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   transform a hell into a heaven." (THE LORD OF MORTALITY AND   
   IMMORTALITY, A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 8, 19 February 1979, Bombay)   
      
   Some go as far as to make a firm point that there is not to be any   
   fear in any circumstances.   
      
   "'We don't care if it is an act of great sacrilege for which we will   
   be doomed to live in hell. We shall happily go to hell. It's all the   
   same for us. We have so much love for the Lord that He too, will   
   have to come to hell to be with us. We don't make any discrimination   
   between heaven and hell or between virtue and vice. All that matters   
   to us is that the Lord should be pleased.'" (PLEASE PARAMA PURUS'A   
   THROUGH YOUR SERVICE, A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 8, 24 February 1979   
   evening, Jammu)   
      
   Remember, this merely points out that the sinner complex must be   
   done away with on the spiritual path.  Rectification of one's wrongs   
   is what needs to happen not condemnation as a sinner.   
      
   "As most people do not know basic human psychology, their actions   
   result in the so-called criminals becoming a greater burden on   
   society. Having been subjected to much social injustice and   
   criticism, some people think, "Now that I have stepped onto the path   
   of vice, now that I have fallen down, I will not stop until I reach   
   the deepest hell." You should not do anything, even unconsciously,   
   which goes against fundamental human psychology, and you should   
   ensure that other people do not get any scope to make such mistakes   
   either. If so-called sinners are repeatedly scolded, they will never   
   become transformed into good people. Even bad people, under indirect   
   pressure, or external attraction, or urge for the Supreme   
   Consciousness, can turn into good people."  (EXPLOITATION -- NO   
   MORE, NEOHUMANISM IN A NUTSHELL 1, A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 7, 4   
   January 1979, Patna)   
      
   It should also be understood that the position of women in religions   
   has seldom been advanced to that of equality.  The historical   
   impetus of social equality will now unfold through spiritual force.   
   Spirituality is the only means to social equality.   
      
   "In the warrior era women were considered as men's precious wealth.   
   Although women did not have the same rights and privileges as men,   
   they commanded considerable social prestige. But in the intellectual   
   era women were relegated to the status of animals and cattle. They   
   became mere household necessities. In the warrior era women were   
   regarded as the pleasurable objects of the valiant, and abduction of   
   women by strong men was considered an act of piety and virtue. But   
   in the intellectual era the trend changed, and women became   
   playthings. Without husbands, they lost their very existence in   
   society. In some countries, more than one woman was compelled to be   
   subservient to one man.   
      
   As a result of men crippling women economically with the pain of   
   unrelenting social penalization and threats of perdition in hell,   
   women became so dependent on men that the very sense of injustice of   
   a man possessing many wives at the same time was erased from their   
   minds. As a result of the peculiar logic that it was a sin for women   
   to live unmarried lives, unmarried girls were forced to marry old   
   men on the verge of death. In some countries and in some periods,   
   they were married to imaginary gods and called devada'siis   
   or "servants of God". Needless to say, these sorts of marriages only   
   heightened social injustices. The continuation of such malpractices   
   bred a sort of inferiority complex and despair in the minds of   
   women. Few keep count of the millions of women who wept and sobbed   
   themselves to death in the darkness of many a sleepless night. They   
   were levelled flat like the soft earth under the administrative   
   steamroller of the priests and intellectuals. For this reason, we   
   find in some social customs and ceremonies, women's doggerels and   
   tales of religious observances, that mothers with no other means of   
   escape, taught the daughters from their childhood to pray to God   
   that they might not be neglected as co-wives or that their rivals   
   might not live long. Matrimonial ties became inviolable in the   
   intellectual era."  (The Vipra Age, Human Society Part 2)   
      
   Spirituality and proper spiritual practices, rather then meaningless   
   rituals, is what creates universalism in thought.  This is vital   
   also for social equality.   
      
   "The social and religious rights of women were curtailed in numerous   
   ways so that they would be kept forever in thraldom to the men. They   
   were even forbidden walking in the open space under the open sky.   
   Covered in burkas and veils, they were reduced to the status of   
   caged birds living on seeds and water. It was decreed that they were   
   not entitled to their ancestral property. The girls were given much   
   less than the boys. It was categorically declared that they were not   
   entitled to spiritual liberation or salvation; that women go to   
   heaven, it's true, but the men get all sorts of privileges there   
   that women cannot get. These rubbish ideas have died out due to   
   various circumstances. In some places they are in the process of   
   extinction, and in other places they are totally extinct.   
      
   Today the clattering chariot wheels are turning. That din is making   
   the hearts of the opportunists quake. This is the decree of fate.   
   The pace of change is fast accelerating." ("Kramalaya", Shabda   
   Cayanika' Part 10, 4 January 1987, Calcutta)   
      
   What sort of knowledge should you rely on?  Can written, documentary   
   learnings be useful?   
      
   "A source of knowledge is authoritative documents.  These can   
   provide real knowledge to human beings. However, if it is not based   
   on spiritual realisation, if it is a mere interpolation arising out   
   of the fertile brain of an opportunist or intellectual, it can never   
   bring real knowledge to people, but will sow seeds of disharmony and   
   dissension in the human society. For instance, the scripture of a   
   certain community states that the earth is fixed and the sun in   
   moving around it. This assertion is of course absolutely wrong   
   scientifically. If an erudite scientist points out this mistake, the   
   orthodox followers of the scriptures will brand him or her an   
   atheist. The scriptures of other communities proclaim that only the   
   followers of their religion are the favourite children of God and   
   others are damned heathens. To kill them is not at all a sin, rather   
   one will attain a permanent place in heaven after their death. Such   
   scriptures are very detrimental to human society." (PRA'PTA VA'KYA   
   AND A'PTA VA'KYA, ("Relative Knowledge And Absolute Knowledge"),   
   Tattva Kaomudii Part 2)   
      
   So you must rely ultimately on spiritual knowledge.   
      
   "Qualified spiritual teachers are those with a developed integral   
   outlook and a capacity to impart it to their students. Unfortunately   
   so many so-called spiritual teachers are inculcating defective and   
   narrow ideas in the name of spirituality to serve their own self-   
   interests. Some of them even enter meaningless controversies such as   
   whether God has a form or not, or is black or white, etc. Some even   
   try to teach their disciples that there are as many as 300 million   
   different gods and goddess! Others cite mythological stories to   
   explain that certain gods bestow their powers on the faithful   
   disciples, but other gods mercilessly punish the detractors. They   
   jump at every opportunity to take advantage of the sentimental   
   weaknesses of their credulous disciples, and in the name of   
   spiritual training create obstacles on the path of spiritual   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)