western countries which are filled
with voidism and impersonalism.”

You will hear this mantra often and it won’t take long for you to memorize it. However, until you know it
by heart, when offering obeisances it is also fine to simply repeat the Hare Krishna mantra.
Each morning, the Krishna House students also offer respects to each other by reciting this prayer in
unison. Until you know it by heart, please just read it off the screen, even if everyone else is bowing
down:

vāñchā kalpa tarubhyaś ca, kṛpā sindhu bhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo, vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

“I offer my respectful obeisances to all devotees of Lord Krishna, who are just like desire trees, fulfilling
the desires of everyone, and are full of compassion for suffering souls.”
Here’s the rest of the weekday schedule:

- (optional) Tulasī Arati (5:00 AM). The tulasī plant is very dear to Lord Krishna, and she thrives on bhakti.
Her leaves are included with every offering to Lord Krishna. The several tulasī plants at Krishna House
are served with ārati and kirtan each weekday morning at 5:00 AM. (Arati means to welcome an
auspicious personality with offerings of water, flowers, incense, etc.. Kirtan means congregational
chanting).

- (optional) Japa (5:15 AM). Chanting on beads in the temple or as a peaceful meditation while walking
through the neighborhood.
- Mangal-arati (6:00 AM). This auspicious (mangal) kirtan begins with the gurvāstakam, eight traditional
mantras in praise of the spiritual master, followed by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s prāṇaṁ mantras, the Pancha-
tattva mantra, and Hare Krishna. All mantras are shown on the screen in the temple room.

- Prema-dhvani. (6:20 AM). Prema means love of God, and dhvani means sound or echo. These
expressions of bhakti are a series of Sasnskrit glorifications of Krishna, His devotees and various holy
places and activities, each followed with the affirmation, “kī jaya,” or ‘victory.’ Though other devotees
may be offering obeisances, until you understand the meanings of the various lines it is good to sit and
read the various glorifications and their translations from the screen.

- Nrsimha-kirtan (6:25 AM). This short kirtan consists of two mantras, shown on the screen, in praise of
Lord Nrsimhadeva, Krishna’s fierce half-man, half-lion avatar who protects devotees.

- Japa (6:30-7:30 AM) Though japa can be chanted anytime, completing one’s rounds in the morning in
the company of devotees has the most potent effect. When chanting japa, be considerate of others and
maintain a soft volume while remaining seated. For many people chanting japa is challenging because of
the stubborn and restless mind. By using japa meditation to conquer the tyrannical mind, you will gain
amazing new spiritual strength day by day as your feelings for Krishna increase.

- Guru-pūjā (7:30 AM). This Bengali song, composed some 450 years ago by the renowned scholar and
poet Narottama das Thakur, accompanies arati as Śrīla Prabhupāda is welcomed to the temple.

- Evening Events. These include outreach programs, scriptural classes and kirtan. Bhakti Academy
students who are not in school or working are expected to take part in these events.

Other things to know:

Music. Bhakti Academy students are invited to learn to accompany kirtan with kartals (hand cymbals),
mridanga (drum) and harmonium (keyboard), as well as to lead kirtan as soon as they feel comfortable
to do so.

Cooking. If you are inclined to cook, there are plenty of opportunities to learn. First, make sure you’re
familiar with Krishna’s kitchen standards. Take advantage of cooking classes when they are offered or
learn by assisting an experienced cook.

Krishna Lunch. Since 1971, Krishna House has been serving Krishna Lunch on campus at the University of
Florida to hundreds of people every school day. Many Krishna House students choose our work/study
option and help with Krishna Lunch as a way of covering tuition at Krishna House.

Serving prasādam at Krishna Lunch is transcendental fun. Servers are required to be clean and neatly
dressed. Cleanliness requirements include using plastic gloves (provided) and carefully avoiding touching
serving utensils to guests’ plates. Servers focus on guests and not on conversations with other servers,
especially when it is busy.

Krishna Lunch takes about three and a half hours to set up, serve and take down, from 10:30 AM until
2:00 PM. Clean-up at Krishna House runs from noon to 3:30 or 4:00 PM. Krishna House students on a
work/study program generally put in four hours cooking, serving or cleaning on days when Krishna
Lunch is served.
 Dress. Bhakti is simple, and dress should be clean, convenient and comfortable. For practicality and
consideration of others, while living in the Krishna House kindly observe these simple guidelines.

- For Temple Programs: Please wear whatever clean and reasonably modest clothes are comfortable for
you. Western or traditional Eastern clothes are both fine. Please avoid short shorts, tank tops, and t-
shirts with commercial slogans.

- For Krishna Lunch Serving: Please dress neatly and respectably.

- For Cleaning in the kitchen or elsewhere, work clothes, not temple clothes, are best.

- Wear Shoes Outside!!! Though sometimes it’s tempting to walk barefoot between the Krishna House
buildings, doing so tracks dirt into Krishna House and into your ashram. If you need personal slip-on
shoes, your ashram leader will help you get them. Please do not use kitchen shoes to walk outside.

Hair. For female residents, hair should be simple and modest, either short or neatly tied back. For male
residents, long hair, mustaches, beards and long sideburns are inappropriate. Shaving the head is
optional. Hats are inappropriate for temple programs.

Tilak. You will see many devotees wearing tilak, clay from sacred rivers in India that marks the body as a
temple. Tilak is always appropriate for sadhana or other spiritual programs and optional at all other
times. Your ashram leader will show you how to apply tilak.

Meals (Prasad). Meals at Krishna House are all vegetarian and always prasādam, sanctified food.
Preparing and offering vegetarian food to Krishna is one of the main practices of bhakti. An advancing
bhakti-yogi eats nothing but prasādam.

- Honoring Prasad. In Vedic culture, eating is always done with the right hand. Conversations over meals
should be light. If possible, one should wash hands before honoring prasādam, but one must always
wash them afterwards, as well as rinse out one’s mouth. Before serving prasādam to others or to
oneself, one should always first wash one’s hands.

- Menus. At Krishna House, breakfast generally consists of fruit, whole or almond milk and some grains.
Lunch is more elaborate with vegetables, salad, grains, beans and herb tea. Dinner is usually a light
snack, as it is good for yoga practice to go to bed with a lightly filled stomach after having eaten one’s
main meal around mid-day when digestive power is at a peak. Vegan options are nearly always
available.

- Special Diets. Unless you have serious health considerations, while living in Krishna House it is good to
simply enjoy sumptuous prasādam. This saves you the distraction of time-consuming food shopping and
preparation, activities that are more suited for married couples and other devotees who have graduated
from ashram life into economic independence.

Rest. Learning to go to bed early is, for many students, the single best way to rapidly achieve a better
state of mind. The Bhagavad-gītā says, “What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-
controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.” (2.69). It is
natural to rest soon after sunset, when the body is tired from the day, and then rise before dawn when
 all is quiet and the air is sweet. Sheer determination to get up early can only take you so far; learning to
go to bed early, on the other hand, enables you to wake up naturally, feeling refreshed, well before
sunrise, even without an alarm clock.

- Seven hours of sleep is generally sufficient for healthy young people. It is said that every hour of sleep
before midnight is worth two after midnight. Thus, going to bed around 9:00 PM provides you more
quality rest. Adjusting may take some time. Some tips: As far as possible, go to sleep at the same time
every night. Eat lightly at night. Establish a bedtime routine, perhaps including reading a spiritual book
for a few minutes before bed. Avoid seeing a cell phone, tablet or computer screen for an hour before
resting.

- A brief nap after breakfast or lunch is fine. However, if you avoid naps in the afternoon you can more
easily fall asleep at bedtime. Whatever your needs may be, regularity is the key to managing sleep. On
weeknights after 8:30 PM, please conscientiously avoid loud conversations or musical instrument
practice anywhere on the Krishna House campus, especially on the side porch, where conversations can
be clearly heard. All lights should be out by 10:00 PM at the latest.

Cars. Only staff cars can use the Krishna House parking lot. Your ashram leader can help you with
transportation. If your work or school requires you to bring a car during your stay at Krishna House, we
will provide an on-street parking permit. When our limited number of permits runs out you will have to
purchase one from the City for $120.

Hygiene. The Sanskrit word for clean is ‘suchi’ and for dirty is ‘muchi.’ A bhakti-yogi learns to leave every
place more ‘suchi’ than he or she found it. Vedic standards of cleanliness differ from what some people
practice in the West. For instance, since the Krishna House kitchen is meant for cooking for Krishna,
devotees never eat or drink in the kitchen and always keep and clean eating dishes in a separate place.

Other examples of ‘revolutionary cleanliness’ at Krishna House include bathing immediately upon rising,
wearing fresh clothes each day, neatly folding or hanging clean clothes, keeping books and papers
orderly and neat, keeping hair clean, and for men, shaving daily. After evacuating, a bhakti-yogi uses
water and the left hand to cleanse, followed by a shower if time permits. Ideally, sadhana clothes are
not worn in the bathroom.

When coughing or sneezing, do so into your inner elbow, not into your hand or into the air. This helps
prevent the spread of flus and colds. If you are feeling ill, please inform your ashram leader, stay in bed,
take extra rest and if you wish, take the herbs, teas and vitamins that he or she will provide.

Friendships. With Krishna at the center, you will likely form rich new friendships at Krishna House, often
with people from backgrounds very different than yours. In many cases you will retain these friendships
for life.

Disputes. Putting Krishna in the center of our lives generally allows Krishna House residents to get along
extraordinarily well. However, sometimes misunderstandings arise and emotions flare. If you experience
this, best to avoid fighting or gossiping and promptly discuss your feelings with a senior devotee.
Disputes can often be quickly resolved by an experienced third person. Krishna House offers expert
support in dispute resolution. It is 100% confidential and readily available.
 Family and Friends. When you move into Krishna House, some family members or friends may criticize
your choice. They may become misled by bigoted websites and attack your interest in Krishna
consciousness. If this happens to you, we suggest you try to avoid spiritual discussions and talk with your
friend or loved one about other subjects. If your friend or family member remains antagonistic and
insists on discussing Krishna consciousness, we suggest you invite them to visit Krishna House and to
meet with a senior devotee. Sometimes it takes a while for family members and friends to appreciate
your spiritual growth, so please be patient. With time they will see your happiness and come to
appreciate how bhakti has helped you. In time, students who progress in Krishna consciousness often
become pillars in their families.

Sharing Krishna. Before enjoying the fun of sharing bhakti-yoga, it’s good to know how to do it.
Common mistakes for beginners include ear-bending (giving way too much to someone who isn’t that
interested) and speculating (trying to answer questions one really doesn’t understand). When needed,
ask a senior devotee for help.

Sexual relationships. Sex pleasure, the highest materialistic enjoyment, utterly fails to compare with the
sustainable bliss of spiritual life. Sexual relationships can be appropriate in bhakti-yoga when one is
well-established in yoga and spiritual marriage. However, since living at Krishna House requires celibacy,
how do you relate to other students whom you find attractive?

1. Always observe the ‘Rule of Three’: unless married, a man and woman should never be alone in a
private place; a third person should always be present. (This includes riding in a car.)
2. Keep a respectful distance.
3. Share intimate discussions (even electronic) only with members of the same gender, preferably with
qualified senior devotees.

If you have an active relationship, even if your boyfriend or girlfriend is not physically present it is better
not to move into Krishna House. Phoning, emailing and meditating on your significant other will distract
you from learning bhakti. If you cannot set aside an active relationship or if celibacy is not for you at this
time, please live outside Krishna House and visit for public programs.

Anyone “hitting on” other students will be asked to leave Krishna House. If someone “hits” on you,
please inform one of the senior Krishna House staff.

Using Time Wisely. To balance bodily needs, spiritual practice, vocation/study and recreation can be
challenging at first, but it becomes easier as one progresses in bhakti-yoga. By showing up on time a
regulated person expresses respect to others. Plus, because the mind and senses are more peaceful, a
regulated person can more calmly respond when emergencies arise.

Conclusion
For most students, after the first week or two it is very easy to get in the flow of sādhana-bhakti.
Remember: it’s OK to make mistakes! Have fun and relax. If your stay at Krishna House becomes one of
the most memorable, enjoyable and transformative experiences of your life, our service is a success.

All the best,

Kalakantha das, Chaplain
Srutisagara das, Temple President
and the Krishna House Management Team
Glossary

Avatar – literally, ‘One who descends,’ referring to one of the many incarnations of Lord Krishna

Bhakti – devotion, or devotional service

Bhajan – a devotional song, usually sung in a seated group in a call and response fashion

Hare Krishna – ‘O my Lord, please engage me in Your service’

Haribol – ‘Chant the holy name.’ Often used as an all-purpose word like ‘Aloha’ that can mean hello,
goodbye, etc.

Harmonium – hand-pumped keyboard for bhajan

ISKCON – International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Japa – chanting Hare Krishna on beads

Jaya – victory

Kartalas – hand cymbals for kirtan

Kirtan – congregational chanting of Hare Krishna, and other mantras, in a call-and-response fashion

Krishna Consciousness – bhakti-yoga, the practice of seeing, remembering and serving Lord Krishna in all
situations

Krishna-kathā – discussion of topics related to Krishna

Lord Caitanya – Lord Krishna’s most recent avatar who appeared 500 years ago to taste the pleasure of
devotion to Lord Krishna and to promote the saṇkīrtana movement

Lord Nityānanda – Lord Caitanya’s brother, especially known for His grace and kindness

Lord Nrsimhadeva – Lord Krishna’s fierce half-man, half-lion avatar who protects Krishna’s devotees

Mridanga – the two-headed drum used to accompany kirtan

Prabhu – master, a respectful address, indicates a person practicing bhakti-yoga

Prajalpa – gossip or idle talk not related to Krishna

Prasad or prasādam – sanctified pure vegetarian (or vegan) food

Pūjā – worship
Sādhana or sādhana-bhakti – spiritual practice, including morning and evening japa, kirtan and class

Saṇkīrtana– congregational chanting of the holy names; can also refer to public chanting and
distribution of Krishna conscious literature

Śāstra – Vedic scriptural texts such as Bhagavad-gītā (Krishna’s instructions) and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
(Krishna’s life) and many others

Śravaṇam – hearing about Krishna, the first of the nine processes of bhakti

Śrīla Prabhupāda – His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis – devotees of Krishna

 Krishna House Testimonials
Never in my life had I been around so many thoughtful, sincere, and loving people who had my best
interest at heart. The diversity and camaraderie are enlivening. – S.M.

Krishna House has helped me grow in every aspect of life. I finished my studies while simultaneously
engaging in wonderful services. I am extremely grateful. – KN dasa

With its calm and serene atmosphere, Krishna House is a haven for students and devotees alike, and I
am thankful to have been a part of it. – R.S.

Everyone is made to feel welcome, respected, and encouraged to go deeper in spiritual journey. Even a
brief experience at Krishna House has a positive and lasting impact on student’s spiritual life. – NK das,
PhD

As someone who grew up in a devotee family and community, I value Krishna House for helping me
make a conscious decision to take Krishna Consciousness more seriously. I lived at Krishna House while
attending college full time. To my surprise, when I increased my sadhana, my academic grades also
significantly improved. – SRP.

At Krishna House everyone is treated with respect, care and concern. I appreciate the learning
atmosphere where it is OK to make mistakes. – PD

Krishna House is a safe and loving place where devotees feel free to open up and be themselves while
receiving the personal care and guidance, they need to find their niche in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s service.
There is a healthy balance of sadhana, service, and recreational activities which make the Krishna House
experience both spiritually enlivening and lots of fun. – PP dd

Our two children who stayed at Krishna House while in college became good, serious, aspiring devotees.
They have turned out to be fully dedicated to Prabhupada and ISKCON. – GB and RJ

Though I was apprehensive at first, my sixteen months at Krishna House have been totally blissful. I have
a strong feeling that I will look back and recognize the Krishna House experience as the best part of my
life. – MMd

Moving into the Krishna House was the single most transformative event of my life, for it has given me a
solid foundation in Krishna consciousness that has carried me through life’s many ups and downs. – Rd

I came to Krishna House in my early twenties and had a most wonderful experience. I really felt like I had
joined a transcendental family. The enthusiasm of the devotees exhibited at Krishna House is
contagious. – Bd

I had a very good time at Krishna House while I finished my PhD. It was fun learning the scriptures and
chanting the holy names with enthusiastic and fixed up devotees. –Ad

The best food, the best opportunity to develop spiritual life, the best kirtans, and the best friends. – Cdd
The magic that I have experienced at Krishna House is amazing. Every need and most wants are fulfilled
in the most unexpected ways. – Vd

At Krishna House, the residents’ well-being is given preference over managerial concerns. – NK

My life radically changed for the better after living, studying, and praying at Krishna House. I was always
encouraged to be myself and perform service according to my natural inclination. My enthusiasm for
Bhakti-yoga carried on even after I returned to the workforce. – NZ

It is a safe, loving, ecstatic family environment where I was encouraged and supported in my spiritual
growth. Devotional service at Krishna House is fun and inclusive. – Sdd

I appreciate the laughter and love flowing from Krishna House. The ecstatic kirtans burst out the
windows and doors. – BH.

The Krishna House devotees have opened my eyes to a different perspective on life, helping me to
become humbler and more compassionate to everyone and everything. They always bring a smile to my
face. – AM

I went from an extremely unregulated life to waking up early every day. I’ve never felt more love and
acceptance. We students take our time at Krishna House until we feel ready to blast off into the ‘real’
world, being well-equipped not just to survive but to thrive in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission in living and
sharing Krishna consciousness. – KS dd

I love the non-intimidating environment where one adopts the devotee culture at their own pace and
feels free to ask questions about all aspects of the philosophy. – GO

Krishna House has given me the jewel of Krishna consciousness in a way conducive to my Western
upbringing, allowing me to remember Krishna and Śrīla Prabhupāda in all aspects of my life, making it
clear to me what it means to be yourself in Krishna consciousness. I have been able to accept Krishna
consciousness in a relatable perspective that I can share with others. – DD

Krishna House has opened my life to the possibility of another way of processing the world around me.
By focusing on chanting, philosophy, the four regulative principles and a service mood, the Krishna
House environment allows everyone to experience a taste of this alternative approach. – JCd

I thought I’d have to go to the Far East to have such deep spiritual realizations. In my travels through
America I have yet to find a community that holds so much love and care as does ISKCON Gainesville. –
PB

I love how the protocol establishes guidelines (such as services and morning programs) but ultimately
gives me the freedom to discover my relationship with Krishna. At Krishna House bhakti never feels
forced. Here I nourish the seeds of Bhakti already existing in my heart. – MA

At Krishna House we do not talk about devotee care. In fact, I have never heard anyone say those words.
But somehow it is the most caring place. Krishna House has become my house for that reason. – ASd
The regular programs and opportunities for service and saṇga provided a respite from the stress of grad
school. – LS

At Krishna House I feel that I can be myself in all ways and not be judged. Spiritual life is very individual
and requires our own patience as well as the patience of those around us. I feel that patience at Krishna
House. – Ndd

I chose to spend time at Krishna House because of the strong sense of community, the caring and
Krishna conscious-focused leadership, and the beautiful devotional mood that surrounds every
interaction. Krishna House is a beacon in the local Gainesville community, a credit to Śrīla Prabhupāda
and an important example of what ISKCON stands for. – Ldd

Krishna House changed my life. Association, regulation and ever fresh service opportunities gradually
transformed my character, aspirations and purpose. Years later, I still relish ecstatic memories of
harināma, traveling sankīrtana and all the services at Krishna House. As with many of my fellow
graduates, building on my Krishna House education is the joyful goal of my life. – AKdd

The friendships I have created in Krishna House are the type I want to have in my life. It’s a perfect place
for young people to connect with Krishna. – GGdd

Since 1975, when I joined ISKCON Gainesville as a student at the University of Florida, I have kept tabs
on the temple’s progress. The level of enthusiasm I see these days equals or surpasses all I have seen
before, even in my earliest days, perhaps due to the mix of seasoned elders and enthusiastic
newcomers. I also love seeing the devotee youth at Krishna House becoming such serious devotees. –
Vaninath Vasu das ACBSP
 Acknowledgements

Madan Mohan Mohinī Devī Dāsi, Jagannātha Dāsa, and Śyamala Kishorī Devī Dāsi for copy editing and
editorial suggestions.

Prāṇadā Devī Dāsi for production and editorial suggestions.

Chaitanya Charan Dāsa, Tusta Krishna Dāsa, Vrinda Sundari Devī Dāsi, Keshihanta Dāsa and Tamraparni
Dāsa for editorial suggestions.

Ananta Vallabha Dāsa for cover design.

Akhandadhi Prabhu and H.H. Indradyumna Maharaja for their contributions and encouragement.

All the wonderful devotees who have served at Krishna House over the years.