Both Mother and Father required for healthy growth of a child?

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Namaste and greetings. For those who don't know me, I'm 46/m/Delhi

knowing Hindi, Tamil and English.

 

Of late some questions have been bothering me. While I take the

liberty of placing them before you, it is far from me to hurt any

one. Rather my attempt is to learn from you.

 

Is it correct that both Father and Mother are equally vital for a

healthy spiritual growth of a child?

 

Should love for the Mother lead a person to ignore Father totally? Is

that course justified?

 

I am not spiritually well versed as some of our friends are. I am a

beginner and would like to learn from the wise and not otherwise!

 

In my humble understanding Shiva is Father and Shakti is Mother. Am I

right? I feel without Father one is 50% orphan.

 

Looking forward to spiritually stimulating responses!

 

Gopalan

[Guest guest]

Greetings Gopalan:

 

Thanks for a great question. I think the broad, theoretical answer is

easy; however, the practical implications -- i.e., what are we to do

with this theory -- are tougher:

 

*** Is it correct that both Father and Mother are equally vital for a

healthy spiritual growth of a child?***

 

If you're speaking of Father/Mother in the divine sense,

Shiva/Shakti, then yes, metaphysically speaking, they are "One." If

you are speaking of the human family -- well, reality shows us

otherwise. Often one parent or the other provides the spiritual

impulse or instruction, while the other is mainly inactive in that

area. Sometimes there only *is* one parent caring for a child, but

this reality need not cripple a child spiritually. Also, again from a

metaphysically viewpoint, the major religions of Judaism,

Christianity and Islam seem to get by just fine with just a Father.

 

***In my understanding Shiva is Father and Shakti is Mother. Am I

right? I feel without Father one is 50% orphan. Should love for the

Mother lead a person to ignore Father totally?***

 

Again, the short answer is easy: Of course not. But in the religious

context, this leads to a theological question. Vaishnavism recognizes

both a Father and a Mother, and even calls them "equal" -- but in

practice, while the Mother has the nominal "power", the Father has

the authority that directs that power. Shaivism also recognizes the

Mother, but -- while, again, paying Her lip service as "equal" --

consider Her mainly a conduit for reaching the true object of

devotion, Shiva. Shaktism, being theologically very similar to

Shaivism, acknowledges the importance of the Father but the true

object of devotion is the Mother.

 

Of course, Shaktism would be unbalanced if it prescribed "ignoring

the Father totally," as you say. But there does come a point where we

must ask: Okay, all of these approaches to Hinduism acknowledge both

Father and Mother. But what makes each approach different? What makes

a Vaishnava a Vaishnava? What makes a Shaiva a Shaiva? And how is it

a different proposition to call oneself a Shakta? Because there are

differences: Compare the Bhagavad Gita to the Devi Gita. Compare the

Bhagavata Purana to the Devi Bhagavata Purana. These are different

religions -- both within the great family of Hinduism, yes, but they

are different. Our question here should be: What do those differences

mean, both practically and theologically?

 

A couple of posts back, Adi was kind enough to share a nice essay on

Shakti by Frank Morales. I should note that he is not actually "one

of the leading journalists of India"; in fact, he's a young American

from Wisconsin by way of Brooklyn, New York (see

http://www.dharmacentral.com/aboutfm.htm). But he is extremely

knowledgeable in Hindu matters and his essay is a good, solid

introduction to Shakti and the Shiva-Shakti principle. And yet, on a

practical level, how should we act upon this information?

 

*** I am a beginner and would like to learn from the wise and not

otherwise! ***

 

I think any honest member among us would say the same. We are all

seekers. We are all learning, all the time.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe