Genderless Vaiṣṇavism
The idea that a guru is too "transcendental" to be affected by gender is an old trick. This particular brand of pseudo-spirituality traces back to Jagannātha Dāsa, a scholar who met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to present his own version of the Bhāgavatam—Odia Bhagabata. Mahāprabhu, unimpressed by his pride, sarcastically labeled him Ativādī—"too great." In his foolishness, Jagannātha Dāsa took it as a compliment. He eventually went so far as to tell Mahāprabhu, "You are Kṛṣṇa, and I am Rādhā."
That bold claim birthed the Ativādī Apasampradāya, a "genderless" Vaiṣṇava sect where the philosophy of the soul is used to justify immoral behavior. In this group, it became standard practice for female disciples to massage their ācārya. The logic? Since the soul has no gender, a truly "advanced" guru is immune to lust. It’s a convenient philosophy, but the tradition calls it Sahajiyāism—the art of making a profound spiritual process "cheap" by rationalizing mundane desires with Māyāvāda concoctions.
We often hear demands for men and women equality within the general public, which echoes within our movement, as if the physical body is an irrelevant detail. They disregard the fact that Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasized that on the material platform, men and women are not equal. This isn't about being "anti-woman"; it’s about being "pro-reality."
Whether one is a practicing sādhaka or an eternally liberated soul, the differences in nature and role remain. True equality isn't found in erasing social boundaries or demanding identical rights, completely omitting duties; it’s found in the soul’s uninhibited devotion to Kṛṣṇa, which manifests fully in Goloka Vṛndāvana. When we try to force "equality" on the physical level, we end up with the same Māyāvādic deviation that fueled the Ativādīs, using pseudo-spiritual oneness to mask mundane lust.
Watch out for the next too-holiness guru allowing close association with women secretaries, masseurs, groupies, and so on. Watch out for the next shouts for equal rights to men and women. Watch out for your neighbourhood genderless vaishnava.
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