His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

[His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is a diksa disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada in the Gaudiya Vaishnava line, sannyasa disciple of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami, and founder-acarya of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (1966).  He was the first to establish Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the western world.]

“In India there is a system where such people (the third sex) have their own society, and whenever there is some good occasion like marriage or childbirth, they go there and pray to God that this child may be very long living.”

(San Francisco, April 5, 1967)

“Srila Prabhupada objected to being called conservative. He was indignant: ‘Conservative? How is that?’ ‘In respect to sex and drugs,’ Mukunda suggested. ‘Of course, we are conservative in that sense,’ Prabhupada said. ‘That simply means we are following sastra. We cannot depart from Bhagavad Gita. But conservative we are not. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so strict that He would not even look on a woman, but we are accepting everyone into this movement, regardless of sex, caste, position, or whatever. Everyone is invited to come chant Hare Krsna. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s munificence, His liberality. No we are not conservative.’”

(Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta, Vol. 3, chapter 1, by Satsvarupa das Goswami)

“Not considering who asked for it and who did not, nor who was fit and who unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed the fruit of devotional service.”

Purport – “This is the sum and substance of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement. There is no distinction made between those who are fit and those who are not fit to hear or take part in the sankirtana movement. It should therefore be preached without discrimination. The only purpose of the preachers of the sankirtana movement must be to go on preaching without restriction. That is the way in which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced this sankirtana movement to the world.”

(Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta 1.9.29)

“Seeing that the Mayavadis and others were fleeing, Lord Caitanya thought, ‘I wanted everyone to be immersed in this inundation of love of Godhead, but some of them have escaped. Therefore I shall devise a trick to drown them also.’”

Purport – “Here is an important point. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to invent a way to capture the Mayavadis and others who did not take interest in the Krsna consciousness movement. This is the symptom of an acarya. An acarya who comes for the service of the Lord cannot be expected to conform to a stereotype, for he must find the ways and means by which Krsna consciousness may be spread. Sometimes jealous persons criticize the Krsna consciousness movement because it engages equally both boys and girls in distributing love of Godhead. 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 Krsna consciousness for intermingling. But these rascals should consider that one cannot suddenly change a community’s social customs. However, since both the boys and girls are being trained to become preachers, those girls are not ordinary girls but are as good as their brothers who are preaching Krsna consciousness. Therefore, to engage both boys and girls in fully transcendental activities is a policy intended to spread the Krsna consciousness movement. These jealous fools who criticize the intermingling of boys and girls will simply have to be satisfied with their own foolishness because they cannot think of how to spread Krsna consciousness by adopting ways and means that are favorable for this purpose. Their stereotyped methods will never help spread Krsna consciousness. Therefore, what we are doing is perfect by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for it is He who proposed to invent a way to capture those who strayed from Krsna consciousness.”

(Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta 1.7.31-32)

[May, 1976] “One morning in Hawaii, I was standing by Srila Prabhupada’s window overlooking his private garden when a senior disciple named Siddhasvarupa dasa came in. He began complaining about all of the ‘pretty boys’ and homosexuals in ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada just let him vent, not saying much of anything. After some time Siddhasvarupa left, not getting the reaction he had wanted. Prabhupada sat at his desk for a while. I was feeling really angry toward Siddhasvarupa but also self-conscious about my own sexuality. Prabhupada sat there quietly and in deep thought. He then looked over at me briefly and said, ‘What is the difference if a person is held in this material world by a gold chain, or by a silver chain?’ I replied, ‘I don’t know, Srila Prabhupada.’ He continued, ‘I am glad that Siddhasvarupa is chanting and reading my books, but he is always focusing on everyone else and not on the Supreme Person. That is the important thing.’”

(Related by Syamasundara dasa in Ashe Journal, Vol. II, no. 4)

“In Bhagavad Gita (2.22) it is said: ‘As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.’ The body is just like a dress, and here this is proved. Sudyumna and his associates were all male, which means that their souls were covered by male dress, but now they became female, which means that their dress was changed. The soul, however, remains the same. It is said that by modern medical treatment a male can be transformed into a female, and a female into a male. The body, however, has no connection with the soul. The body can be changed, either in this life or the next. Therefore, one who has knowledge of the soul and how the soul transmigrates from one body to another does not pay attention to the body, which is nothing but a covering dress. Panditah sama-darsinah [‘The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste).’ (Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 5.18)]. Such a person sees the soul, which is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore he is a sama-darsi, a learned person.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 9.1.33, purport)

Honolulu
10 June 1975
75-06-10
Jennifer Wayne Woodward
3081 16th St. #201
San Francisco, CA 94103

My dear Jennifer,

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. First of all, you decide whether you are female or male, then be one or the other. Then, you may enter our temple any time you like. But sometimes man and sometimes woman, that is not proper. Such awkward things cannot be allowed. It will be disturbing to others. Anyway, continue to chant Hare Krishna as much as possible.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/ps

(Personal letter, June 10, 1975)

“Although my Guru Maharaja [Srila Prabhupada] frowned on homosexuality in general, he was also very practical, flexible, and compassionate. One of his earliest disciples was a gay man who once related how he had ultimately discussed his sexual orientation with Srila Prabhupada. He said that at that point Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Then just find a nice boy, stay with him and practice Krsna consciousness.’ I also had the experience of meeting a transsexual who explained her sexual orientation and confusion to Srila Prabhupada before committing to an operation. She told me that Prabhupada told her, ‘Just pick one or the other [sex] and stick with it.’ Those who knew him well would have expected him to say something like this in both of these instances. Again, he was very flexible and compassionate.”

(Related by Tripurari Swami in Sanga, Vol. V, no. 13)

“Bhakti Tirtha Swami: ‘Srila Prabhupada, there are prejudices in this movement.’ Prabhupada looked at him and said, ‘Ah. Someone is thinking you’re the body? That is their nonsense.”

(Black Lotus, p. 118, by Steven J. Rosen)

Srila Narayana Maharaja

[Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja is a diksa and sannyasa disciple of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami in the Gaudiya Vaishnava line and founder-acarya of the worldwide Pure Bhakti Mission.]

“Srila Narayana Maharaja was once asked by one of his temple presidents whether or not gay devotees should be allowed to live in his centers. He replied that everyone was welcome to join his temples as long as they followed the rules and regulations. He added that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada wanted all types of people to join Lord Caitanya’s movement, and this was also his desire.”

(Related by Amara dasa, December 5, 2005)

“One day I went to visit Srila Narayana Maharaja up on the North Shore in Hawaii. I wanted to have darsana with him and ask some important questions. One of the things I desired to discuss with him was the topic of third-gender devotees, although I must admit I was very shy and hesitant to bring up the issue. I just wasn’t sure what his understanding was, or how he would react. While Srila Narayana Maharaja was sitting outside on the porch, I entered the house and dressed the large Radha-Krsna Deities residing there in a new red and gold outfit I had just sewn for Them as an offering. Srila Gurudeva then came inside and was very pleased to see Thakurji in the new outfit. We sat down for darsana. A friend of mine, who was also gay and had been involved in Krsna consciousness for a long time, first asked some questions about initiation. Srila Gurudeva was very kind with him as he always is with every guest. Then I asked my questions. When it came time to bring up the third gender, I was very nervous but managed to blurt out the first question. I mentioned to him about the pastime in which Lord Caitanya, as a baby, had been blessed by third-gender devotees and asked him where this pastime could be found in scripture. I was thinking that perhaps he wouldn’t be familiar with the pastime or with the third gender in general. But he answered very confidently and was obviously completely familiar with both issues. ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘This pastime can be found in the Caitanya-bhagavata.’ Then I asked: ‘Srila Gurudeva, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada wanted everyone to come to his temples, but nowadays some do not accept third-gender devotees.’ His eyes immediately lit up and he said very strongly, ‘They are rejecting so many people. What to speak of third-gender, they are rejecting practically everyone. But we are accepting those who have been rejected. You can tell anyone to come here and we will accept them.’ Then I asked, ‘But Gurudeva, why is this happening?’ He immediately interjected slowly, but firmly: ‘Because they are rascals! That’s all. Bring anyone you meet here to me. I will accept.’ Then I told Gurudeva that I already knew some nice third-gender devotees who were rejected by ISKCON temples but accepted at his centers. Brajanatha Prabhu (Srila Gurudeva’s secretary) confirmed this. Srila Gurudeva reiterated, ‘Yes, bring them here. We will accept everyone.’

“Srila Narayana Maharaja’s answers to my questions were more than satisfying. His mood of all-inclusiveness was made crystal clear to both my friend and I. Not only was it important to him that everyone is welcome in Krsna consciousness, including the third gender, but—even more so—it was a source of disgust and anger if anyone was being rejected.”

(Related by Amara dasa, January 30, 2005)

Note: Not all ISKCON centers have exclusionary policies toward third-gender devotees. This is a problem that has only recently surfaced in some temples, after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada, and is currently being addressed.

My dear Amara prabhu,

My heartly blessings are for you.  All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.  All glories to Sri Sri Radha Vinode Bihariji.

I received your letter and became very happy to read that you are inspiring so many devotees by Internet.  My heartly blessings are for you and for all of the members of your preaching program [GALVA].  This is a very important service, please continue with this and help all to make progress on the path of pure bhakti.

I am looking forward to meet with you again when I come to the Big Island or when you come to see me here on the North Shore.  I always remember you and pray for your spiritual well being.

Please know that I am in good health, happily absorbed in writing.

Your ever well-wisher,

Swami B.V. Narayan

(Personal letter, December 20, 2005)