Source

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, May 19, 2003: Excerpted from H.H. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s speech at the Global Peace Initiative of Women Spiritual Leaders: “Captivity is in the mind. Look at the elephant, which can uproot huge trees with its trunk. When an elephant living in captivity is still a baby, it is tied to a tree with a strong rope or a chain. Because it is the nature of elephants to roam free, the baby elephant instinctively tries to break free. But it isn’t strong enough to do so. Realizing its efforts are useless, it finally gives up. When this elephant grows up, it can be tied to a small tree with a thin rope. It could then easily free itself by uprooting the tree or breaking the rope. But because its mind has been conditioned by its prior experiences, it doesn’t make any attempt to break free. This is what is happening to women. Society does not allow women to rise. It has created a blockage, preventing this great strength from pouring forth. In a village there lived a deeply spiritual woman who found immense happiness in serving others. She was soon made a priest by the villagers. Since she was the first woman priest in the area, the male priests didn’t like it at all. One day, all the priests were invited to a religious gathering at a place three hours away by boat. On boarding the boat, the priests discovered that the woman was also invited. The boat set off, but an hour later the motor died and the boat stopped. There was no petrol. Nobody knew what to do. At this point, the woman priest stood up and said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll go and fetch some fuel.’ She stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water. The priests were astonished, but were quick to remark, ‘Look at her! She doesn’t even know how to swim!’ This is the attitude of men in general. They are conditioned to belittle and condemn the achievements of women. Men treat women like potted plants, making it impossible for them to grow to their full potential. In ancient India, the Sanskrit word a husband used to address his wife were patni (the one who leads the husband through life); dharmapatni (the one who guides her husband on the path of dharma or righteousness and responsibility); and sahadharmacharini (the one who moves together with her husband on the path of dharma). All these terms imply that traditionally women were meant to enjoy the same status as men in society, or perhaps even a higher one. In reality, all men are a part of women. Every child first lies in the mother’s womb as a part of the woman’s very being. Women are essentially mothers, the creators of life. Is God a man or a woman? The answer to that question is that God is neither male nor female. God is “That.” But if you insist on God having a gender, then God is more female than male because the masculine is always contained within the feminine. Masculine energy is static. A man’s mind easily becomes obsessed with his thoughts and actions. The mind and intellect of a man usually get struck in the work that he does, and because of this, most men cannot separate their professional life from the family life. Feminine energy, on the other hand, is fluid like a river. That’s why each woman has a dharma towards the world and to herself. Along with men, she should shoulder equal responsibility in the growth and development of society.”

Post Views: 228