The Awakening of Universal Motherhood (part 3)

What today's world really needs is co-operation between men and women, based on a firm sense of unity in the family and society. Wars and conflicts, all the suffering and lack of peace in the present-day world, will certainly lessen to a great extent if women and men begin to co-operate and to support each other. Unless harmony is restored between the masculine and the feminine, between men and women, peace will continue to be no more than a distant dream. There is a man in the inner depths of every woman, and a woman in the inner depths of every man. This truth dawned in the meditation of the great saints and seers aeons ago.

This is what the Ardhanariswara (half God and half Goddess) concept in the Hindu faith signifies.
Whether you are a woman or a man, your real humanity will come to light only when the feminine and masculine qualities within you are balanced.

There are two types of language in the world: the language of the intellect and the language of the heart. The language of logic or rational intellect is the language of argument and aggression. It creates distance between human beings. However, the language of love brings hearts together. It is the language of selfless service. Those who speak the language of logic try to use others as instruments to fulfil their selfish motives. But, those who speak the language of love become God's instruments to perform selfless service to others.

The exponents of logic not only argue that they are right, but try to prove that others are wrong; whereas those who advocate the language of love don't claim anything. In love you are not important; with all humility, you give importance to others. In logic, however, importance is given to the ego. Love only wants to serve, help, and uplift everyone. But the attitude of a logical mind is, "I should grow even if others crumble."

Unfortunately, in today's world, it is the language of the intellect that prevails, not the language of the heart. Selfishness and the eyes of lust - not love - dominate the world. Love offers new life to everything; whereas lust turns everything into lifeless objects. Narrow-minded people influence those with weaker minds and use them to fulfil their selfish goals. Such people create their own interpretations of religion and spirituality, and influence others by forcing their ideas upon them. The number of these people is increasing in today's world. This is why the world is filled with conflicts, violence, and war.

Once, when Amma was giving darshan in India, a youth came up to Her. He lived in a part of the country that was ravaged by terrorism. Because of the frequent killings and lootings, the people in that area were suffering a great deal. He told Amma that he was the leader of a group of youngsters who were doing a lot of social work in that area. He prayed to Amma, "Please give those terrorists, who are so full of hatred and violence, the right understanding. And for all those who have faced so many atrocities and have suffered so much, please fill their hearts with the spirit of forgiveness. Otherwise, the situation will only deteriorate, and there will be no end to the violence."

Amma was so glad to hear his prayer for peace and forgiveness. When Amma asked him what made him choose a life of social work, he said, "My mother was the inspiration behind this. My childhood days were dark and terrifying. When I was six years old, I watched with my own eyes as my peace-loving father was brutally murdered by terrorists. My life was shattered. I was filled with hatred, and all I wanted was revenge. But my mother changed my attitude. Whenever I would tell her that I was going to avenge my father's death one day, she would say, 'Son, look at the painful state of our family. Look how difficult it is to make both ends meet without your father. Have I not been working in other houses day in, day out to bring you up? And just look at yourself, how sad you are, not knowing the love of a father as you are growing up. When you see other fathers taking their children to school, don't you feel sad, wishing you had a father? Look at the face of your grandma. Has there been any time when she wasn't crying, thinking of your father? By taking revenge on those who killed your father, what else will you accomplish but create more suffering and sorrow? Should there be any more sorrowful faces in society? What we should really strive for is to develop love and kinship. That is the only way to gain peace both for us and for others. Therefore, my son, discriminate and act as you feel is most appropriate.'

"When I grew up, people tried to get me to join different terrorist outfits to avenge my father's death. But the seeds of forgiveness sown by my mother had borne fruit, and I refused. I gave some of the youngsters the same advice that my mother had given me. This changed the hearts of many people who have since joined me in serving others."

The love and compassion, rather than hatred, that this boy chose to pour into the world, stemmed from the wellspring of love in his mother.

The mother understands the heart of her child; she pours her love into the child, teaches him or her the positive lessons of life, and corrects the child's mistakes. If you walk through a field of soft, green grass a few times, you will easily make a path. The good thoughts and positive values we cultivate in our children will stay with them forever. It is easy to mould a child's character when he or she is very young, and much more difficult to do so when the child grows up. And so it is that the one who rocks the cradle of the babe is the one who holds up the lamp, shedding light upon the world. It is thus the love that flows through breast milk that determines the future of the world.

A woman who has awakened her innate motherhood brings heaven to earth wherever she is. Only woman can create a peaceful, happy world. She is the first Guru, the first guide and mentor of humanity.

There is much truth in the saying that there is a strong woman behind every successful man. Wherever you see happy, peaceful individuals; wherever you see children endowed with noble qualities and good dispositions; wherever you see men who have immense strength when faced with failure and adverse situations; wherever you see people who possess a great measure of understanding, sympathy, love, and compassion towards the suffering, and who give of themselves to others - you will usually find a great mother who has inspired them to become what they are.

Rather than becoming rusty, living out their lives inside the four walls of the kitchen, women should come out and share with others what they have to give, and fulfil their goals in life.

Men should never hinder a woman's progress towards her rightful position in society. They should understand that the full contribution of women to the world is vitally important. Men should move out of her path; nay, they should prepare her path, to make her forward movement smoother.

A woman, for her part, should think of what she can give to society, rather than what she can take. This attitude will certainly help her to progress. It should be underscored that a woman doesn't need to receive or to take anything from anyone. She simply needs to awaken. Then she will be able to contribute whatever she wishes to give to society, and she will gain everything she needs.

Today, when competition and anger are the norm everywhere, it is feminine qualities - the patience and tolerance of women - that create whatever harmony there is in the world. Just as a complete electrical circuit depends on the presence of both positive and negative poles, life flowing in all its fullness depends on the presence and contribution of women as well as of men. Only when women and men complement and support each other will their inner blossoming take place.

Even after treading 10,000 years of human history, women's status in society is still second to men. Born into the shackles of social restrictions and the narrow customs and habits created by religions, the budding talents of women wither away, imprisoned inside the fence of restrictions shaped by men. If women in our society become weak, that weakness will affect their children as well. The coming generations will lose their strength and vitality. Only if the respect and honour of women are assured can we give rise to a world of wakefulness and light.

In general, today's women are living in a world fashioned by and for men. Women have no need of that world; they should establish their own identities, and thus recreate society. But they should remember the real meaning of freedom. It is not a licence to live and behave any way one likes, regardless of the consequences for others; it doesn't mean that wives and mothers should run away from their family responsibilities. A woman's freedom and rising has to begin within herself. Also, for shakti, or pure power, to awaken and arise in a woman, she first has to become aware of her weaknesses. She can then overcome those weaknesses through her willpower, selfless service, and spiritual practice.

In the process of striving to regain their rightful position in society, women should never lose their essential nature. This tendency can be seen in many countries, and will never help women to achieve true freedom. It is impossible to attain real freedom by imitating men. If women themselves turn their backs on the feminine principle, this will culminate in the utter failure of women and society. Then the problems of the world will not be resolved, but only aggravated. If women reject their feminine qualities and try to become like men, cultivating only masculine qualities, the imbalance in the world will only become greater. This is not the need of the age. The real need is for women to contribute all they can to society by developing universal motherhood, rather than only their masculine qualities.

Woman has a dharma (duty) towards the world and to herself. Along with men, she should shoulder equal responsibility in the growth and development of society. As long as women do not make the effort to awaken, they are, in a way, themselves responsible for creating their own narrow world.

Many commendable individuals and organisations, like the UN, are supporting the progress of women. This conference is an opportunity for us to build on that foundation. Amma would like to share a few suggestions.

1. Religious leaders should make every effort to guide their followers back to the true essence of spirituality, and in the light of this, condemn all types of oppression and violence against women.

2. The UN should go in and provide safe havens for women and children in war zones and areas of communal strife where they are particularly targeted.

3. All religions and nations should condemn such shameful practices as female feticide and infanticide, and female genital mutilation.

4. Child labour should be stopped.

5. The dowry system should be abolished.

6. The UN and leaders of every nation should intensify their efforts to stop child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of young girls. The legal consequences of such behaviour should be effective deterrents.

7. The number of rapes taking place all over the world is astounding. And the fact that in some countries it is the victims of rape who are punished is incomprehensible. Can we merely stand by and watch this? There should be a concerted, international effort to educate young men, with the aim of putting an end to rape and other forms of violence against women.

8. The dignity of women is assailed by advertisements that treat them as sex objects. We should not tolerate this exploitation.

9. Religious leaders should encourage their followers to make selfless service an integral part of their lives.

10. A lack of education and poverty are major reasons for the setbacks that many women face today. The UN and leaders of every nation should initiate special projects for the education of women and the eradication of poverty among women.

The essence of motherhood is not restricted to women who have given birth; it is a principle inherent in both women and men. It is an attitude of the mind. It is love - and that love is the very breath of life. No one would say, "I will breathe only when I am with my family and friends; I won't breathe in front of my enemies." Similarly, for those in whom motherhood has awakened, love and compassion for everyone are as much part of their being as breathing.

Amma feels that the forthcoming age should be dedicated to re-awakening the healing power of motherhood. This is the only way to realize our dream of peace and harmony for all. And it can be done! It is entirely up to us. Let us remember this and move forward.

Amma wants to express her heartfelt appreciation to the organisers of this summit. Amma very much honours your efforts for unity and world peace. Together may we implement the decisions that we make in this conference and in the discussions that follow. May the seeds of peace we are planting here today bear fruit for all

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