It Is Not Logical to Discriminate

Lilesvara Dasa answers Tapati Devi Dasi

Posted May 15, 2005

Dear Tapati Devi Dasi,

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I recently read your letter regarding your sexual preference. I know that you had requested Hrdayananda Maharaja to comment about gay monogamy, but I felt the need to also reply you. I hope you don't mind.

First of all, I am truly sorry that one of your Godsisters stopped writing to you. There should be no question of what is right or wrong in this regard. Your Godsister is in the gross bodily concept of life, thinking that she is a woman.

Mataji, you wrote, "I came to the conclusion that I would never be truly welcomed in the Vaishnava tradition and that if I desired a true spiritual community…" I am sorry, but I don't agree with you. One day all of the devotees will be accepted in the Vaisnava tradition irrespective of sexual preference.

Here are my thoughts regarding this issue:

(1) Different sexual preferences are a byproduct of one's past karma. Prabhupada never used a person's karma as a guideline for accepting a disciple. Prabhupada accepted only those people who were able to follow four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds daily.

(2) It is not logical to discriminate against persons on the basis of their past karma because karma cannot be changed. You can only dissolve it. What's done is done. Thus, we should encourage them and give them our full support to help them overcome this karmic reaction.

(3) This is Lord Caitanya's movement, and Lord Caitanya freely distributed love of God to all living entities. He didn't discriminate against those living entities who had different sexual preferences. We should not discriminate either.

(4) It is an offense to discriminate against a devotee who is following four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily. We are devotees of Lord Sri Krishna. After millions of births we have finally taken birth as a human being, and by the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we have become devotees of Lord Krishna. Such mercy is rare in this world. On top of that, we have taken birth on a planet where Lord Krishna came in the mood of Radharani to freely distribute Love of God, which is even more rare since Lord Caitanya takes birth in each universe only once in a day of Lord Brahma. We have almost crossed over this ocean of birth and death, so let's not ruin it now. In this life we have an opportunity to go back to Godhead. Why have something so small and insignificant hamper your devotional creeper?

(5) Marriage between two people of the same sex is against religious principles. Prabhupada didn't accept it, so neither should we. This has nothing to do with one's sexual preference. The important thing is whether the devotee is able to follow the four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds.

(6) Sexual preference is on the bodily concept of life. People who discriminate against these devotees don't understand the basic principles of Lord Caitanya's movement and are themselves on the gross bodily platform of life.

(7) The refusal to associate with people of different sexual preferences is based on fear. Sometimes people think, "If I associate with people who are bisexual or gay, I will become like them or people will label me as such." Fear is all a part of this world and an illusion to hinder true potential and to hinder the God within.

(8) As devotees we need to show compassion. By not accepting that these devotees have a particular sexual karma to deal with, we are not showing compassion. These devotees are very dear to Lord Krishna. That is why we say following mantra when we offer pranams to other Vaisnavas:

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees and can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls."

(9) In Mahabharata, Krishna accepted Sikhandi, a warrior who fought on the side of the Pandavas, and Sikhandi was considered neither male nor female. Sikhandi was born as a male but in his previous life he was Amba, who was one of the three sisters (Amba, Ambika, Ambalika) that were kidnapped by Bhisma for marriage to his half-brother. Amba had already decided to marry someone else, so Bhishma released her. But Amba's husband-to-be would not marry her, following the rules of Kshatriya warfare, and Bhisma would not marry Amba because he had taken a vow of remaining brahmacari. So she cursed him that she would be the cause of his death. When Amba took birth as Sikhandi, he was considered neither male nor female because even though he was in a body of a male, he was living the life of Amba. Everybody in the Mahabharata accepted Sikhandi for who he was, including Lord Sri Krishna. So why can't we accept these devotees for who they are, regardless of their sexual preference?

Thank you.

Your servant,
Lilesvara Dasa

© dipika.org May 15, 2005