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| This mama can multitask! |
I've been immersed, recently, in the planning of a meditation retreat for women that I am running in just a couple weeks. The necessary but not always that much fun logistical planning and organizing has occupied my day time (well, at least Little One's naptimes!), and study and research of material for discussion has kept me up late at night. As I've mentioned before I teach a technique of meditation that is derived from the Veda- texts of wisdom, philosophy, and science from ancient India. As one of only a few western female teachers of this practice, I've long wondered how women have fit into the tradition historically. It is easy to find stories of and works by male sages, but what of their wives, mothers, daughters- women who surely must have had wisdom and knowledge of their own to pass on?
They are there I've found, not always the loudest voices, but strong and smart examples of enlightened women from an ancient civilization- and an inspiring precedent for mindful women of the present. There is Gargi, a philosopher and writer whose fierce intellect and rigorous curiosity confounded one of the most renowned male sages of her era.; Maitreyi, who renounced material wealth in favor of spiritual enlightenment; and Mandalasa, the queen who sang to her son to teach him the eternal nature of the soul and consciousness. There are many others as well, but perhaps most inspiring to me (and a bit daunting to consider) is this verse from the epic Mahabharata:
The teacher who teaches true knowledge is more important than ten instructors. The father is more important than ten such teachers of true knowledge and the mother is more important than ten such fathers. There is no greater guru than mother. (Mahabharata, Shantiparva, Chapter 30, sloka 9)
Lovely Angie - I wish there was a "like" button to click under each of these entries. I'd of course, click them all. I wonder if the mother being the ultimate guru comes from the idea of being motivated by selfless love.
ReplyDeleteThe women prophets in the old testament are almost like teachers as well but for some reason that tradition has become lost.
Thank you Jessica. I've been thinking about your comment for the last 24 hours considering your thoughts on mother-gurus and I think you're right. I also think there is something to be said for all women and our power to conceive and carry a new life- there is something about this intrinsic connection to the source, to all-potential and all-possibilities that exists within us. I suppose it does for men as well but there seems to be a level of remove where women have a kind of direct access to the Absolute..
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the women of the old testament- Miriam, Rachel, Deborah-- are fascinating examples of teachers (and prophetesses and warriors etc) in a tradition that seems largely to have forgotten them.
When I was in India I was told by a guide that India now gives full scholarships to female students and also starts a bank account trust that acts as an incentive for them to graduate high school (they receive the money only after graduating). The reason is because they believe that when you teach a boy, you educate a man. When you teach a girl, you educate the entire family because she shares her knowledge.
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