Cradle of Humanity

|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

By simply uttering the phrase “Cradle of Humankind” our thoughts immediately gravitate towards the Sterkfontein Caves situated in the Gauteng province near a town called Krugersdorp, northwest of Johannesburg. This site was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in the year 2000 for its preservation of treasures in the field of paleo-anthropology. If one has the opportunity to visit this world renowned site, one will be deeply impressed at the manner in which it is protected and maintained. Lots of resources are ploughed to ensure that future generations will be able to view the origin of our species.

As a budding spiritual aspirant, I am not convinced that we have come from the ape. Although the behaviour bears similarities, I find no correlation between intrinsic human qualities and those found within the animal kingdom. My personal thoughts definitively start to confluence around the idea that animals are purely instinctively motivated whilst human beings are divinely inspired. However, my thoughts are not marooned on the island of absurdity but are given some buoyancy by our scriptures and the various talks I have attended with Swami Vimokshanandaji. We are amrithsya putra - immortal children of God, explains Swamiji... sporting a smile of Shiva, as He rightfully places our ancestry with God itself.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

In the Rigveda, it is stated that the source of all creation is the golden womb known as hiranya garbha, out of which this entire cosmos expands. In a beautiful hymn known as the Tantroktam Devi Suktam, I am able to perceive this infinite attribute-less energy of Brahman in a very tangible form. It states:

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Vishnu Mayeti Shabdita
Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai Namo Namaha

We bow to the divine Goddess in all existence who is addressed as the perceivable form of the consciousness which pervades all. We bow to Her, we bow to Her, and we continually bow to Her.

From the divine womb of the Mother Universal has sprung forth this creation and by Her Shakti pervades all life and matter. She is the life-sustaining Ganga, nature and the seasons; She is our thoughts, actions and life breath; She is verily the earth, sky and the expanding universe; she is consciousness, intelligence, sleep, hunger, energy, desire, patience, forgiveness, humility, peace, beauty, wealth, compassion and satisfaction.

But of all these forms She has taken, I am eternally grateful to Her for:

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Matr Rupena Samsthita
Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai Namo Namaha

We bow to the divine Goddess in all existence who resides in the form of Mother. We bow to Her, we bow to Her, and we continually bow to Her.

Taking the form of my Mother - nourishing me for 9 months in her womb and giving me the opportunity of this human birth to purify myself and return to my true nature of infinite absolute truth, consciousness and bliss – I am indeed grateful. Having thus put in perspective my true lineage to the Divine, my heart sheds copious amounts of pain at the lack of respect and treatment of Mothers/Women in the world. When so much of effort and resources can dedicated to a historic site that merely preserves remains, why can’t we deploy resources and effort to protect and love the living palpable cradle of humankind that is right in front of us?

Our beloved Swami Vivekananda boldly said:

In what scriptures do you find statements that women are not competent for knowledge and devotion? In the period of degeneration, when the priests made the other castes incompetent for the study of the Vedas, they deprived the women also of all their rights. Otherwise you will find that in the Vedic or Upanishadic age Maitreyi, Gargi, and other ladies of revered memory have taken the places of Rishis through their skill in discussing  Brahman. In an assembly of a thousand Brahmans who were all erudite in the Vedas, Gargi boldly challenged Yagnavalkya in a discussion about Brahman. Since such ideal women were entitled to spiritual knowledge, why shall not the women have same privilege now? What has happened once can certainly happen again. History repeats itself. All nations have attained greatness by paying proper respect to women. That country and that nation which do not respect women have never become great, nor will ever be in future. The principal reason why your race has so much degenerated is that you have no respect for these living images of Shakti.

Manu says: “Where women are respected, there the Gods delight; and where they are not, there all works and efforts come to naught.” There is no hope of rise for that family or country where there is no estimation of women, where they live in sadness.

Swamiji being the reflection of His own Master -like how Sri Ramakrishna worshipped His wife as the Goddess Kali and took every woman to be an embodiment of the Mother- became the advocate to elevate the status of women and motherhood back to its rightful place of reverence.

The passion behind Swamiji’s words in His quote above is based on the role that Mothers plays in building a society. Read the lives of great saints and sages who have made an indelible mark on the world and you will be find their lives are underpinned by the flawless character, purity and divinity of their Mothers. Can you ever imagine a country full of Vivekanandas? How wonderful that place would be! It is the Mother who has the ability to create a hero out of a child; to imbed pure, man-making ideas; and noble virtues, love, compassion etc. for the betterment of the world.

Hence, if women are not treasured and they are not loved and treated with reverence and divinity, they will not be able to produce divine citizens... which will lead to the collapse of the society which we are experiencing now where women are being treated as objects of lust and pleasure.

If we want a peaceful world, let us start today to worship our Mothers and Sisters as the Divine Mother Herself. May all Mothers have a blessed Mothers Day, is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always

Yogan
www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com