Sai Baba and Ladies, A Web Survey
Prasnottara Vahini
Chapter 10,
Brahmavidya and Women
Prasna means 'question'. Uttara means 'answer', and Vahini indicates 'a stream'. Prasnottara Vahini is the stream of the questions that have evoked answers from Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Among the tasks that Sathya Sai Baba has assumed during His time in a body, He has declared as basic, the one which He calls, "the clarification and purification of the religious scriptures of mankind". Every Vahini has been written by him for the clarification of doubts, of the religious scriptures, and the upliftment of all humanity.
Chapter 10 of Prasnottara Vahini is question and answer on Women winning the knowledge of that which, when known, all else is known. There is no need to know anything else. Women may earn this knowledge in their role, task, function, even within their own being. Knowledge of Brahmam, in Sanskrit, is brahmavidya. Vidya is comprised of two syllables, vid, and artha, meaning, the wealth of wisdom.
Sathya Sai Baba makes no distinction between men and women on one level, that is, all are embodiments of the atma; the same atma is the inherent divinity within all. Differences are maya, illusion. Differences are outer, external. Differences are based on mind. What is needed is discrimination, to seek the essential nature and reality of all that is.
All are afflicted with flesh and blood, bone and marrow, as Sathya Sai Baba writes. Birth is the cause of death. The goal of life is not to be born again, and the way to "not to be born again" is "I am I", that is, realisation of the Self, the atma, the inherent divinity within. This takes effort, discipline, self-control, even single-pointedness. The path is the same for men and women, irrespective of gender-roles, duty, caste, stage-in-life-dharma, whatever.
So also, in any role, in any task, in any effort, in any spiritual discipline, women may win vision of the atma, knowledge of the Divine itself, that which is within and without.Read Sathya Sai Baba writing on the Brahmavidya and Women.
What's out there?
The remaining contents of this page considers websites dedicated to the Ladies Wing (or Women's Wing)(Mahila Vibhag) of the Sathya Sai Organisation, and any other relevant pages which address the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba and the role of ladies, women, mothers, motherhood, womanhood.
Ladies Wing, Sai Australia Website
This is part of the Sai Australia website. The main page introduces the Ladies Wing: The Ladies Wing plays an active and integral part within the Sathya Sai Organisation, fostering the true magnificence of womanhood through its many programmes for women, service activities and living of Swami's teachings.
"Truth, sacrifice and peace are predominant qualities in Sai women. They are concerned about the purity and welfare of the community."
Ladies Wing participants are Action Women; they are an inspirational group of ladies representing all races creeds and religions. They volunteer their time, energy and generosity across a wide section of Society, in a diversity of projects. The skills and experience of our Ladies Wing participants, improves the lives of many individuals and through their dedication and unconditional Love, communities are touched with Sai Love, as they quietly go about their work.
This site has letters from the Ladies Wing Co-ordinators, Sai Ladies in Service, Sai Ladies Retreat, and an inspirational page on Easwaramma, the example of Motherhood. There is a spiritual upliftment plan for Ladies to follow, (you can download the plan) along with a Self-Audit sheet. A lot of thought and reflection has gone into this and if anyone has read Sri Indulal Shah's book, I, We, He, then you will know that self-audit is the necessary starting place. Swami says, na sreya niyamam vina, there is no progress without discipline. So both these documents are conducive to spiritual progress, and useful. On this site, you will also see a project for a Sathwic Food Recipe Book, and spiritual guidance for Ladies generally. A good site.
You may read the Sai Australia Ladies web pages: http://www.saiaustralia.org.au/ladies/index.html
Hilda Charlton, First Western Devotee
Hilda Charlton, a yoga teacher from New York, is generally cited as the
FIRST western devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
http://www.hildacharlton.com/sathya_sai__baba.htm
The following is taken from a talk Hilda Charlton gave in 1982,
and is both an introduction to Sai Baba and a telling of her personal
relationship with Swami. A bright, cheerful page full of laughter.
Consider:
I'm telling you about my relationship to him. It would not be your relationship. Your relationship might be much better. I'm sure he wouldn't laugh at you. He just had a good time with me.
I have things here for you to see that Baba gave me. He was always calling me in and giving me wonderful things. One day he said he was going to give me a picture. So every time I'd go in for an interview, just for fun I'd say, "Where is my picture?" and he'd say, "I will give you a picture." And the next time I'd say, "Where is my picture?" and he'd say, "I will give you one hundred pictures." The next time I went in, he waved his hand - and there were the hundred pictures. I still have them. I haven't given them away, so don't you think you're going to get any!
Sai Baba talks to Russian Ladies
Another interesting search result was discovered - Sai Baba talks to Russian
Ladies:
http://www.saibaba.ws/articles1/russianladies.htm
A page of very direct advice to ladies. Lots of advise about
food, cooking, health.
Sathya Sai Organisation of Japan
The Sathya Sai Organisation of Japan has English websites. One of those
websites has a page explaining the activities of their Ladies Group:
http://www.sathyasai.or.jp/english/ladies.html
"The Ladies group of Japan holds special Bhajan sessions for women only, and has undertaken the study of the lives of the world's exemplary women to learn and implement dharmic principles of women in daily life. The group has also prepared a special tape for light meditation used in Ladies Groups. The Ladies Group also participates in various service activities, including cooking and serving meals to homeless people, visiting orphanages, handicap and old people's homes, and hospitals. Periodic seminars and lectures by qualified specialists are held."
Articles by Rita Bruce
Mrs. Rita Bruce, author of four fast selling books on Bhagawan Baba including the popular Sathya Sai Parenting, has been a devotee for 30 years now. She has traveled to 23 countries overseas as a guest speaker at public meetings, conferences and seminars on the Philosophy and Teachings of Baba, besides being a facilitator for the material contained in her writings, especially Sathya Sai Parenting and Love of Conscience.
Here, we cite the introduction for two articles on Rita Bruce's Website:
BIRTHS ARE MANY; MOTHERS FEW
To be or not to be a mother is the perplexing question that resounds and reverberates in the minds of women around the world today. The consciousness is the same in all countries.
Upon the altar of material gain Motherhood has become the sacrificial lamb.
When I travel around this world working with the Sai Family, I ask the mothers, “Why are you working?” The answer remains the same. We need a double income to support our family. But most families have only one child, maybe two. In recent years the number of children in each family has decreased while double income increased.
But what lifestyle is required to raise a child? Is it more important for the child to have a television in his room, cell phones, computer games, play-stations, and name-brand clothing. Or is it possible for us to rethink our family values and place greater emphasis on the mother staying in the home to give the type of love that only a mother can give.
(Download the full article in PDF format)
DHARMA FOR WOMEN
Dharma for women means the transformation of the role of feminine energy on this planet. We need to re-evaluate, re-examine, re-structure, re-store, and resurrect the role of ladies that has sometimes been dishonored to less than human in society.
Women are the highest gift given to mankind because we are the vessel in which God's creation continues. In addition, we have the guardianship of preparing the life of our children by molding their character. There is no higher position given to mankind by God than the honor of being a female, the first teacher, setting the stage of right conduct and love of God that is formulated in the early years of child development.
God cannot teach each child on the planet, unless it is through the feminine energy in the role of motherhood. We are the instruments and what kind of a tune are these instruments playing, a worldly or a spiritual tune.
(Download the full article in PDF format)
Connie Shaw - Women in Sai
Connie Shaw's has authored a reflective article called 'Women in Sai'. This page comprises an article written by Connie Shaw called 'Restoration of Dharma, Sai's Challenge to Women'
"When women are true and brave, kind and compassionate, virtuous and pious, the world can have an era of peace and joy.This is a powerful page, with lots of personal stories from ladies, challenges, dramatisation of the pressures and demands ladies meet and fulfil. Connie Shaw makes a suggestion based on Swami's comment that each month, the 19th is ladies day:
One vital thing that women, in particular, must remember, is that specific regular spiritual renewal is vital if one is to keep a sense of humour and proportion about the Big Picture and about prioritizing life's daily tasks. Baba has announced that the 19th of each month is Ladies' Day. This is a splendid chance for all of us to take the 19th of the month as our own Spiritual Rededication Day.
Read Women in Sai
[Comment: Sathya Sai Baba has since declared the 19th of every month as Stree Dina, Ladies Day]
Ladies in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prashanti Nilayam, awaiting Divine Darshan
Geocities Website with Kodaikanal Discourses
That generous website on Geocities which has the discourses from Kodaikanal in 1996, has a chapter with a discourse given by Swami on the subject of STHREE, Woman.
In this world which is full of karma, to be born as a woman is very fortunate. Ignorant men think that they are superior to women. Ladies have pride (self-respect), wealth (noble and virtuous qualities), sweet talk, education, intelligence, strength (fortitude) and patience. Not only in India but in foreign countries, there are men who do not understand this, but think women are weaker and not capable of doing important work. Men think that they are physically strong and only they are capable of important work, due to their ignorance. If the home, community or countries have respect it is due to women. We describe our country as the Motherland; no one calls it the Fatherland. No one asks what is your language? Rather, they ask, what is your mother-tongue? No one asks you what is your father-tongue? (laughter). The communities' reputation depends on the women. Everyone in this world says, "This is my motherland and this is my mother-tongue."
You may read more
here:
http://www.geocities.com/babakodaikanal96/ch14.htm
Ladies Day, 2006
View a photo album of Darshan on Ladies Day, 2006, Prashanti Nilayam
http://www.saibabaofindia.com/ladiesday_2006_photos%20.htm
Sai Young Adult Newsletter
The Sai Young Adult Newsletter dedicated the 2002 Fall issue of their Newsletter to Ladies Day. Articles cover 'Cultivating virtues for Idea Womanhood (experiences from Swami's College for Women), Her Life was a song sung well (the lessons I learned from my wife), Role of Women in Spiritual Upliftment, Memories of a Mother, The Ideal for Women (how to balance head and heart) an a woman's journey to surrender titled "I am Woman". There are many articles in this issue and it may be viewed in Web Page format or downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat Document.
The web format may be viewed here:
http://www.syan.org/Fall2002/home.html
The Adobe Document format may be read here:
http://www.syan.org/Fall2002/Syan%20Fall%202002.pdf
Like the peacock, servant of Murugan, Ladies are ever focussed on the One thing, the Lord Sai, in Sai Kulwant Hall ...
Collection of Womens Day Talks
Sai Darshan, that
website that provided much information, relief and yeoman service in the early
Internet days, has a page with excerpts from all ladies day discourses: There are excerpts from every Ladies Day Discourse with links to the full
discourses below each excerpt.
http://www.saidarshan.org/baba/docs/woman.html
Collection of Quotations by Sathya Sai Baba
On Women, Womenhood
You may read a web page with a collection of quotations by Sathya Sai Baba on Women.
You may read a web page with a collection of quotations by Sathya Sai Baba on Womanhood.
This page will be updated as new material becomes available.
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