Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Quotes on Women
Role of the Mother
This day of
19 th November is celebrated as Ladies Day in order to delve into
the sacred qualities of women and disseminate them. Women are the
repositories of Truth and Culture. Though earth is one, the plants
vary depending on the seeds sown. The womb of mother symbolizes
mother earth. As is the seed of thought sown in it, so is the
fruit it yields. You cannot expect mangoes by sowing a neem seed.
So, the mother's womb should be filled with good thoughts, good
words and good deeds. Only then can she beget virtuous children.
Today we find many children with bad character and bad behavior.
The reason for this can be attributed to the bad thoughts of their
mothers.
November 19, 2000,
Ladies Day
In this
country of Bharat was born Savitri,
the woman of chastity,
Who could fight with Yama, the God of Death and
bring back to life her dead husband.
In this country of Bharat was born Chandramathi,
the paragon of virtue,
Who suffered the terrible ordeals
of her husband, Harischandra,
Sita, the devoted consort of Rama
and the divine daughter of Mother Earth,
Who demonstrated her chastity by coming out of
blazing fire unscathed, was born in this Bharat.
Damayanthi, also a woman of pristine purity and
chastity who stood by her husband Nala
Through thick and thin was born in the sacred land of Bharat.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 31, Chapter 14 'Glory of Womanhood'
Education
is no book-worm affair; the process must include the study and
appreciation of all trades, professions and guilds. It must
encourage the acceptance of the good and the rejection of the bad.
Spiritual education is not a distinct and separate discipline; it
is part and parcel of all types and levels of education, In fact,
it is the very foundation on which a lasting edifice can be built.
Secular and spiritual education are like the two halves in the
seeds of pulses; the germ that sprouts is in between; it is fed by
both.
The feminine is the foundation on which a peaceful and happy world
is to be raised. When women are true and brave, kind and
compassionate, virtuous and pious, the world can have an era of
peace and joy.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 13, Chapter 17 'My Wish, My Vow'
Women and Marriage
Remember
most of you will get married and you will have the great
responsibility of rearing up families, that is a Very valuable
opportunity. Learn to adjust your likes and dislikes to those of
others, learn the gentle art of sacrifice and service-keep in mind,
when you react angrily against your mother-in-law, that a day will
come When you too will have daughters-in-law! Try to appreciate
their points off, view; they may have greater forethought, greater
experience, greater sense of responsibility; they may know more
about people and things than you, who are fresh entrants in their
household.
The family of the husband which you enter with marriage is a good
training ground; it is a saadhana-kshethra (field of spiritual
practice). When you are found fault with, do not fly into a rage;
examine your own conduct and discover the faults in yourselves;
self-examination is the first step to self-improvement and peace.
Do not exaggerate the faults of others, but give them a wide
margin and see them as small; exaggerate yours, see them big and
strive to remove them fast. Take all faultfinders as your friends
and well-wishers for they give you warning-signals in time.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 3, Chapter 24 'Be Mahaaraanis'
Girl
students who may get married should serve their in-laws in such a
way that the good name of the institute is vindicated. The
mother-in-law should be proud of a well-educated daughter-in-law
coming from the Sai Institute. The good name you earn will rejoice
Me.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 30, Chapter 31 'The Educational Crisis And The Way Out '
Love is in
everyone, but, because it is turned to selfish ends, it becomes
attachment. You should aspire to experience Dhaivi Prema (Divine
Love). In the modern world, youth should know the nature of true
love. Many from abroad, mix with persons of the opposite sex,
calling them boy friend and girl friend. If you really love each
other you must get married and not continue living as friends.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 30, Chapter 15 'Love God, Fear Sin, Guard Human Values'
Woman as Wife
Savitri fought with the God of Death (Yama)
and succeeded in getting her husband back to life. Can you find
any instance in the scriptures or history where a husband was
prepared to do sacrifice for his wife? If the wife is dead, he
is ready to have a second marriage. Such unfair things are
happening in the world in respect of women. That is why it was
decided to celebrate not only 19th November but 19th of every
month as Mahila Day.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 31,
Chapter 14 'Glory Of Womanhood'
Women and Motherhood
Women are the mothers of the coming
generation; they are the teachers of that generation, during the
first five years of life. The mother is the first of the five
Maathas (Mothers), that the Indian child encounters: Dheha-maatha
(the mother that gave birth to this body); Go-maatha (the cow that
gives sustaining milk); Bhoo-maatha (the land that grows the crops
which feed the body); Dhesa-maatha (the Native country that gives
protection, care, love, rights and chances to serve and elevate
oneself to one's full height), and Vedha-maatha (the heritage of
spiritual treasure that reveals the aim and purpose of human life
and takes one step by step, towards the Goal of Self-realisation).
The Dhehamaatha must reveal to the child the glories of all the
other four; so her responsibility is the greatest and most crucial.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 8, Chapter 26 'The Five Mothers'
It is an
ancient practice in Bharat to relate to pregnant women stories
about heroes and saints so that the child in the womb may be
influenced by the vibrations produced by such sublime stories and
the thoughts produced in the mother. The ancient Rishis knew this
truth. No wonder that the children born under such conditions had
noble nature and heroic virtues. It was a common practice to
relate stories of exemplary children like Markandeya, Dhruva and
Prahlada. They provided the inspiration and ideals for the
children of those days. What do we find today? Pregnant women are
engaged in seeing Television, Cinemas and other deleterious media
which play up crime and sex. The result is the children who are
born develop undesirable tendencies.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 18, Chapter 24 'Cultivation Of Love Is The Greatest Need'
More
fragrant than the sweet-smelling flowers
like the Jasmine and the Champak,
Softer than the cheese and the butter,
More beautiful than eye of the peacock,
More pleasant than the moonlight,
Is the love of the mother.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 32, Part 2 Chapter 13 'Importance of Mother's Grace'
Rama's
divinity blossomed under Kausalya's loving care;
Lava and Kusa could become powerful and famous
due to their noble and virtuous mother Sita,
The love and care of Jijabai made Shivaji a great warrior,
Fostered with the love of his mother Putlibai, Gandhi became a
Mahatma.
Is there anyone in this world who can take care of you the way
your mother does? Amma (mother) is the first word that man picks
up in life. The first letter of the word 'Amma' also happens to be
the first letter of the alphabet.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 32, Part 1 Chapter 14 'Women Symbolize Sacrifice'
Only
dedicated mothers can offer to the nation children who will strive
for a great future for the country. Truth, sacrifice and peace are
predominant qualities in women. Women are concerned about the
purity and welfare of the community. ? While the father's love was
related to mundane desires, the mother's love was related to
spiritual concerns. It is such broad-minded mothers who are needed
today. Good mothers are more essential than good wives. A good
wife is of value only to her husband. A good mother is a national
asset.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 16, Chapter 24 'Honour The Mother'
Women and Spiritual Sadhana
Pray to God
and recite His Name or meditate on His Glory for some fixed period
of time everyday; you will find it amply rewarding. Don't say, "Let
me have a taste of the reward and then, I shall start the saadhana."
Practise, and the experience will follow, must follow.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 3, Chapter 24 'Be Mahaaraanis!'
Women must
realise the enormous power of the mind for good or evil and see
that its power is used only for doing good. The mind can make a
person a demon or Divine. The mind is under the control of the
intellect. The intellect is governed by the Aathma.
Self-realisation will bring about control over everything. The
dire conditions prevailing in the world are known to everyone. The
root cause of all this is the failure of people to realise their
inherent divinity. Excessive desires, fuelled by selfishness, are
the cause of all troubles. The primary requisite is confidence in
one's self. Without that confidence, nothing can be accomplished.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 29, Chapter
50 'The Glory Of Bhaarath's Women'
Women and Seva
Women devotees, if they have the enthusiasm
and support, can start Mahila Sathsangs not only for Bhajans and
study of sacred texts and books, but for service of women. Go
among the poor in the slums and spread light and joy therein.
Gather the helpless girls and try to provide them with some means
of honourable livelihood. Sweeten their lives with bhajan and the
Saadhana of japa and dhyaana. Women too have a right to know that
they are the Aaathma, encased in human form, and they too can tap
the strength, the joy and the peace that the Aathma holds.
Inculcate in them the prayer habit; that will cleanse the mind of
all impurities, and make God shine in His full splendour.
Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 7, Chapter
47 'Spontaneous Service'
Let the
girls also know something of the joy that service to those in
distress can give, service without a thought of the benefits that
may follow from the sympathy shown. Let them learn to lay aside
the egoism that poisons the Seva of even veterans in the field,
who go about extolling themselves as founders and promoters, for
the service of the poor and the maimed, of this institution and
that. The joy of the seva is the act itself. The fruit of the seva
is the removal of egoism, not its multiplication.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 1, Chapter 16 'Shikshana'
Women and Sai Organization
For much
that has been achieved by the Sai organisations, the credit goes
to the women workers. They have done good service. There should be
all the three wings in the women's section also - spiritual,
educational and service. I desire that they should engage
themselves in all three activities. In the women's organisations,
instead of competition for office, there should be concentration
on duties. There should be no room for bossism. All are sevaks in
the Sai fold. Why should there be distinction amongst them?
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 20, Chapter 30 'Peace Through Seva'
Respect for Women
Boys when they get married after their
education, receive dowries at the time of marriage. This is very
wrong. It even amounts to a sin. A girl who has been brought up
well is offered to a young man in marriage. That itself is a great
gift. Why should one ask for money along with the bride? The
parents of the girl may give her whatever they choose. But the
bridegroom should not expect or accept anything. This is the
attitude one should have towards gifts from others. It is because
many of these immemorial injunctions have been given the go-by
that today Bhaarath is experiencing various troubles.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 29, Chapter 4 'Spiritual Basis Of Human Values'
Women are
not to be treated lightly. The Geetha says that women are endowed
with seven kinds of powers while men have only three. It is sinful
to look down upon women.
Consider, for instance, this fact. There are any number of women
who have tried to bring back their dead husbands or to venerate
their memory. How many men have done likewise for their wives?
Many hasten to acquire a second wife. In this respect, Bhaarath
has been an example to the world. Wherever women are honoured,
there is prosperity and happiness. Women should never be slighted
or treated with disrespect. A home in which the housewife sheds
tears will be bereft of all prosperity. This is the ancient
conception of the role of women in the home.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 29, Chapter 50 'The Glory Of Bhaarath's Women'
Desirable Qualities in Women
Modesty is essential for women; it is her
priceless jewel. It is against Dharma for a woman to overstep the
limits of modesty; crossing the limits brings about many
calamities. Why, the very glory of womanhood will be destroyed.
Without modesty, woman is devoid of beauty and culture. Humility,
purity of thought and manners, meekness, surrender to high ideals,
sensitivity, sweetness of temper -the peculiar blend of all these
qualities is modesty. It is the most invaluable of all jewels for
women. The modest woman will ever keep within limits, through her
innate sense of propriety. She becomes automatically aware which
behaviour is proper and which is improper. She will stick only to
virtuous deeds and behaviour. ? Of course, the modest woman will
not crave for honour or praise. Her attention will always be on
the limits which she would not transgress. Honour and praise come
to her unasked and unnoticed. The honey in the flower or lotus
does not crave for bees; they do not plead with the bees to come.
Since they have tasted the sweetness, they themselves search for
the flowers and rush in. They come because of the attachment
between themselves and sweetness. So, too, is the relationship
between the woman who knows the limits and the respect she evokes.
Dharma Vahini,
Chapter IV
I want each
of you to be a Mahaaraani (Queen) of your household. Mahaaraanis
watch the world from the inner apartments of the palace, through
interstices in the wall or enclosures; they can see, but they are
safe from other eyes. That is the highest sthree-dharma (Women's
duty), as laid down in the Shaasthras; you should not be seen or
talked about; you must be away from public gaze; you must be
silent invisible partners, inspirers and teachers. If you desire
that others should honour you, you should honour them too. If
others must serve you, serve them first; love begets love; trust
engenders trust. Self-aggrandizement and selfishness bring
disaster in theirtrain. As a matter of fact, no joy can equal the
joy of serving others. Be like this timepiece; show the correct
time to all who desire to know, irrespective of the person who
comes for the information. It has no likes and dislikes.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 3, Chapter 24 'Be Mahaaraanis!'
As today is
a sacred day dedicated to women, they should change themselves and
help to change the men and the children. They should develop the
qualities of sympathy, compassion; love and sacrifice. Study the
lives of our great women, who were models of patience, fortitude,
compassion and sacrifice. I desire that you should take up the
reins of leadership and bring peace and prosperity to the nation
by leading ideal lives.
Sathya Sai Speaks
Vol 28, Chapter 32 'When Women Are Honoured' Source:
http://www.syan.org/Fall2002/article_quote.htm
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