Vieveka Chudamani - Post 5

Ataḥ puṃstvaṃ  

 

Much more difficult it is to attain full manhood It does not mean that Sankara said that women are not considered fit for contemplation or Self-realisation as per Vedanta.

 

At this juncture we must bring our discriminative capacity to understand that when these qualifications were given out, they were not given out with reference to the body. With the body, no sadhana can be undertaken as explained in Vedanta. The main practices in Vedanta are reflection and meditation, which are to be undertaken by a healthy mind and a keen intellect.

 

Woman is the symbol of softness, attachment, sentiments, and anxieties, she is essentially a mother. Wherever these qualities predominate, there we have a 'woman'. These qualities- Attachment, Sentiments, Anxieties, Emotions- they come in the way of Sincere, Dedicated Spiritual Sadhana.

 

A masculine inner personality, full of courage, discrimination, detachment, equilibrium, peace and cheer, is the fittest instrument for a quick march to the goal indicated by Vedanta.

 

In this sense, there are many 'women' among bearded ones and if firmness of determination, detachment, intellectual hardiness and steadiness of composure are signs of a better evolution, these masculine tendencies of head and heart are amply seen in many women.

 

Tato viprata

 

Rarer than this is a sattvika attitude in life. We must consider this qualification as indicating a special quality of head and heart. Santosa (contentment), samadhana (spirit of self-surrender) and santi (peace arising from right knowledge) are the special qualities (sattvika temperaments) of a well evolved man.

 

Man in any generation, when observed closely, can be classified into three distinct categories - the animal-man, the man-man and the God-man.

 

He who is ever a victim of his gross instincts and a hopeless slave to his emotions and impulses is classified as an animal-man.

 

When he has disciplined these instincts in himself, he is considered a full-grown, mature he-man.

 

Such a vipra, meaning a man-man has the necessary viprata to strive rightly and grow steadily into the last stage of his evolution the super manhood or godhood, when he becomes a God-man.

 

Swami Sivananda says, “The aspirant should give his full consent with all his being (Sarva Bhava) for the change of his lower nature into Divine nature. He must make total, unreserved, ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord or Guru. He must have the true spirit and right abiding attitude. He must make the right persistent endeavours. Then only the real change will come.”

 

 

Continued….

 

Love.