Alan Ginsberg said, “Swamiji, you are very conservative.” [laughter] I said, “I am very liberal. You do not know what is conservativeness means.” In India… You have no experience, but a tapasvi, just like a sannyasi, a sannyasi cannot come in touch with a woman. A woman must stand at least ten yards away from the sannyasi. That is the regulation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when he was sannyasi, no woman would come near to him, offering obeisances. They should offer obeisances at least ten yards away. So now I am moving amongst the women. But what can be done? This is a different country. If I say that “You women, you go away. You cannot come here,” then where is my preaching? If I say that “You cannot mix with us,” then where is my preaching? The woman and man, they are equally important in the respect of spiritual realization, because Krsna says,

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo sudras tatha vaisyas
te ‘pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]

Krsna does not discriminate. Anyone, any papa-yoni, lowborn, or the less-intelligent, striyah, woman, sudra, vaisya, they are less intelligent. Krsna says “Anyone; it does not matter. If one takes shelter of Me properly, then he or she is promoted to the spiritual world.” That is Krsna’s version.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.10 — July 20, 1972, London