Role Plays

When woman and man came into existence, their roles were different. Women bore and reared children, cooked meals, kept the house while men went out to provide food and other necessities through hunting and then later on by planting edible plants.

Man has been macho from the very beginning. When he learned the tricks of agriculture, he again put his woman to tend the fields while he continued loitering in the jungles.

With this practice of domination, the societies became patriarchal which made him crown himself as a King of his own domain. This practice with time was perfected by fear, love repression, suppression and subjugation. With time man became so bold that he started keeping more than one woman as his spouse not by accident but by sheer design. He saw that having more than one wife would give him more hands to tend to his fields so that he could keep on loitering.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/essays-on-sikhism/750-role-plays.html


This practice continued. All societies evolved separately in different parts of the globe but the role-plays remained the same. In some society it was much worse than others.

The Hindu society started with the ritual called ‘SATI’ in which the woman was forced to give up her life by throwing herself on the pyre where her husband was being cremated so that she would serve no one else.


Women were faced with many odds due to the barbarities committed by the 'M' gender.


When man created a cult, which later became religions, the sole purpose was to use scare tactics in order to dominate. As man had already dominated his woman in his own household, religion became another tool to dominate the weaklings (both men and women). In other words man created religion not to understand the vastness of Akaalpurakh but to dominate the weak.


Seeking IK ONG KAAR came much later with inner evolution.


After thousands of years of this practice of domination, man thought he had become untouchable hence the ill treatment of women never ceased.

Then in the 15th century, a man, the first feminist by the name of Nanak was born. He saw the world quite differently than the rest. We all see our worlds differently but very few of us have the courage to expose the difference because it clashes with the norms and values of the society of the time.


Guru Nanak was not courageous but better. He was fearless. He exposed the hypocrisies cultivated by the man from the time of his very existence. He was successful in banning the ritual of SATI. He walked the walk as far as equality is concerned. He wrote the beautiful shabad below, which disrobes the robe of repression and suppression against a woman.

First Mehl:

BMif jMmIAY BMif inMmIAY BMif mMgxu vIAwhu ]

bha(n)dd ja(n)meeai bha(n)dd ni(n)meeai bha(n)dd ma(n) gan veeaahu ||


From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.


BMfhu hovY dosqI BMfhu clY rwhu ]

bha(n)ddahu hovai dhosathee bha(n)ddahu chalai raahu ||


Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.


BMfu muAw BMfu BwlIAY BMif hovY bMDwnu ]
bha(n)dd muaa bha(n)dd bhaaleeai bha(n)dd hovai ba(n)dhhaan ||


When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.


so ikau mMdw AwKIAY ijqu jMmih rwjwn ]
so kio ma(n)dhaaaakheeai jith ja(n)mehi raajaan ||


So how can you talk ill about the one that gives birth to the kings??!!


BMfhu hI BMfu aUpjY BMfY bwJu n koie ]
bha(n)ddahu hee bha(n)dd oopajai bha(n)ddai baajh n koe ||


From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.


nwnk BMfY bwhrw eyko scw soie ]
naanak bha(n)ddai baaharaa eaeko sachaa soe ||


O Nanak, only IK ONG KAAR, THE SATGURU is without a woman.


ijqu muiK sdw swlwhIAY Bwgw rqI cwir ]
jith mukh sadhaa saalaaheeai bhaagaa rathee chaar ||


That mouth which praises IK ONG KAAR continually is blessed and beautiful.


nwnk qy muK aUjly iqqu scY drbwir ]2]
naanak thae mukh oojalae thith sachai dharabaar ||2||


O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of ONE TRUE GOD. ||2||


Now the question arises that having created such a great recipe, which lifted the woman and made her stand side by side her male counterpart, why are we not able to prepare this dish of equality and share with others?


The main reason is that we as men are too insecure for this to let it happen. Unlike Guru Nanak, who uplifted the downtrodden, we expect women to stand up –while they are being pushed down- on their own and fight for their rights. Well if it is their right, then why should they fight for what belongs to them.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=750


Thanks to Gurbani, we have the tools, the vision the recipe but what’s lacking is THE WILL OF THE GURMUKH.


Tejwant


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Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

Tejwant ji,
About "When man created a cult, which later became religions, the sole purpose was to use scare tactics in order to dominate.", I am finding difficult to isolate examples, and authenticity of this statement. What do you say?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=750
Regards.

Arvind ji,

You will find my thoughts about your query in the following article:-

sikh discussion forum - venture into a fascinating philosophy of sikhism... - Q5. Is fear the basis of all religions?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=750


Tejwant

Tejwant Ji, a really nice article... keep them coming... thanks for sharing.