Someone suggested that I write something about empowerment for women.
First thing that came into my mind was, why do we condition and limit ourselves as "women" or "men" or any particular gender? Why do we limit ourselves as "women" or "men", and condition ourselves that we should behave, think and express ourselves as "women" or "men", and can only be empowered in certain ways specifically for "women", or just for "men"?
First thing that came into my mind was, why do we condition and limit ourselves as "women" or "men" or any particular gender? Why do we limit ourselves as "women" or "men", and condition ourselves that we should behave, think and express ourselves as "women" or "men", and can only be empowered in certain ways specifically for "women", or just for "men"?
Any types of empowerment don't need to be existing in the first place, not to say, women empowerment, if the minds are free from ignorance and egoism.
If we practice the teachings of Yoga Vedanta about attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, non-dualism, non-separateness, oneness, or "all is one", in our everyday life, there will be no problems or less problems than what we think we have now in the world that derives from the perception of separateness due to ignorant egoistic attachment and unnecessary identification with the qualities of names and forms.
We are what we are, and all minds are existing and functioning under the law of impermanence and selflessness, unconditioned by the different gender and sexual characteristics or physical appearances. The only difference is whether the mind is free or not free from the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities. We can think, or act, or express ourselves freely without conditioning ourselves that we can only think, act, or express ourselves in certain ways restricted by the different gender and sexual characteristics or physical appearances. Although the worldly human affairs are being conditioned by such limited thinking and belief, as well as under the human made law of constitution in different countries, has been creating so much social/cultural/religious/legal discrimination among the different names and forms due to many human beings in the world are not free from ignorance, egoism and impurities.
This is not about denying the gender or sexuality of women or men, or neither women nor men.
We are aware of our physical body having female or male gender and sexual characteristics and it is being conditioned by hormonal distributions and changes to have certain bodily functions according to the respective genital organ that our body has. But, the capability of our mind to think, believe, act or express, can be free without being restricted or conditioned by the different gender or sexual aspects and appearances.
We can also be aware of, and be able to accept the fact that there are certain things that the female or male physical body can and cannot perform. Different genital organs have their own duties to be performed or to be carried out. But, one who knows non-attachment and non-identification towards the body and the mind is not determined by the different duties/functions or dysfunctions of the different genital organs.
Other than these physical restrictions due to having specific genital organ in our physical body influencing the hormonal system as well as our emotions and feelings, we can be free to be "what we are" without being restricted by the specific genital organ and physical appearance that generate the qualities of name and form that categorize us into "women" or "men". Ignorance, egoism, impurities and suffering don't discriminate whether one is a woman or a man, or neither woman nor man.
We acknowledge and respect our body as it is, but we do not identify ourselves with the physical body and conditioning/limiting this life existence as the existence of "women" or "men", as the nature of all beings is without qualities of name and form, attributeless, nameless and formless. We are what we are. The consciousness is neither "women" nor "men". We might recognize or identify ourselves as a specie called "human beings", and even this name and form of "a specie called human beings" is not the truth of who/what we are.
Once the minds are free from being conditioned by the differences of the qualities of name and form, we are who we are or what we are. We are neither "human beings" nor "non-human beings". We are neither "women" nor "men", nor "neither women nor men". The mind perception of a worldly life existence is not determined by all these qualities of name and form. We are not being conditioned by how worldly minds believe that how "human beings" should or shouldn't think and behave, or how "women" or "men" should or shouldn't think and behave in certain way respectively.
Once we let go of the attachment and identification of "I am a woman or a man, and I should think, act or behave like what a woman or a man should think, or act, or behave, then naturally we are just what we are." We are free. We don't need to be empowered to be a woman or man with certain empowered qualities, strength, ability and achievement.
Only when we are totally being free for being "we are what we are" and not being restricted or labelled as "women", or "men", or "human beings", or any other identifications with particular name and form, the sense of separateness disappears. There's no discrimination or separateness between ourselves and what we think or believe that is different from us, that are not being the same specie or having the same quality of name and form like us.
We accept ourselves as we are, without the need of having competition or comparison between "women" and "women", or between "women" and "men".
We accept everyone as they are, not because they are "women" and they behave like "women" or "good women", or they are "men" and they behave like "men" or "good men".
We let go of expectation towards we, or other people, as "women" or "men", should think, act or behave in certain ways according to the particular type of gender or sexual organ and physical appearance that our physical body has.
This allows everyone to be free to be what we are, not because we are "human beings", or "women", or "men", or any other "names and forms".
There is no difference in terms of how to be truly confident or be truly happy in life between "women" and "men", or between all the different qualities of name and form.
If we practice the teachings of Yoga Vedanta about attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, non-dualism, non-separateness, oneness, or "all is one", in our everyday life, there will be no problems or less problems than what we think we have now in the world that derives from the perception of separateness due to ignorant egoistic attachment and unnecessary identification with the qualities of names and forms.
We are what we are, and all minds are existing and functioning under the law of impermanence and selflessness, unconditioned by the different gender and sexual characteristics or physical appearances. The only difference is whether the mind is free or not free from the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities. We can think, or act, or express ourselves freely without conditioning ourselves that we can only think, act, or express ourselves in certain ways restricted by the different gender and sexual characteristics or physical appearances. Although the worldly human affairs are being conditioned by such limited thinking and belief, as well as under the human made law of constitution in different countries, has been creating so much social/cultural/religious/legal discrimination among the different names and forms due to many human beings in the world are not free from ignorance, egoism and impurities.
This is not about denying the gender or sexuality of women or men, or neither women nor men.
We are aware of our physical body having female or male gender and sexual characteristics and it is being conditioned by hormonal distributions and changes to have certain bodily functions according to the respective genital organ that our body has. But, the capability of our mind to think, believe, act or express, can be free without being restricted or conditioned by the different gender or sexual aspects and appearances.
We can also be aware of, and be able to accept the fact that there are certain things that the female or male physical body can and cannot perform. Different genital organs have their own duties to be performed or to be carried out. But, one who knows non-attachment and non-identification towards the body and the mind is not determined by the different duties/functions or dysfunctions of the different genital organs.
Other than these physical restrictions due to having specific genital organ in our physical body influencing the hormonal system as well as our emotions and feelings, we can be free to be "what we are" without being restricted by the specific genital organ and physical appearance that generate the qualities of name and form that categorize us into "women" or "men". Ignorance, egoism, impurities and suffering don't discriminate whether one is a woman or a man, or neither woman nor man.
We acknowledge and respect our body as it is, but we do not identify ourselves with the physical body and conditioning/limiting this life existence as the existence of "women" or "men", as the nature of all beings is without qualities of name and form, attributeless, nameless and formless. We are what we are. The consciousness is neither "women" nor "men". We might recognize or identify ourselves as a specie called "human beings", and even this name and form of "a specie called human beings" is not the truth of who/what we are.
Once the minds are free from being conditioned by the differences of the qualities of name and form, we are who we are or what we are. We are neither "human beings" nor "non-human beings". We are neither "women" nor "men", nor "neither women nor men". The mind perception of a worldly life existence is not determined by all these qualities of name and form. We are not being conditioned by how worldly minds believe that how "human beings" should or shouldn't think and behave, or how "women" or "men" should or shouldn't think and behave in certain way respectively.
Once we let go of the attachment and identification of "I am a woman or a man, and I should think, act or behave like what a woman or a man should think, or act, or behave, then naturally we are just what we are." We are free. We don't need to be empowered to be a woman or man with certain empowered qualities, strength, ability and achievement.
Only when we are totally being free for being "we are what we are" and not being restricted or labelled as "women", or "men", or "human beings", or any other identifications with particular name and form, the sense of separateness disappears. There's no discrimination or separateness between ourselves and what we think or believe that is different from us, that are not being the same specie or having the same quality of name and form like us.
We accept ourselves as we are, without the need of having competition or comparison between "women" and "women", or between "women" and "men".
We accept everyone as they are, not because they are "women" and they behave like "women" or "good women", or they are "men" and they behave like "men" or "good men".
We let go of expectation towards we, or other people, as "women" or "men", should think, act or behave in certain ways according to the particular type of gender or sexual organ and physical appearance that our physical body has.
This allows everyone to be free to be what we are, not because we are "human beings", or "women", or "men", or any other "names and forms".
There is no difference in terms of how to be truly confident or be truly happy in life between "women" and "men", or between all the different qualities of name and form.
When we are ignorant about the truth of who/what we are, and conditioning or limiting ourselves as "this" or "that" of particular names and forms, it indicates that there is no difference between "women" and "men" when the mind is under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities. When we have desires of craving and aversion, we are the same. When we are jealous or angry, we are the same. When we feel hurt and disappointed, we are the same. When we have fear and worry, we are the same.
Under the influence of ignorance and egoism, we will be conditioned by the thinking and belief about we should think, act and express in the way that we think or believe what a "good woman" or a "good man" should think, act and express, or else, we are "bad" or "not good" women or men.
It doesn't matter whether we are human beings or non-human beings, women or men, young or old, healthy or unhealthy, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, having or not having a religion, or having different beliefs and values, or having different cultural backgrounds, or knowing different languages that we can understand and speak, or having different points of view and different ways of doing things, or having different nationalities, skin colours, or body shapes, or sexual appearances/orientations, or having different lifestyles, personalities or characteristics, when we are under the influence of ignorance, we all are the same.
Under the influence of ignorance and egoism, we will be conditioned by the thinking and belief about we should think, act and express in the way that we think or believe what a "good woman" or a "good man" should think, act and express, or else, we are "bad" or "not good" women or men.
It doesn't matter whether we are human beings or non-human beings, women or men, young or old, healthy or unhealthy, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, having or not having a religion, or having different beliefs and values, or having different cultural backgrounds, or knowing different languages that we can understand and speak, or having different points of view and different ways of doing things, or having different nationalities, skin colours, or body shapes, or sexual appearances/orientations, or having different lifestyles, personalities or characteristics, when we are under the influence of ignorance, we all are the same.
When we realize the truth of things and be free from ignorance and egoism, we are the same. When we are in a state of peace and happiness, or in a state of disturbance and painful sorrow, we are the same.
By practicing Yoga Vedanta in life, we let go of what our mind is being educated or informed about what is worldly "success", "happiness", or "meaningful life". We let go of what our mind is being conditioned to believe or think what is "good and bad", "positive and negative", "happiness and suffering", "meaningfulness and meaninglessness", and etc. The truth of things is that everything is just what it is. It is not something "good or bad", "positive or negative", "happiness or suffering", "meaningful or meaningless".
When we realize the truth of things and are able to accept the reality as it is, without judging or categorizing the objects of names and forms as "good or bad", "positive or negative", "happiness or suffering", "meaningful or meaningless", then we will not be affected, or influenced, or determined by the forever changing qualities of name and form that our mind perceives and experiences from moment to moment, through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. We will not generate attachment and identification towards the qualities of name and form. There is no craving or clinging towards what our mind used to believe or perceive as something "good", "positive", "happy", or "meaningful". There is no aversion towards what our mind used to believe or perceive as something "bad", "negative", "suffering", or "meaningless".
This is the state of non-duality, non-separateness, oneness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.
This is because real peace and happiness, or true confidence is unconditional or unlimited. It doesn't come from the qualities of name and form that are subject to selfless impermanent changes. It's not determined by the different appearances or conditions or ability/disability of the physical body, or the objects and experiences that we come in contact with, or the names and forms that our minds perceive through the senses.
Real peace and happiness and confidence is not attained from what we think or believe is "strength", "success", or "achievement".
By practicing Yoga Vedanta in life, we let go of what our mind is being educated or informed about what is worldly "success", "happiness", or "meaningful life". We let go of what our mind is being conditioned to believe or think what is "good and bad", "positive and negative", "happiness and suffering", "meaningfulness and meaninglessness", and etc. The truth of things is that everything is just what it is. It is not something "good or bad", "positive or negative", "happiness or suffering", "meaningful or meaningless".
When we realize the truth of things and are able to accept the reality as it is, without judging or categorizing the objects of names and forms as "good or bad", "positive or negative", "happiness or suffering", "meaningful or meaningless", then we will not be affected, or influenced, or determined by the forever changing qualities of name and form that our mind perceives and experiences from moment to moment, through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. We will not generate attachment and identification towards the qualities of name and form. There is no craving or clinging towards what our mind used to believe or perceive as something "good", "positive", "happy", or "meaningful". There is no aversion towards what our mind used to believe or perceive as something "bad", "negative", "suffering", or "meaningless".
This is the state of non-duality, non-separateness, oneness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.
This is because real peace and happiness, or true confidence is unconditional or unlimited. It doesn't come from the qualities of name and form that are subject to selfless impermanent changes. It's not determined by the different appearances or conditions or ability/disability of the physical body, or the objects and experiences that we come in contact with, or the names and forms that our minds perceive through the senses.
Real peace and happiness and confidence is not attained from what we think or believe is "strength", "success", or "achievement".
Out of ignorance, we think and believe that "strength", "success" or "achievement" is related to peace, happiness and confidence, that if we possess the "strength", "achievement" or "success" that we want, we will be peaceful, happy and confident, and vice versa. We are being conditioned to think and believe that only when we are able to do what we want to do, go where we want to go, be what we want to be, and achieve what we want to achieve, we will be peaceful, happy and confident. Or else, if our wishes and desires are not being gratified, if we don't possess what we like and want, we won't be peaceful, or happy, or confident.
We also have different points of view about what is being categorized as "achievement" and what is not. Some people take being successful in relationships as "achievement" in life. Some take being successful in career as "achievement" in life. Some take doing volunteer works as "achievement" in life. Some take accumulating wealth and power as "achievement" in life. Some take having a happy marriage or happy family as "achievement" in life. Some take having a "beautiful", "healthy", "strong and flexible body" and "super fit body" as "achievement" in life. And so on.
There is nothing wrong with setting all these "objects" or "qualities" as goals that we want to achieve in life. But then we will be conditioned and limited by all these impermanent qualities of name and form to be happy, peaceful and confident, or not.
If we can let go of the conditioned way of thinking and belief about what we think who we are, how we should think and behave, and what we should possess and achieve in life, then the real confidence is there as it is, where the mind is undetermined by any qualities of name and form, about whether we are "women" or "men", whether we are "good" or "not good" according to the standard that we categorize everything into "good" and "not good", whether we are being "successful" in life, or not, or how we look, or what is our worldly self-image, or how many "achievements" we had attained, or how other people think of us and judge us as "this" or "that".
We are limited by what our minds want to believe what things are. If there's identification with the modification of the mind and association with the egoistic likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion, desire and expectation, we (the thinking) will be determined by all these conditions that come from our own mind, to be happy or not, to be confident or not, to feel meaningful or not.
For example, we are being educated, or told, or informed that having fair and smooth skin is "beautiful" in Asia, and if our skin is dark and not smooth, then we think we are not "beautiful". If we attached towards what "beautiful" means in this commercial world of beauty products, naturally we will be conditioned by the term "beautiful", and we want to look and feel "beautiful". We will be determined by our skin colour and texture to define whether we are "beautiful", or not. We will suffer from low self-esteem, dissatisfaction, disappointment and unhappiness about ourselves, if our physical body image and appearance does not comply with the worldly standard or belief about what is "beautiful".
If we are free from this ignorance about what is "beautiful" and free from the desire of looking forward to be "beautiful", whether it is to feel good about ourselves, or to attract other people's liking and attention, or for pleasing other people so that they will accept us and love us, or to get support and acknowledgment from certain people or groups in order to feel confident and meaningful about ourselves and our life existence, then we will be happy and confident as we are, regardless of whether we are "beautiful" as what the worldly standard and belief about what is "beautiful", or not. We accept ourselves as we are, regardless of whether we possess the quality of "beautiful", or not. We don't need to be "beautiful" the way that the world categorized what is "beautiful". We are neither "beautiful" nor "not beautiful". We are what we are, and we accept and love ourselves as we are.
True confidence is unconditional. It's unlimited by the qualities of name and form. When we realize true confidence, we can perform all our duties and responsibilities without fear and worry. We are not determined by "success" or "failure" to be happy, or not. We can do our best in whatever we want to do, but without being affected or determined by the result, or the fruit of our actions. We don't push the body and mind beyond its limitation, and hurt the body and mind in the process of achieving certain qualities of name and form in order to be happy and confident, or to feel meaningful. There's no low confidence or high confidence. There's no low self-esteem or pride and arrogance.
Real peace, happiness and confidence are not determined by whether we are "successful" in life, or not, whether we achieve what we want to achieve, or not, whether we can do what we want to do, or not, whether we get what we like and want, or not, whether we live in "good" conditions, or not, and whether our relationship with somebody is "good", or not.
Real peace, happiness and confidence are unconditional and unlimited. By knowing the truth of things and about ourselves (the thinking), we accept and love ourselves and other people as we are, as they are, without expecting ourselves to be what we want us to be, or expect other people to be what we want them to be.
We also have different points of view about what is being categorized as "achievement" and what is not. Some people take being successful in relationships as "achievement" in life. Some take being successful in career as "achievement" in life. Some take doing volunteer works as "achievement" in life. Some take accumulating wealth and power as "achievement" in life. Some take having a happy marriage or happy family as "achievement" in life. Some take having a "beautiful", "healthy", "strong and flexible body" and "super fit body" as "achievement" in life. And so on.
There is nothing wrong with setting all these "objects" or "qualities" as goals that we want to achieve in life. But then we will be conditioned and limited by all these impermanent qualities of name and form to be happy, peaceful and confident, or not.
If we can let go of the conditioned way of thinking and belief about what we think who we are, how we should think and behave, and what we should possess and achieve in life, then the real confidence is there as it is, where the mind is undetermined by any qualities of name and form, about whether we are "women" or "men", whether we are "good" or "not good" according to the standard that we categorize everything into "good" and "not good", whether we are being "successful" in life, or not, or how we look, or what is our worldly self-image, or how many "achievements" we had attained, or how other people think of us and judge us as "this" or "that".
We are limited by what our minds want to believe what things are. If there's identification with the modification of the mind and association with the egoistic likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion, desire and expectation, we (the thinking) will be determined by all these conditions that come from our own mind, to be happy or not, to be confident or not, to feel meaningful or not.
For example, we are being educated, or told, or informed that having fair and smooth skin is "beautiful" in Asia, and if our skin is dark and not smooth, then we think we are not "beautiful". If we attached towards what "beautiful" means in this commercial world of beauty products, naturally we will be conditioned by the term "beautiful", and we want to look and feel "beautiful". We will be determined by our skin colour and texture to define whether we are "beautiful", or not. We will suffer from low self-esteem, dissatisfaction, disappointment and unhappiness about ourselves, if our physical body image and appearance does not comply with the worldly standard or belief about what is "beautiful".
If we are free from this ignorance about what is "beautiful" and free from the desire of looking forward to be "beautiful", whether it is to feel good about ourselves, or to attract other people's liking and attention, or for pleasing other people so that they will accept us and love us, or to get support and acknowledgment from certain people or groups in order to feel confident and meaningful about ourselves and our life existence, then we will be happy and confident as we are, regardless of whether we are "beautiful" as what the worldly standard and belief about what is "beautiful", or not. We accept ourselves as we are, regardless of whether we possess the quality of "beautiful", or not. We don't need to be "beautiful" the way that the world categorized what is "beautiful". We are neither "beautiful" nor "not beautiful". We are what we are, and we accept and love ourselves as we are.
True confidence is unconditional. It's unlimited by the qualities of name and form. When we realize true confidence, we can perform all our duties and responsibilities without fear and worry. We are not determined by "success" or "failure" to be happy, or not. We can do our best in whatever we want to do, but without being affected or determined by the result, or the fruit of our actions. We don't push the body and mind beyond its limitation, and hurt the body and mind in the process of achieving certain qualities of name and form in order to be happy and confident, or to feel meaningful. There's no low confidence or high confidence. There's no low self-esteem or pride and arrogance.
Real peace, happiness and confidence are not determined by whether we are "successful" in life, or not, whether we achieve what we want to achieve, or not, whether we can do what we want to do, or not, whether we get what we like and want, or not, whether we live in "good" conditions, or not, and whether our relationship with somebody is "good", or not.
Real peace, happiness and confidence are unconditional and unlimited. By knowing the truth of things and about ourselves (the thinking), we accept and love ourselves and other people as we are, as they are, without expecting ourselves to be what we want us to be, or expect other people to be what we want them to be.
Women, don't need to be empowered. Neither does anyone need to be empowered for anything. All just need to be free from ignorance and egoism, realizing selflessness and compassion and unconditional peace.
Be happy.
Be happy.
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