Question 4

QUESTIONER: WHY DO JAINA SCRIPTURES SAY THAT THERE IS NO LIBERATION FOR WOMEN?

This question will change the context of our discussion and therefore I would deal with it briefly and then we will sit for meditation.

You ask why the Jaina scriptures say that women cannot attain to freedom. The reason is that Jaina scriptures are the handiwork of the male mind. The truth is, the whole of Jaina discipline is male-oriented, it is aggressive. Therefore Jaina scriptures cannot think how women, who represent passive energy can attain to liberation. But devotees of Krishna think otherwise. If you ask one of them about it he will immediately say women alone can attain to it, no one except them can. The male mind is simply incapable of reaching God, according to Krishna's philosophy. Even male devotees of Krishna turn into feminine minds so they can fall in love with Krishna.

There is a beautiful anecdote in the life of Meera, the renowned devotee of Krishna. When she went to Vrindavan, Krishna's birthplace, she was prevented from entering the temple on the grounds that she was a woman and women were not allowed in that temple. She was told the chief priest of the temple was under a vow not to look upon a woman -- he had never seen a woman since he had taken charge of the temple. Meera strongly protested, and what she said is significant. She said, "As far as I know there is only one man in all the universe and he is Krishna. How can there be another man in the form of the priest of this temple? I wonder how he continues to be a man and a Krishna devotee too!"

When this message from Meera was conveyed to the chief priest he was taken aback, speechless, and he rushed to the temple gate where Meera was being held. He threw the gates of the temple wide open and asked her forgiveness. He said to Meera, "I am grateful to you for reminding me of my relationship with my Lord."

Krishna stands for the feminine mind, the trusting mind, the surrendering mind.

But Mahavira represents the male mind, the aggressive mind, the conquering mind. Therefore he cannot think women as women can achieve liberation. So the Jaina tradition believes that a woman seeker will have to be born as a man before she attains to complete freedom. If there were only one spiritual path in the world, the path of Mahavira, then there would be no way for any woman to seek God. It is exclusively meant for the male mind, the aggressive mind.

Similarly a male mind can have no way with Krishna; his is the path of love and trust and surrender.

These are the two psychological archetypes in the world, and everything depends on these archetypes.