In the last few decades, women's participation in the formal workforce has increased in all parts of the world. While women have always been involved in productive activities in addition to their domestic duties, entering the formal workforce has meant being away from their homes for most of the day. Obviously, this impacts the time they have available for caregiving and nurturing and other domestic duties at home -- they have two full time jobs. There is little chance that this trend is going to be reversed in the coming millennium. Women all over the world will continue to work, to contribute economically to their families' well-being, as well as to utilize their education and talent in contributing to society. For this reason, we have to reflect on the role of women in contributing to the spiritual and social upliftment of society, and the challenges they will face in the new millennium while fulfilling their multiple roles.

Fortunately for us, our dear Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, has helped us immensely by speaking extensively on the dharma that each of us has to follow according to the specific stage of our life. He has often said that spirituality and spiritual practices are the same for everyone regardless of their sex, creed or nationality. The five Human Values -- Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love and Non-violence are universal. Every one of us has the ability to realize our divinity through the practice of these values. However, a distinction can be made in the dharma that one has to follow in the course of one's life: when one is a student, a husband or a wife, a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, a worker and so on. -

For many women living in today's world, finding a balance between their role as mothers and caregivers and their role as working women in society has been a source of great confusion. Most societies consider women as primary caregivers and socializing agents for their children. Bhagavan Baba has said that women have the qualities of Tyaaga (Sacrifice), Prema (unconditional Love) and Sahana (Tolerance), which make them ideal caregivers. For this reason, He has always highlighted women's role as mothers as superior to that of women as workers:

When women leave their homes for jobs, where are the housewives to do the household chores? When both husband and wife go to their offices, where are the mothers to look after the children? When the mothers go to school to teach other children, who will teach their own children? Even if the monetary position is eased, other difficulties arise in the home. In trying to secure comforts, the office-worker achieves only emptiness at home.

Swami's injunction on the issue of women and work brought up several questions for me. What if a woman has to go out and work for financial reasons? Even if it is not for economic benefit, what if a woman is educated and has specific talents that can contribute to society? How do we follow Swami's command without feeling we have lost something, or, go against His teachings without feeling guilty that we are disobeying His command? Of course, Swami has always supported higher education for women:

Educated women can do useful service to the community around them according to their skill, taste, inclination, desire, character, educational status, mode of living, discipline or scholarship.

and,

The educated woman must utilize her knowledge and skill to bring up her children into healthy, virtuous and disciplined youths who may be of use to their country, their culture and their community.

Education for a woman then, enables her to be of service to society and aids her in bringing up her children to be worthy citizens. There is no denying that a mother's role is the most important and sacred. We parents have an immensely important role in nurturing our children and giving them the best we can in terms of love, attention and time. Then what about the woman who works?

Swami, in his infinite compassion and love clarified these issues in a recent discourse. On April 19 1998, in a discourse in Kodaikanal - a mountain city in Tamil Nadu in India - He talked about a whole new dimension of women's role and women's dharma in society:

They say "udhyogam purusha lakshanam", as though only males can do jobs. It is a misnomer. Women also are now doing all works equal to men. In fact, women do work more sincerely with dedication....[T]hey don't stop or step out till the allotted work is completed. They have the work culture better than men. It is nowhere stated in any sacred text that women should only cook and not do work like men. As a matter of fact, even man has to learn cooking and housekeeping to help his wife in times of need. Awareness is life. Awareness means total knowledge and not partial knowledge. This enthusiasm is full in women. Even men should make the effort to learn everything. Women have hidden power immanent in them. You have to encourage them to exhibit their talents...

Because of the evil influence of modern education, people consider women as toys and tend to treat them as puppets. The women have very auspicious and noble qualities. The men treat them as cooks confined to the four walls of the house considering them to be "illalus" [housewives] that are only fit to be homebirds. What they forget is that the woman of the home not only manages the affairs of the family but also looks after the health and well being of all members of the household....[T]hey raise questions like who will look after the home if women go to offices, who will teach their children if the mother goes to school to teach other children and so on. Some say that though the woman goes to work to solve the financial problem, bigger problems may have to be confronted by her going to work.

But, in the modern world, it is necessary for the woman to share the burden of maintaining her family with her husband and so the woman also should study and practice, sharing the burden of making both ends meet. It will smack of selfishness if the males prevent them from going to work for which they have acquired the requisite qualification. The women could control the whole world by themselves by virtue of their inherent qualities of love and spirit of sacrifice (prema bhavam and thyaga bhavam).

How do we reconcile these seemingly different statements by Swami on this subject, given on two separate occasions? Bhagavan is Kaalaatheeta [beyond time]. In His scheme of things, there is no past, present or future. He does not say, "I said this in the past... now I am saying this." For Him, there is no contradiction in His sayings.

All of the books you read appear to have contradictions in them. There is no contradiction in spiritual matters, only different viewpoints. They seem contradictory to you because you seek the absolute truth in each proposition, without realizing that there are stages, different levels, and, above all, the divine plan. What is written or said does not apply all of the time for everyone. Each person is given what is necessary in accordance with the stage reached. You have also passed through many stages, only you do not remember the stages you traversed before reaching me.

Swami sometimes addresses a large number of devotees in a manner that does not satisfy everyone. Many question why Baba says this or that, and then they feel uncomfortable or offended. They do not realize that My words are specifically meant for only some of those who are present. Only by speaking directly to them can I reach their consciousness during the meeting. Only then are they able to assimilate the teachings without feeling personally addressed. The public teachings of the Lord demand the humility and discrimination of each devotee. Always try to perceive a little beyond the apparent. Whether in books or in words, you will see that there is no contradiction in what God expounds; in Him there is only knowledge and love [emphasis added].

I marveled at the beauty and simplicity of the Lord's words, and was struck by the limitations of our own mind that reduce the scope or context of His words to suit our own situation; and then we are unhappy because we do not know what to do! Swami is telling us to contemplate on His words, develop and listen to our inner consciousness and to practice humility and discrimination -- this dilemma will be automatically clarified. There is no longer any contradiction or dilemma!

The Vision

As I re-read the April 19th discourse, it seemed to me that we often fail to recognize the depth of His words. It occurred to me that Swami was saying, women are good spiritual aspirants because of the qualities that are innate to them: Tyaaga (sacrifice), Prema (unconditional Love) and Sahana (tolerance). These qualities make them ideal nurturers and teachers to their children. Now, the vision is for women to bring these qualities to the workplace. In all of the above quotes therefore, Swami has highlighted women's work ethic, their qualities of compassion and sacrifice, and their contribution to the smooth running of the household. He then emphasizes that they do have a role to play in the work place because of all these qualities. Baba is also saying women have a major role to play in transforming the nature of the work place into one of compassion, sacrifice and love.

Of course, this does not eliminate the role of women as caregivers! Women will always be called upon to be caregivers, to shower their compassion, love and care on their children and families. But as Swami says, they will need assistance from other members of the family in this regard so that they can continue to play a nurturing role while working in the formal workforce. We already see this trend in some places of the world where family members contribute to childcare and maintenance of the household.

We are no longer talking about the limiting question of whether women should work. That depends on each individual's situation, family needs and capacities. We have to contemplate, discuss, discriminate and then make a decision. The question now is "What is the dharma of women in the work place?" Bhagavan appears to be telling us that women's dharma is to radiate the values of Sahana, prema and tyaaga so that society, whether it is in the context of the home or the office, is spiritually uplifted and thereby transformed.

Spiritual upliftment of humanity is possible in the coming millennium only if we make an effort to foster these values in all of mankind. They are no longer qualities, they are values that have to be fostered in all -- men, women and children. Because, Swami says, the natural state of every human being is composed of these values. Every being is indeed made of masculine and feminine qualities. In Hindu mythology, the figure of ardhanareeshwara [half man-half woman] embodies this concept. However, almost every human society glorifies the masculine ideal and encourages downplaying of feminine qualities. In the work place this is evident in the spirit of competition to "get ahead," "survival of the fittest and the meanest" and so on. The feminine qualities of compassion, love and sacrifice if practiced by all as values, can lead to harmony and balance of the masculine and feminine qualities within an individual as well as within the workplace.

For those lucky enough to observe Bhagavan, hear Him speak and read His words, can see that He is the perfect example of the harmony and balance of Shiva and Shakti -- the masculine and feminine principles. He can be a strict disciplinarian one moment, and then soft as butter the next. His compassion and love are just as potent, if not more, as His stern words. He is a living example of how to be a balanced person.
Reading Swami's discourses on the subject has inspired many of us to reflect on His teachings. Personally, I have come to the conclusion that although Swami's teachings have to be followed, He expects us to use our discrimination as well. If a family is in dire financial need, I do not believe that Swami would object to a woman working to help her family. He would consider that to be her dharma too! However, each family has to determine for itself what its needs are, and what the role of the woman should be.

The challenge then, is to "perceive a little beyond the apparent." Read and contemplate on what the Lord's word means to us at each specific stage of our life, and then implement it accordingly into our lives. Let us develop our consciousness, ready ourselves for the task and meet the challenge. We are blessed that Bhagavan is ever present in our lives, to help us along.