ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN

All women are parts of the Divine Mother, and therefore they should be looked upon as mothers by all.

Women, whether naturally good or not, whether chaste or unchaste, should always be looked upon as images of the blissful Divine Mother.

Q. How should we look upon the fair sex ?

A. He who has known the Real, who is blessed with the vision of God, does not regard them with any fear. He sees them as they really are—parts of the Divine Mother of the universe. So he not' only pays all honour and respect to women, but actually worships them as a son does his mother.

Q. How can we conquer lust ?

A. Look upon all women as your own mother. Never look a woman in the face, but always look at her feet. AH evil thoughts will then fly away.

The woman who observes continence even while living with her husband, is veritably the Divine Mother Herself.

Q. Sir, what do you think of the mode of devotional practices in the company of women, as enjoined by the Tantras ?

A. Thouse are not safe paths ; they are very difficult, and are often attended with slips. There are three ways of practising devotion (according to the Tantras) —one may cultivate the attitude of the hero', or the 'hand-maid', or the 'son' towards the Divine Mother. Mine is the attitude of the ' son . To think of oneself as the handmaid of the Divine Mother is also good. But the path of the 'hero'¹ is frought with danger. Very pure is the path of ' sonship (i.e. thinking of oneself as the son of the Divine Mother). 1 It is called Virachara in the Tantras. In this path the devotee has to worship the Goddess as his Divine Consort, taking a woman as the vice deus.

Do you aspire after Divine grace? Then propitiate the Mother, the Primal Divine Energy (Sakti). Yes, She is Mahamaya Herself. She it is Who has deluded the whole world, and is conjuring up the triple device of creation, maintenance and dissolution. She has spread a veil of ignorance over all, and unless She unbars the gate, none can enter the Inner Court . Left outside, we see only the external things, but the Eternal One, Sachchidananda, remains ever beyond our ken.

The Divine Sakti has two aspects—Vidya and Avidya. A vidya deludes and is the mother of Kamini-Kanchana, woman and gold ; and it binds. But Vidya is the source of devotion, kindness, knowledge and love, and it takes us towards God.

This Avidya has to be propitiated, and hence the institution of Sakti worship. Various are the ways of worship for gratifying Her—as Her 'handmaid , or 'hero , or child . Sakti-sadhana is no joke. There are very strenuous and dangerous practices in it. I passed two years as Mothers 'hand-maid and 'friend . Mine, however, is the mood of the child , and to me the breasts of any women are like unto my mother's.

Women are so many images of Sakti. Ii) the western parts of this country the bridegroom holds a knife in his hand during marriage, and in Bengal, a nut-cracker. The idea is that he will cut the bonds of Maya with the help of the bride who is Sakti Herself. This is Virabhava, the way of the hero . But I never practised it. Mine is the attitude of the ' child .