Guest guest Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Seeta Raam. Nav Ratri will be observed this week and there is a flurry of activities in preparation. Year after year, this sacred occasion is being observed with even more enthusiasm and piousness--Hindus are worshipping God as Mother/Devi/Shakti even more presently. Historically, Sanatana Dharma has always held women as Sacred--today we continue this tradition but how does this transcends into reality? Are we to accept that God is Woman/Shakti/Devi only when we do Pujas? That this Shakti/Devi is not a reality? We accept that God gives living examples on how we must live--yet when it comes to applying this concept to women--we ignore it. We spend an entire fortnight trying to prove to God how devoted we are to The Divine Mother yet many of these same devotees are abusing the women in their lives. Are we to believe then that God is only something that applies to prayers and that God doesn't apply to reality? That only as God we must honor women but real life women are nothing? That women are not "spark" from that Divine Mother, that real life women are not representations of The Divine Mother? We constantly hear from our Pujaris/Vyas/Acharyas, about the examples God put to us. That His Avataras are examples for us to follow.We love to preach Geeta and talk about Bhagwaan Sri Krsna. We love to talk about His close relationship with females--yet we choose to ignore the message behind His Lessons. That unlike Sri Raam who because of His Duty as King, He had to put His Subjects' wishes in front of duty to His own Wife---Sri Krsna demonstrated that no matter what--He will always give shelter and security to Women. When Sri Krsna freed the 16,000 women that were held captive by the demon Narkasura, they told Him that no one will accept them after they have been living in the home of another--exactly the same insult that heaped upon a Devi--Sita Mata Ji. The Blessed Lord took all 16,100 women under His Protection--He has since been sometimes labelled a womaniser because He choose to protect and shelter all these women. Lord Sri Krsna has demonstrated however, that we must take care of and protect women. How is it then that many who prays to Him, preaches His Geeta, cannot follow His Example--they totally miss this important lesson?Have Hindus become so foolish as to believe that God is so idiotic that He will be fooled with our hypocrisy? God who knows Everything? Who knows us more than we know ourselves? Why then do we not seek to rectify our actions, do prascitta for the sins that we are committing daily? This Nav Ratri, I pray to Lord Krsna and The Divine Mother so that they may inspire our minds --that every single Mandir will start becoming a Haven for those who are truly in distress. Each Mandir must start training people to counsel and help those in need. That each Pujari/Acharya/Vyas should immediately embark on rigorous training on how to truly counsel people in distress. This is not long ago when just advise is enough, we have to be properly trained in order to effectively help. Is this impossible? No it is not. In Guyana, there are Hindus who have been training people in other religions but have said that Hindus are not interested in dealing with social issues. Bhaiji Vidyaratha Kissoon, has many tales about how he was verbally abused whenever he spoke up about alcoholism and domestic abuse. He is attached to a NGO that is a Shelter for Abuse Victims in Guyana. He can help. Professor Harold Persaud in New Jersey is eminently qualified to help. He has been helping and is willing to train those seriously interested. Bhaiji Bhavani Singh has highlighted the issue of Domestic Abuse with yearly symposiums and radio/television programs. There are so many ways we can go about dealing with this scourge eating away at the very fabric of our Hindu society. This disease affects Hindus in Guyana,Trinidad, North America. It is not only the Hindu man in the Third World Nation that is abusive--there are many Hindu women in the United States who are living lives of silent hell and have no one to turn to. Many young Hindus are rejecting their religion because of the behaviour of abusive fathers. Are Hindus only willing to gripe and whine that Hindus are leaving for other religions rather than address the reason why?It is my belief that once we seriously address the social ills of our Hindu Samaaj, there will be less and less need for Hindus to go seek help elsewhere. The question that has to be asked is--Are we ready to deal with it? Are we truly serious about honoring Women? Or are we just going to honor women only in prayers--as a transient figure that is far from reality? As I close, I will just ask you to reflect of the words of my own Pita Ji---The Divine Mother will never reside in the home where the women in that home is suffering. She will never bless the home where the females are shedding tears of suffering............... May She Bless Us all this Nav Ratri so that no Hindu woman or child will be left alone in their suffering................... Jai Shakti Ma. Regards, Nanda TAD VISNOH PARAMAM PADAM (Rg Veda 1.22.20) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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