Pearls of Wisdom: The woman soul shall lead us upward, on!

The woman-soul has the shakti to rebuild the shattered world in the strength of her intuitions, her purity, her simplicity, her spiritual aspirations, her sympathy and silent sacrifice

The man-made civilization is today broken and bleeding. We can see that man has had his chance but the masculine mentality has blundered. Now, woman must get her chance, for it is she who is called upon to build a new world. India and the world today, need the help and inspiration of the woman’s soul. Woman is the architect of the new generation.

“The woman-soul has the shakti to rebuild the shattered world in the strength of her intuitions, her purity, her simplicity, her spiritual aspirations, her sympathy and silent sacrifice. The woman-soul will lead us upward, on,” said Sadhu Vaswani. He explained that the values the world needs most today are simplicity, service, prayer, purity and sacrifice. It is the woman, through her intuitive affinity to these values, who can transmit them for the new generation to imbibe. The woman is the symbol of Shakti. This shakti is not a physical force, but the power of integration. Woman is the center of social integration.

Woman is the builder of the home - the first centre where children’s character is built. When the child’s mind is still plastic, the mother influences it to grow in the right direction. Rightly has it been said, that if you educate a man, you educate an individual, education contributes to his individual growth; it becomes his ‘private property’, as it were. But when you educate a woman, you educate the entire family!

An educated woman, who becomes a wife and mother, contributes greatly to social development:
  • She makes the home a centre of light, peace and harmony.
  • She improves the quality of life at home, and also outside the home.
  • She imparts values and knowledge to her children, in their early, impressionable years.
  • She provides guidance and support to her children when they need it most.
  • An alert, aware, sensitive and educated mother is undoubtedly the best teacher any child can have.

Many scholars and thinkers agree that lack of education has been the major obstacle on the path of women’s attainment of equality with men. Only a hundred years ago, women were confined to the home, and treated like second-class citizens, and denied access to higher education. Even upper class families thought it sufficient to see to their daughters’ ‘accomplishments’ like singing, dancing, music, painting, rather than offer them ‘education’ as we understand it. Thus, women played no role in politics and governance; women could not vote; women could not enter professions; women could not inherit property. How did they manage to break free from these severe constraints? Only through the power of education!

An educated woman, who becomes a wife and mother, contributes greatly to social development

Education is the key to the empowerment of women today. It gives them
  • Self-worth
  • Self-respect
  • The power of choice
  • Decision making abilities
  • The power to change themselves and society

As a mother, as a wife, as a binding force in the family and society, as a transmitter of values, as an upholder of culture and tradition, the woman is called upon to play multiple roles and functions in every stage, every age, of human civilization. It is in this recognition of her onerous responsibilities that Indian tradition accords a special value to the woman. The woman is a valuable link between the past, present and future.

Quoting one of her conversations with her guru and mentor, Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita writes: He (Swami Vivekananda) could not foresee a Hindu woman of the future entirely without the old power of meditation. Modern science woman must learn; but not at the cost of ancient spirituality. He saw clearly enough that the ideal education would be that which would best enable every woman in time to come, to receive into herself the spiritual shakti and vitality of all the great Indian women of the past.”

The land of Sita, the land of Gargi and Maitreyi, the home of Andal and Mira must accord a special place for women to facilitate their spiritual and intellectual growth! Purity, prayer, simplicity, service, sacrifice, spirituality - are not these innate qualities of the ideal Indian woman? Is she not at once a picture of peace, harmony, prosperity, courage and wisdom? Is she not Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati in one manifestation? Has it not been her privilege to attain the heights of love and compassion, devotion and piety, commitment and dedication to duty?

Women always have, and always will occupy a special place in the home, in society, in human relationships and in molding the generations of the future.

By Dada JP Vaswani