14 Aug 2010 Vrindavan, India
Category: Religion
Yesterday I mentioned that some temples and Ashrams in India do not allow women to enter if they have not covered nearly every visible part of skin on their body. Many say to women to cover their head and hair. I may be repeating myself when I say that this is in my opinion not justified and actually nonsense. Let’s have a look at this point in detail.
Why do they ask women to cover themselves?
One commonly mentioned reason is that you should be decently dressed when you enter a temple or also Ashram. According to some this is a way of showing respect to god when women cover their head.
The second reason is that women should be decently dressed so that men will not be tempted or lead astray from their religious path and thoughts that they ought to be having in a temple.
For both arguments I have to ask one thing: how come then men do not have to do this? In India you will often see men even without a shirt in Ashrams and temples. They only wear a dhoti around their hips, nothing else. If a woman has to be fully dressed, how come a man can be half naked?
How come this is not regarded as lack of respect? I assume no woman would have the idea of going in a bathing suit or bikini to the temple and also a church you would usually not enter in a mini-skirt, would you? So you have a sense of respect for the place where worship is done but for me this does not extend until the head and arms. If it did, I would surely insist that it would be a rule for both genders.
Now we get to the question if women could seduce men to commit sins by being in a temple bare-headed. It seems as if people think that men are very easily seduced by women only by seeing their head whereas women can cope with men walking around covering only their most intimate region. Are women stronger than men in this regard? Should not men be able to control themselves, even if there was a woman showing her legs? Really, if you tell me this argument, it is actually a confession of weakness of the male gender, don’t you think?
Just another reason not to have this kind of rules in our Ashram: I believe it is absolutely possible to have your desire under control if anybody, male or female, shows his shoulder, knee or open hair!
Tags:: Ashram, Body, Religion, Respect, Sex, God, Gender, Rules, Temples
23 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
Apra’s German Grandparents in Vrindavan - 28...
It is Saturday, the weekend has started and for ou...
Sometimes it is strange for me to see how much fea...
A whole lot is going on, as always, and we are bus...
I have always been a believer in open communicatio...
So yesterday was my 45th birthday and definitely a...
Until now, I have not told you yet about a program...
Today I woke up in the morning, as usual next to m...
I yesterday wrote about parents who want to suppor...
I yesterday wrote that you should enjoy your work,...
Yesterday I mentioned an online discussion that I ...
I have been writing about children and teenagers a...
Yesterday I mentioned that some temples and Ashram...
Everybody who knows me and those who read my blog ...
Sometimes I get asked ‘You write a lot about...
News have reached us which shocked us and made aga...
Yesterday Ramona received a letter from the church...
I mentioned already that rules can lose their sens...
Ramona yesterday showed me a photo which an Indian...
If you have been reading my blog, you know that I ...
In our area, not far from Vrindavan, there is a to...
Vrindavan is a spiritual town, a place to which ma...
I yesterday mentioned shortly that one reason for ...
Last week I explained that many westerners come to...
When I wrote about Buddha last week and mentioned ...
While I yesterday wrote that religion supports cri...
I yesterday mentioned how money can bring you furt...
Not very long ago, we had quite an interesting con...
I recently read two news articles that were relate...
At this very time, there is a big festival in Indi...
I'm glad this topic has been brought up, as it is something as an atheist that I totally disagree with. As Swami quite rightly says, women and men are more than able and willing to show respect to their temple, or church etc without having to disguise their entire figure. Something I also don't understand is that God in whatever form, gave us the bodies we have, and so why would exposing his creation to him offend him so much?! Of course, intimate areas are exactly that, something to be kept private so I can understand why exposing these parts would not be appropraite, but to cover legs, and arms, and even heads is totally irrational. It seems to me that this rule has nothing to do with God. Men in power made up the rule to futher exert their control over women. Surely the best type of God is one that appreciates most when humanity shows its gratitude and respect for everything it has been given, and to not be ashamed of anything. Respect to each other regardless of religious beliefs, colour of skin, or gender. To demonstrate shame of the body, or belief that it is better covered up is surely more of an insult to God? To demonstrate an inequality of gender through bias dress codes is surely more of an insult to God??!
Reply By Nicola on May 31, 2013 07:05
the covering of body in Hinduism is not at all related with sexual urge but with the respect of deity....
Reply By ragini on October 13, 2012 02:51
Hello Ragini, How is respect and disrespect related with covering or not covering your body? And if women have to cover for respect, why don't men have to cover for respect? What is disrespectful about showing the hair that also is just natural, a creation of God if you like? No, I think it is religion, priests and people in power wanting to put up rules, giving the pretense of respect, that is why women need to cover up in temples.
By Ramona on October 13, 2012
I agree, now I am not saying that the male sex is weak, but having rules like certainly make it seem so....but on the other hand, things can go the other way. In western churches many women show up wearing the tiniest skirt or something that almost shows off their bra strap...and it is not smiled upon, but it is not forbidden or anything...
Reply By Tricia on September 04, 2012 12:07
The questions is also: is there actually a seducing power of women or is it maybe a bold fantasy of those, who say that women are supposed to cover some parts of their body. And if there are rules, they should be valid for both genders.
Reply By Mirela on August 16, 2012 02:31
Covering for women IS nonsense. Control your own actions! If we hold men accountable they will act accountably. If we tell them from the time they are little that they won't be able to control themselves then of course they won't know that can.
Reply By Gorgie on January 20, 2011 03:22
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
Read All News
There would be no development if nobody ever judged. You would always accept everything as it is. We need to judge.
SourceA lot of doctors close their practices on Thursday due to superstition! People and doctors both think a doctor's visit on a Thursday means another doctor's visit later! They study, they learned a lot of science and they know about the body, its diseases and cures – but that does not keep them from believing that Thursdays are bad days!
SourceSects go to extremes - Either lots of sex or no sex at all!
SourceNobody can tell you what you have to believe. Find out yourself what is good and right for you. Trust in your own feelings and listen to your inner voice.
SourceKarma Yoga is when you do something and then forget it. Whatever you do, just offer it to god and don't keep any expectation of getting something in return. That is Karma Yoga.
SourceDo what you feel is right. That will make you happy.
SourceHow would you describe spirituality? And what can you get from reading someone’s experience? For you, spirituality can be very different. And that is truth.
SourceCheating gurus play with the greed of religious people who want to believe in superstition. They lure them in, show them their ‘siddhis’ to make them more and more greedy for success or money and actually suck their money out of them. And in this way they themselves get rich, accumulate tons of gold and just make ridiculous amounts of money.
SourceThings turn out best if you do only one thing at a time. Only if you always put your full concentration on one action you can do everything with love. That is meditation.
SourceDon’t bring business talk everywhere. Stop it, at the latest when you go into the bedroom. No business is allowed there anymore, just love and the relationship of you and your partner.
SourcePeople often say and do things that they don’t believe in. How long can you play such a drama? You have to live in your original consciousness.
SourceReligion often has the effect of poison: it kills people, it separates them, it creates hate among them. Human is made by god and religion is made by man. God did not create people with different religions, he made us all the same.
SourcePeople often trust lies and that is why lies can exist at all. You always need to believe lies blindly because if you opened your eyes, you would regret.
SourceLet your sons and daughters take their own decisions and carry the consequences. Don’t control every little detail but let them get the taste of being adult.
SourceChildren and teenagers need a balance of control and freedom.
SourceDon't like your job? - Change it or start liking it!
SourceCheating never works and never makes you happy. Talk with your partner about it instead. Show your husband or wife that you cherish the love in between you and that you won’t do this step that others have done in your situation.
SourceWhat is wrong is wrong and if you have seen wrong, you have to speak out against it, keep your loved ones from doing it and make clear that you oppose it.
SourceDon’t play a role but simply be yourself. Take off any mask that you might have been wearing because of someone’s expectation.
SourceEnjoy your uniqueness, enjoy being you!
Source
Have something to say? Post your comment
Comments are moderated and will be allowed if they are about the topic and not abusive.