TV Channel

How do women attain liberation or self-realization? Is there any difference between how men and women achieve this? There are various opinions and interpretations across cultures. Some traditions advocate, "Serve your husband," a concept known as patidevā—where the husband is considered one's God. Gentlemen, did you hear that? But the husband must truly be worthy of that role. For liberation itself, there is no duality of male or female. A river has curves, but the water does not. Similarly, wisdom and knowledge have no such bends. Women possess the same soul, the same ātmā, the same rights, and the same capacity for realization. It is only in the last few centuries that women have been suppressed globally, largely due to the circumstances of war. Men went off to battle, and women remained at home. To prevent them from being taken if they ventured out, they were guarded or confined for their safety. However, you know how good intentions can sometimes turn into harmful practices. Different cultures developed different norms. I believe it was only some years ago in Switzerland that women had no right to vote—if I am not mistaken, is that true? Consider where this occurred: Switzerland is not behind China; it is here in the heart of Europe. In every country, one can see how women have been suppressed. People were surprised to hear that there are holy women in India. Yet even in India, very orthodox and patriarchal elements wrote many things against women, forbidding them from reading holy scriptures, fearing that if they became wise, they would not obey men. This was the selfishness of men. Therefore, in the cosmic law of wisdom, there is no difference. Only the natural law may present different aspects, but women have the same right and the same ability to attain realization. Often, foolish things happen, and it does not matter whether one is a man or a woman; the issue is when a decision is not clear and firm. When I decide on one path—"This is my path, now I will pursue and realize it"—then you dedicate yourself. You live a normal, working life while remaining aware of your aim. Lead a saintly life. Seva bhāva—the attitude of selfless service—develops gradually. Consider the tree here; we have a large tree that is about 700-800 years old. I think this castle was built in 1447, and perhaps the tree was planted at that time. But it takes time to grow. Similarly, our spirituality grows slowly, slowly. If we immediately desire miracles, powers, or visions, it would be very harmful. Such things are not possible in a genuine way, and if they seem to occur, it is often illness, hallucination, or schizophrenia—mental disturbances arising from unrealistic expectations. Spiritual progress should be gradual. Once you have surrendered and placed your life in His hands, why worry? For what purpose would you want powers or miracles? Simply work now, that is all. As in their bhajan: "Absorb the Lord, I've given all the responsibility of my life in your hands. I've given all the responsibility of my life in your hands. I've given all the responsibility of my life in your hands. ... Now if I will be successful or not is in your hands. In you and me, is this different? That this world is in your hands, and I am in the hands of the world. So please, I give my responsibility to you." We must purify the antaḥkaraṇa (the inner instrument). We must see our mistakes and develop discipline. If I do not follow certain rules and someone says, "No, please, you cannot do this," and I become angry—why? With this anger, I harm myself even more. Mahatma Gandhi wrote in one of his notebooks: "When you come late to the railway station, you miss the train, and if you come late to prayer, it is the same thing." So, if you are late to the station, you miss the train or the flight. Similarly, if you arrive an hour or ten minutes late to a program, the leader may ask you not to enter the room as you would disturb hundreds of others. You may become angry: "I paid for this seminar, I have a right to enter." They might say, "Yes, my lord, please enter," but that is not correct. Before becoming saintly or holy, we must purify all these rubbish things within us. Afterwards, we sometimes feel sad or unhappy due to our own reactions. If you can control these kinds of emotional reactions, you have attained great realization in your life. This is our biggest problem. We are very humble, kind, and loving—as long as it does not concern our own mistakes. This is what enables realization, for either a man or a woman. Consider one man who is non-vegetarian, yet very kind, humble, and loving. You can shout at this person, and he will not become angry. Then there is another who eats a pure, sāttvik diet, as our Muktamani always said—balanced sāttvik food. Yet if you tell this person at a conference, "Sir, could you change this chair and sit there?" he might retort, "Why? I have a right to sit here. Who are you to tell me?" Where is the sāttvic nourishment? Where is your vegetarian diet? Meanwhile, the other person, who consumes meat and alcohol, if asked, "Please, could you move?" might say, "Yes, yes, sorry, excuse me, OK, I will do it." If you have not changed your inner self and are only changing your diet, it does not help. We change only the mask, not the reality. It is our qualities that make us holy, or a thief, a murderer, a criminal, a terror, a rākṣasa, a human, or a deva. Values reside in qualities, not quantities. A small piece of diamond is worth more than a full truck of stones—because of its quality. We must cultivate that quality ourselves. Whatever inner emotional reaction occurs, remain in balance; that is very important, dear friends. Therefore, our liberation does not depend on whether you live with a holy man or not. Even if you live with God, liberation is not guaranteed. Mahāprabhujī said very clearly: the iron spoon stirring the halvā or sweet pudding cannot taste or even smell it, but neighbors half a kilometer away will say, "Oh, somewhere halvā is being cooked." So, if you live with the Master but have not changed within, you cannot attain realization. We must purify our ego, negative thinking, and wrong imagination. We speak of purifying our karma, but these are not physical things; you cannot purify your karma by cutting off your arm—that is very bad. You purify your karma by leading a humble and kind life, helping others with both hands. So, once more: liberation does not depend on being male or female, nor on age, country, or color. It also does not depend on your physical postures or your worldly titles. We cannot decide that; it will be decided there. If you want to know how far you have progressed, only there will you know; beforehand, no one can answer. But do not be in a hurry to go there. Otherwise, you might make another mistake. God might say, "Why did you run away?" and you would incur more guilt. If you think you can run away from the problems of this life, there is nowhere to run. Our śikṣā (teaching), our karma, our destiny is like the shadow of our body; we cannot escape it. Once more: there are no dualities, no differences between male and female. We have many holy ladies, holy mothers. Even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa bow down to the holy mothers. In our realizations, within Indian and Hindu traditions, the highest position has been given to women according to religion and spirituality. In society, it may be different, varying from country to country. Yet, women hold the highest position in Indian culture, in society, and in family life. In truth, it is the lady of the house, your mother, who rules everything. Outside, the man speaks; he is the foreign minister. But the home minister and finance minister—they hold everything in their hands. So when you visit someone, you can ask, "Where is the Home Minister, or Gṛha Lakṣmī, the Finance Minister?" --- Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar