Este post e alguns próximos foram retirados do blog de Satya Devi Dasi (http://satyadevidasi.blogspot.com/2007/08/female-ascetics-look-through-puranic.html). Ela é membro da ISKCON e fala um pouco sobre sua experiência na busca do caminho da vida espiritual enquanto uma pessoa que vive em um corpo feminino. Ela fala um pouco sobre sua própria história e então dá exemplos da história de outras mulheres. Como é um pouco longo, colocarei primeiro apenas uma parte.
Mulheres ascetas--Um olhar sob a ótica dos Puranas
Eu escrevi isso há muitos anos atrás, mas ainda parece atual. Minha frase preferida continua a ser: "Nunca despreze uma mulher, mesmo que ela seja desprezível. " --Satya
Como devotos, nós sabemos porque este mundo em que vivemos foi criado. Estamos certos do que precisamos fazer enquanto estamos aqui. Sabemos o que precisamos fazer para voltar para casa, para voltar ao Supremo. Mas, de algum modo, quando começamos a falar sobre o que precisamos fazer enquanto homens ou mulheres, estas coisas parecem se confundir.
Como mulheres, temos o dever de cuidar das crianças e marido, além de cuidarmos de nós mesmas. Nós os apoiamos fisicamente, emocionalmente e espiritualmente. Ouvimos várias vezes que uma mulher sempre deve ser protegida por um homem durante sua vida: por seu pai durante a infância, por seu marido enquanto esposa e por seu filho na idade avançada.
Temos exemplos e histórias maravilhosas na nossa sampradaya de mulheres em todos estes estágios da vida. Sobre garotas jovens, temos as histórias de Srimati Radharani e as Gopis. Sobre mulheres casadas e mães, temos Srimati Rukmini, Satyabhama, Mãe Yasoda, Draupadi, Kunti devi, Gandhari e várias outras. Como viúvas, temos as histórias das esposas de Krsna após Ele deixar o planeta, os exemplos das esposas dos guerreiros derrotados após a batalha de Kurukshetra, ou o de Vishnupriya com suas severas austeridades. Estas mulheres são corajosas, fiéis, austeras e têm Krsna firme em seus corações e mentes. Os exemplos destas mulheres nos nutrem e preenchem com um tipo similar de coragem e fé e nos ajudam a manter Krsna em nossos corações e mentes.
O exemplo é algo muito importante em nossas vidas. Precisamos das formas, das histórias, para preencher uma vida que, de outro modo, seria árida. Estas histórias permeiam nossas vidas e honram uma série de valores que são centrais na saga espiritual das mulheres. Elas afirmam nosso ser enquanto mulheres, enquanto devotas. Esta imagem tem o poder de liberar e despertar partes do nosso eu.
O tópico deste escrito é as mulheres ascetas. As mulheres fazem austeridades durante todos os estágios da vida. Como Vaisnavas, nós (homens e mulheres) observamos jejum no ekadasi e em certos dias santos, cantamos voltas em nossas contas de japa e seguimos princípios regulativos. Nos comportamos de modo compassivo para com todas as entidades vivas. Somos renunciantes.
Na Índia, austeridades extras são muito comuns na vida das mulheres. Votos são feitos por meninas para ter um bom marido, por mulheres casadas (como pativrata) para o bem e proteção de seus maridos e família e por viúvas para a contínua proteção de suas famílias e maridos que se foram. Saubhagya (boa fortuna ou felicidade conjugal), uma qualidade móvel, é conquistada e mantida através destes votos pelas mulheres para o contínuo sustento de suas famílias.
Srila Prabhupada queria que nos tornássemos conscientes de Krsna — que fôssemos conscientes de Krsna em todos os momentos do dia e da noite, que servíssemos Krsna, que amássemos Krsna e oferecêssemos tudo a Ele. Através de nossas atividades diárias, como suas discípulas, estamos tentando fazer isto.
Com todos estes tópicos em mente, gostaria de levá-los em uma pequena jornada. É parte da minha jornada pessoal, mas bem poderia ser a jornada de outra mulher aqui ou em qualquer outra parte do mundo. Este modelo de ser protegida em todos os estágios da vida por um homem não é um modelo que cabe muito bem para mim. Meu pai deixou nossa família quando eu tinha três anos; agora sou divorciada após ter sido casada por treze anos e tenho uma filha já crescida. Não há pai, marido ou filho para me proteger. Minhas tentativas de seguir este modelo em minha vida apenas me deixararam frustrada. Outras tentativas de criar alternativas também foram frustrantes. Eu imagino o que as mulheres em nossa tradição fizeram. Havia histórias de mulheres que escolheram não se casar, de mulheres que viveram sozinhas ou que, de algum modo, estavam fora deste padrão? Eu decidi dar uma olhada nos Puranas, Mahabharata e Ramayana para ver se podia achar exemplos e histórias de outras mulheres que pudessem servir de apoio, que pudessem ser encorajadoras ou que dessem ânimo.
Com um pouco de procura, encontrei algumas histórias que me inspiraram. Eu organizei as histórias dessas sete mulheres em dois grupos — donzelas ascetas, ou jovens ascetas que não eram casadas, e as mulheres ascetas mais velhas. Nestas histórias, há exemplos de mulheres que rejeitaram o papel de esposa e aceitaram a vida de renúncia pessoal. Algumas eram protegidas por sábios e gurus nas premissas dos ashramas e algumas viviam ou andavam por aí sozinhas. Com algumas das mulheres, vemos mais a história de suas vidas mas, com algumas, vemos apenas uns breves incidentes. Eu gostaria de compartilhá-las com vocês sem muita análise.
No Mahabharata, à Madhavi, a filha do Rei Yayati, foi dada uma bênção que, após dar à luz uma criança, ela se tornaria virgem novamente. Galava, um discípulo de Vishvamitra, se aproximou do Rei Yayati procurando por ajuda para obter cavalos especiais para seu guru. O Rei Yayati, que fora abastado anteriormente, não foi capaz de ajudar, mas ofereceu sua filha donzela, Madhavi, no lugar. Galava levou Madhavi a três reis diferentes com a oferta de que Madhavi lhes "daria" filhos em troca dos cavalos pretendidos. Após Galava obter os cavalos que precisava, levou então Madhavi de volta para seu pai. O Rei Yayati organizou um svayamvara para ela em um eremitério perto da confluência do Ganges com o Jamuna.
Lá houve um encontro de serpentes, Yakshas, homens, pássaros e veados e dos habitantes das montanhas, árvores e bosques. A floresta ficou cheia de príncipes de diversos povos e países, e estava por toda a parte cheia de pessoas videntes como Brahma. Mas quando todos os pretendentes foram anunciados, a jovem mulher branca passou por todos eles e escolheu a floresta como seu noivo. Madhavi desceu da carruagem, reverenciou seus familiares e foi então para a floresta sagrada e praticou auseridades. (van Buitenen, v.3, p. 410 411)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Female Ascetics by Satya dd
This post and the next few posts are taken from a blog of Satya Devi Dasi (http://satyadevidasi.blogspot.com/2007/08/female-ascetics-look-through-puranic.html). She's an ISKCON member and talks a little about her experience in pursuing the path of spiritual life while living in a female body. She talks a little about her own story and then give exemples of other women's stories. As it is a little long writing, I'll put just part of it first.
Female Ascetics--A Look Through Puranic Glasses
I wrote this many years ago, but it still seems current. My favorite line continues to be: "Never despise a woman even if she is despicable. " --Satya
As devotees, we are aware of why this world that we live in was created. We are clear about what we need to do while we are here. We know what we need to do to go back home, back to Godhead. But somehow, when we start to talk about what we need to do as men or women, these things seem to get mixed up.
As women, we have the duty of taking care of children and husbands, in addition to ourselves. We support them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We have heard many times that a woman should always be protected by a man throughout her life: by her father in childhood, by her husband as a wife, and by her son in old age.
We have wonderful images and stories in our sampradaya of women in all these stages of life. Of young girls, we have the stories of Srimati Radharani and the Gopis. As married women and mothers, we have Srimati Rukmini, Satyabhama, Mother Yasoda, Draupadi, Kunti devi, Gandhari, and many others. As widows, we have the stories of Krsna's wives after He left the planet, the images of the wives of fallen warriors after the battle of Kurukshetra, or of Vishnupriya with her severe austerities. These women were courageous, faithful, austere, and had Krsna firmly in their hearts and minds. The images of these women nourish us and fill us with a similar kind of courage and faith, and help us to keep Krsna in our hearts and minds.
Imagery is very important in our lives. We need the forms, the stories, to fill an otherwise arid life. These stories permeate our lives and honor a range of values that are central to a woman's spiritual quest. They affirm our being as females, as devotees. This imagery has the power to liberate and reawaken parts of ourselves.
The topic of this paper is female ascetics. Women practice austerities through all stages of their lives. As Vaisnavas, we (men and women) observe fasting on ekadasi and certain holy days, we chant rounds on our japa beads, and we follow regulative principles. We behave in a caring way to all living entities. We are renunciates.
In India, additional austerities are very familiar in the lives of women. Vows are taken by very young girls for a good husband, by married women (as a pativrata) for the welfare and protection of their husband and families, and by widowed women for the continued protection of their families and departed husband. Saubhagya (good fortune or marital happiness), a transferable quality, is engendered and maintained through these vows by women for the continued sustenance of their families.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to become Krsna conscious—to be conscious of Krsna at all times of the day and night, to serve Krsna, to love Krsna, and offer everything to Him. Through our daily activities, as his female disciples, we are trying to do that.
With all these topics in mind, I'd like to take you on a short journey. It’s part of my personal journey, but it could very well be the journey of other women in this audience or within other parts of the world. This model of being protected at all stages of life by a man has not been one that has fit me very well. My father left our family when I was three years old, I'm divorced now after being married for thirteen years, and have a grown daughter. No father, husband, or son is there to protect me. My attempts to fulfill this model in my life have only left me frustrated. Other attempts to create alternatives were also frustrating. I wondered what other women in our tradition had done. Were there stories of women who had chosen not to be married, of women who lived alone, or who were somehow outside of this model? I decided to look to the Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana to see if I could find images and stories of other women that might be supportive, encouraging, or enlivening.
With a little digging, I found some stories that have been inspirational to me. I‘ve arranged the stories of these seven women into two groups—ascetic maidens or young ascetics who were unmarried, and then older female ascetics. In these stories, there are examples of women who rejected the role of wife and accepted the life of personal renunciation. Some were protected by sages and gurus in ashrama settings, and some lived or wandered about on their own. With some of the ladies, we see more of their life stories, but with some, we only have brief vignettes. I'd like to share them with you now without too much analysis.
In the Mahabharata, Madhavi, the daughter of King Yayati, was given a boon that after giving birth to a child she would become a virgin again. Galava, a disciple of Vishvamitra, approached her father King Yayati for his help in obtaining special horses for his guru. King Yayati, who was once wealthy, was not able to help, but offered his maiden daughter, Madhavi, instead. Galava took Madhavi to three different kings with the offer that Madhavi would "provide" sons for them in exchange for the needed horses. After Galava had obtained the horses he needed, he then took Madhavi back to her father. King Yayati organized a svayamvara for her at a hermitage near the confluence of the Ganges and Jamuna.
There was a gathering there of Snakes, Yakshas, men, birds, and deer, and the denizens of the mountains, trees, and woods. The forest teemed with the princes of diverse peoples and countries, and it was filled everywhere with Brahma-like seers. But when all the suitors were announced, the fair-complexioned woman passed by all of them and chose the forest as her bridegroom. Madhavi descended from the chariot, bowed to her relatives, then went to the holy forest and practiced austerities. (van Buitenen, v.3, p. 410 411)
Female Ascetics--A Look Through Puranic Glasses
I wrote this many years ago, but it still seems current. My favorite line continues to be: "Never despise a woman even if she is despicable. " --Satya
As devotees, we are aware of why this world that we live in was created. We are clear about what we need to do while we are here. We know what we need to do to go back home, back to Godhead. But somehow, when we start to talk about what we need to do as men or women, these things seem to get mixed up.
As women, we have the duty of taking care of children and husbands, in addition to ourselves. We support them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We have heard many times that a woman should always be protected by a man throughout her life: by her father in childhood, by her husband as a wife, and by her son in old age.
We have wonderful images and stories in our sampradaya of women in all these stages of life. Of young girls, we have the stories of Srimati Radharani and the Gopis. As married women and mothers, we have Srimati Rukmini, Satyabhama, Mother Yasoda, Draupadi, Kunti devi, Gandhari, and many others. As widows, we have the stories of Krsna's wives after He left the planet, the images of the wives of fallen warriors after the battle of Kurukshetra, or of Vishnupriya with her severe austerities. These women were courageous, faithful, austere, and had Krsna firmly in their hearts and minds. The images of these women nourish us and fill us with a similar kind of courage and faith, and help us to keep Krsna in our hearts and minds.
Imagery is very important in our lives. We need the forms, the stories, to fill an otherwise arid life. These stories permeate our lives and honor a range of values that are central to a woman's spiritual quest. They affirm our being as females, as devotees. This imagery has the power to liberate and reawaken parts of ourselves.
The topic of this paper is female ascetics. Women practice austerities through all stages of their lives. As Vaisnavas, we (men and women) observe fasting on ekadasi and certain holy days, we chant rounds on our japa beads, and we follow regulative principles. We behave in a caring way to all living entities. We are renunciates.
In India, additional austerities are very familiar in the lives of women. Vows are taken by very young girls for a good husband, by married women (as a pativrata) for the welfare and protection of their husband and families, and by widowed women for the continued protection of their families and departed husband. Saubhagya (good fortune or marital happiness), a transferable quality, is engendered and maintained through these vows by women for the continued sustenance of their families.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to become Krsna conscious—to be conscious of Krsna at all times of the day and night, to serve Krsna, to love Krsna, and offer everything to Him. Through our daily activities, as his female disciples, we are trying to do that.
With all these topics in mind, I'd like to take you on a short journey. It’s part of my personal journey, but it could very well be the journey of other women in this audience or within other parts of the world. This model of being protected at all stages of life by a man has not been one that has fit me very well. My father left our family when I was three years old, I'm divorced now after being married for thirteen years, and have a grown daughter. No father, husband, or son is there to protect me. My attempts to fulfill this model in my life have only left me frustrated. Other attempts to create alternatives were also frustrating. I wondered what other women in our tradition had done. Were there stories of women who had chosen not to be married, of women who lived alone, or who were somehow outside of this model? I decided to look to the Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana to see if I could find images and stories of other women that might be supportive, encouraging, or enlivening.
With a little digging, I found some stories that have been inspirational to me. I‘ve arranged the stories of these seven women into two groups—ascetic maidens or young ascetics who were unmarried, and then older female ascetics. In these stories, there are examples of women who rejected the role of wife and accepted the life of personal renunciation. Some were protected by sages and gurus in ashrama settings, and some lived or wandered about on their own. With some of the ladies, we see more of their life stories, but with some, we only have brief vignettes. I'd like to share them with you now without too much analysis.
In the Mahabharata, Madhavi, the daughter of King Yayati, was given a boon that after giving birth to a child she would become a virgin again. Galava, a disciple of Vishvamitra, approached her father King Yayati for his help in obtaining special horses for his guru. King Yayati, who was once wealthy, was not able to help, but offered his maiden daughter, Madhavi, instead. Galava took Madhavi to three different kings with the offer that Madhavi would "provide" sons for them in exchange for the needed horses. After Galava had obtained the horses he needed, he then took Madhavi back to her father. King Yayati organized a svayamvara for her at a hermitage near the confluence of the Ganges and Jamuna.
There was a gathering there of Snakes, Yakshas, men, birds, and deer, and the denizens of the mountains, trees, and woods. The forest teemed with the princes of diverse peoples and countries, and it was filled everywhere with Brahma-like seers. But when all the suitors were announced, the fair-complexioned woman passed by all of them and chose the forest as her bridegroom. Madhavi descended from the chariot, bowed to her relatives, then went to the holy forest and practiced austerities. (van Buitenen, v.3, p. 410 411)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)