THE WOMAN OF THE ORIENT
A nation's progress can be ascertained by the manner in which the woman of that nation are treated. Their condition in life reflects the headway the. country has made in the various spheres of human life. The wholesome liberty and freedom the woman enjoy is the symbolic representation of absolute feminism.
The woman of the future will be an exemplary figure if she cherishes and nurtures the sacred qualities and enhances her wisdom and knowledge. Chastity is said to be the pulse-beat' of the woman of the east. Therefore she is naturally inclined towards spiritual discipline and its practice. In every word and deed she subtly manifests these sublime traits of chastity, spirituality and sacrifice.
The wife is the epicentre in the circle of life. In the role of a mother, the woman is the epitome of feminity. In the West, the woman dominates the household as wife, but in the East, she distinguishes herself in a motherly demeanour.
It is common in the East to address and adulate the woman as 'mother'. The goal of a woman here is to achieve the status of mother depicting such axioms as tolerance, selflessness and forgiveness.
The Hindus express the mercy of God in the relationship of mother and child. There may be bad children but there cannot be an unworthy mother.
The birth of a Hindu child is followed with prayers, fasting and austere religious rites. It is believed that children conceived by mothers lacking spiritual traits are the mere embodiment of curse and sin.
A child emerging into the world is believed to have been stamped with divine approval. The one who gives birth to such a child is a sacred symbol of divinity and therefore deserves to be adored. She is a portrayal of patience and piety. She leads a life of reverence in order to bring fourth into this world exemplary children. Thus to every child the mother is divine incarnate.
