Swami teaches... Responsible role of women

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

 

Light and Love

 

Swami teaches.... (22 February 2005)

 

Responsible Role of Women

 

All human beings are brothers - sisters and are children of one mother - the

Universal Divine Mother. Therefore, we must develop this sacred feeling and try

to help everyone. The progress of the nation, the community and the family,

depends on the proper education of women. The country can be lifted to its

pristine greatness only through women mastering the Atmavidya, the science of

Realisation of the Reality. If the nation must have lasting prosperity and

peace, women have to be trained through an educational system which emphasises

moral conduct, moral qualities. The cause for the present fall in moral

standards and absence of social peace is the neglect of this aspect of women's

education.

Past, present or future, for all time, women are the backbone of progress;

the heart of the nation, the very breath. They play the chief role in the

dharma of life here below, a key role that is charged with holiness. Her

mission is to lay down the canons of rightness and morality. She must provide

children with moral and spiritual training. When the mother is imbued with

Dharma, the children get the benefit and they get similarly saturated. When she

is skilled in morals, the children learn to be moral.

 

The Vedhas declare that the mother and the father have to be revered as

divine; they must consider the children too as divine, and foster the blooming

of that divine principle. Whether one is doing it sincerely or not can be left

to each one's conscience. You are the best judge of your sincerity. The

mother's is the first face that the child sees; 'Ma' is the first syllable that

its lips utter; it is also the last.

The role of motherhood is the most glorious and the most responsible. The

mother is the pillar of the home, of society, of the nation and so of humanity

itself. Mothers should know the secret of mental peace, of inner silence, of

spiritual courage, of contentment, which is the greatest wealth, and of

Aadhyaathmic (spiritual) discipline which gives lasting joy.

The mother should teach the children the value of Naamasmarana (remembering

God), and of mental and physical cleanliness. She should be like the mother in

the story told by Vivekaanandha, who advised her son to call upon Krishna in

the woods, while going to school alone and helpless.

 

Female education is needed to sweeten the hearts of the future mothers of

this land with humility, faith, discrimination and fear of evil. To light the

path they tread towards truth and virtue. Knowledge can develop discrimination,

inspire the springs of service, prompt inquiry into the Reality, promote the

search for the Absolute. On the other hand, it might feed and strengthen the

roots of falsehood, hypocrisy, cruelty and injustice. It might turn Love into

poisonous hatred and Truth into a bone of contention. Whatever subject a woman

might have studied and mastered, whatever the degree she has won, whatever the

status of her husband or of herself, she must hold fast to these truths; real

charm consists in good character; morality is the very breath of woman;

modesty, the very live force; adherence to truth is her daily duty. The

Aanandha that can be derived by unselfish scattering of love is a rare

elevating experience. It is a very valuable Saadhana. The ideal of Seva must be

inculcated in the hearts of the students and they must acquire not only the

enthusiasm to serve but they must earn proficiency in the ways of helpfulness.

Modesty and devotion to God are the real jewels for womankind. Women preserve

the traditional values of our culture and keep the nation on an even keel. If

they fail, it would be famine, not prosperity.

If the women of a country are happy, healthy and holy, the men of that

country will be hardy, honest and happy. Thyaagaraaja has sung that even the

strongest of heroes are Kaanthadhaasas (swayed by the wishes of women) and

hence, every woman has a very crucial role to play in individual and social

uplift through obtained skill of the technique of mental calm and social

harmony and service and economic contentedness. Let them develop a dread of

falsehood, of sliding into moral error.

Let the girl-students will become aware of the joy that service to those in

distress can give, service without a thought of the benefits that may follow

from the sympathy shown. Let them learn to lay aside the egoism that poisons

the Seva of even veterans in the field, who go about extolling themselves as

founders and promoters, for the service of the poor and the maimed, of this

institution and that. The joy of the Seva is the act itself. The fruit of the

Seva is the removal of egoism, not its multiplication.

 

Woman is honoured in India as the Lakshmi of the home, as the Dharmapathni

or companion in the pilgrimage towards God and self-realisation, and as the

mistress of the house.

There are some points what need the clarification concern to spiritual

activity of women.

Are women entitled to seek Brahmavidya? If women do not deserve this

knowledge, how did Vishnumurthi teach Bhudevi the mystery of the Gita? How did

Parameswara teach Parvathi the Gurugita? "DharovaachaParvathyuvaacha", such

statements reveal that Dhara and Parvathi took part in the discussions and put

questions to clarify the points. The Yogasastra and Manthrasastra were both

taught to Parvathi by Iswara. This must therefore be correct, authorised by the

Sastras, is it not?

In the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad, it is mentioned that Yajnavalkya taught

Maitreyi, the Brahmavidya.

In the Brihadaranyaka, there is mention of such effulgent women-sages as

Gargi and Maitreyi and in the Mahabharatha, the names of Sulabha and Yogini are

found. Women should be inspired by their moral rectitude and their steadfastness

and then walk in that path; then, only does the question of reaching that height

arise. Choodala, Madalasa and other such women attained Brahmajnana, being in

the Grihasthasrama itself. Women can by Sadhana attain that unwavering

unequalled auspicious Brahmam; this is made clear in the Yogavasishta and also

in the Puranas. Doubts will haunt only those who have not studied the Sastras

properly. Novitiates, householders, recluses, all among women, have by their

pure hearts and holy conduct, attained the goal. All women should strive to

acquire these two.

 

"The Acharya, or the spiritual guide, is ten times more worthy than the

teacher of arts and sciences. The Father is ten times worthier than the

Acharya, the Mother is a thousand times worthier than the Father". This is the

declaration of Manu in the Manusmrithi. That Smrithi is the binding text for

all Dharmasastras; it is the very basis. See what a great honour it pays to

the mother! Lakshmi, the patron of Wealth, is a female deity. When addressing

letters to women, it is customary to begin, "To... equal to Lakshmi, in every

way...". Women are entitled to universal respect. Causative Appearances of

God-head like Rama and Krishna, religious teachers like Sankara, Ramanuja and

Madhwa, bearers of Wisdom like Buddha, Jesus Christ and Muhammad - were they

not all born of women? Their mothers were embodiments of holy glory and they

gave the world sons who transformed it. Women who follow in their footsteps and

lead pure consecrated lives can claim the right to Brahmajnana, and no one can

deny it to them. In fact, the Atma is devoid of all differences as between

men and women. It is Nithya, Suddha, Buddha, Swayamjyothi; i.e., it is eternal

pure consciousness itself, and self illumining. Women can reach the status of

those holy women only when they become aware of the nature of the Atma.

The patron deities of Vidya (Saraswathi), of Wealth (Lakshmi) and of Jnana

(Parvathi) are all women! Therefore, it is unbelievable that women have no

right to spiritual discipline, leading to merger with Brahmam and to the final

emancipation from bondage. A lion asleep is unaware of its nature. So too, man

asleep in the coils of Maya is not aware of his being the Splendourful Atma. In

this stage of ignorance, he elaborates more on his prejudices and he gives his

likes, the stamp of Sastras! The Sastras will not declare so at any time.

(Reet's compilation from,

Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "Radiate Rays Of Love." Ananthapur, 8 July

1971.Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "Shikshana." Venkatagiri, 9 September

1958.

Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse "Seek Work, Worship and Wisdom - Avoid

Wealth, Wine and Women." Brindavan, Whitefield, May 1973.

Sathya Sai Baba. "Dharma Vahini." Chapters V and IX .

 

Namaste - Reet