Women in India

[Guest guest]

Ms Beckhusen has a genuine doubt. For all our deification of women, they are

in real life a harassed lot. Unfortunately, this is the general state of

affairs.

The explanation perhaps lies in our religious bias being overwhelmed by

economic matters. `The farther the mind from lust-greed, the closer it is to

God.'' What has happened is the opposite. In our obsession with modern

civilisation we have moved away from God and thus these aberrations. For

hundreds of years we have been a poor people, which has bred various

maladies including that of dowry (for e.g.), requiring the bride's side to

pay a fat sum to the groom's family in return for marrying her. Any economic

`liability' is considered a hindrance to a happy life. Thus, a daughter is

not a happy thing for parents, etc.etc.

This does not mean women are disrespected generally by everyone. Sri

Ramakrishna speaks of women with vidya maya and avidya maya. The former are

those that work in concert with their husbands towards a life that

ultimately leads to God. There are obviously men with these same two

attributes. But, then, everything is the Mother's mahamaya; so who are we to

say what is good or bad? Just seek Him. Every thing else is ephemeral.

 

Amy S Beckhusen <ab004f

 

I am an American woman who studies Hinduism, but I have never been to

India. I am fascinated by the relationship between women and religion and

I am perplexed by the structures of Indian society in this regard. I don't

understand why Hinduism, a tradition which so greatly reveres the feminine

force of creation, Shakti, could be so oppressive towards women?>

Obviously, it is an oversimplification to assume that religion

singularly and directly influences cultural ideas. However, it seems

illogical to me that in the Hindu Religion, women and/or female

archetypal symbols play more of a dominant

role than in many other major world religions and yet at the same time

there is a very serious problem with violence and oppression towards

women.

Do archetypes of woman as destroyer (Kali) get negatively associated with

women? Are other cultural values strongly influenced by religion that

would enforce the illogical nature of this dichotomy?

Why do you think the reverence of Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, and Sarasvati,

etc... isn't

expressed towards Hindu women?

Do Hindu men and women in India identify with their faith in different

ways?

If anyone has feedback about this, I would be really appreciative!

-Amy