Sampradaya Sun: Some Q&A from the Bengali 'Gaudiya' magazine (main periodical of the Gaudiya Matha during Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's times) related to the position of women and segregation of the sexes. Translated from the original Bengali by Brijbasi das.
'Gaudiya', Vol. 9, #42, p.698, (06.06.1931):
"Question: Are women qualified like men to engage in Bhagavad-bhakti or nor? If they are, then what if some woman by her good fortune becomes a devotee of the Lord (acting according to the dharma of the pure vaiṣṇavas) and wants to serve the Lord and to reside in some Kṣetra or Maṭha, having renounced everything, can she do that or not? And if some woman by such an activity becomes pure vaiṣṇavī, then is it proper for a detached person or a pure vaiṣṇava to receive her association in order to get spiritual instructions?"
Answer: Śrīman Mahāprabhu taught: "bhaktau nṛ-mātrasyādhikāritā" - Any human is automatically qualified for bhagavad-bhakti, that means (in metaphorical expression) any conscious or living being. A woman, a man, a child, an old man, an animal, a bird, a blade of grass, a bush or a creeper – all these are descriptions related to the body. Bhakti is not an activity of a gross or a subtle body. That pure jīvātmā which is transcendental to the gross or subtle body, has a natural and eternal function - "bhakti". Therefore being jīva is the only qualification for bhakti.
Some jīva externally dressed as a woman by her good fortune can take shelter of bhagavad-bhakti and become an advanced devotee (paramā-bhaktimatī), still a man and a woman who are both inclined towards bhagavad-bhakti, should be very careful in their dealings, because the possibility of falldown is inherent in jīva's svarūpa. In Kali-yuga women's qualification for renouncing the family is very rare, even if we say that it is completely absent that would not be an exaggeration. There are hardly one or two (kvacit dui ekṭi) examples of especially qualified women like Gaṅgāmāta, whose qualification for gṛha-tyāga and kṣetra-sannyāsa etc. was always perfect (nitya-siddha), if we accept their capability as a general rule a great disaster will come upon the world. Women should perform hari-bhajana without duplicity while staying at home. In many holy places women develop different anarthas being driven by very strong desires (vāsanā) that consist of other intentions (anyābhilāṣa) and that are manifested as gṛha-tyāga etc. Although everyone is eligible for hari-bhajana, nevertheless everyone should perform hari-bhajana according to one's own qualification remaining in one's own position. If one gives up his position and wants to show his great thirst for hari-bhajana, then one's many varieties of other desires (anyābhilāṣa), lust (kāma), the desire for name and fame and for high position (pratiṣṭhāśā) or divergent endeavors (itara ceṣṭā) become manifest. In this way one falls down from his bhajana. Many of us witness a disturbance (jañjāla) that comes as a result of such a great desire to take shelter of a tīrtha or kṣetra, but which actually is caused by ulterior motives. If some woman, who in all respects uses her body, mind and speech only for the service of the Lord and has completely given up all bad association, follows the pure example of prema-bhakti-svarūpiṇī Śrī Śrī Śacī Devī or Śrī Śrī Viṣṇupriyā Devī and thus lives in the Dhāma, then she can perform Hari-bhajana in the same way. Just as Śrī Śrī Viṣṇupriyā Devī was always serving the desires of Gaura while taking care of the elderly Śrī Śrī Śacī Devī, who was expert in non-duplicitous bhajana. Or just as Śrī Śacī Devī, being completely free from all the other desires of this world, lived in Śridhāma Māyāpura with her mind fully absorbed in Gaura-sevā. So in this way if someone receives the instruction from a non-cheating sad-gurudeva and takes shelter of Śrī Dhāma, then it is possible for them to live in the Kṣetra etc. In this regard one should remain very careful and impartial (nirapekṣa). Therefore Śriman Mahāprabhu showed the example of sending completely impartial Dāmodara Paṇḍita to Śrī Śacīmātā. "eka līlāya karena prabhu kārya pāṅca-sāta" - "The Lord fulfills five or seven purposes by performing one pastime."[CC3.2.169].
Continued at: http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/03-16/editorials13784.htm
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