When I was in college, I would read at least two newspapers per day. I was studying finance and economics and was in the habit of always staying up to date with Wall Street. I read this news objectively, but as my journey shifted from finance to spirituality, the news started to have a greater emotional effect on me. I don't remember when exactly I pulled the plug, but I stopped reading it altogether. I get my news today the same way many of you do -- via social media. One recent item that has really caught my attention: the story of the young woman who was sexually assaulted by a Stanford student, Brock Turner.
This story reminds me of the tragic (and shamefully brutal) rape incident that occurred in India a while back. A young woman was gang-raped by a group of men on a bus and then thrown out onto the road. She was mercilessly assaulted, multiple times, and then tossed aside. The incident became the subject of a documentary, India's Daughter, which featured interviews with the rapists. The Indian government banned the documentary, but I managed to find it online.
To this day, watching it remains one of the most heart-wrenching experiences of my life. The rapists seemed to take pride in the rape of the young girl. I felt like I was watching a group of wild creatures who had no common sense of any kind. It made me angry, upset, and ashamed. I tried discussing the documentary during interviews and lectures, but it was too emotionally draining. At the same time, it has inspired me to take a stand against this behavior.
The women in my life -- my grandma, my mother, my better half -- have been the epitome of strength and unconditional love. Being a Tantra teacher, I grew up meditating on the feminine consciousness. Seeing this news of rape (and of many other similar incidents) boils my blood: it takes the Buddha within me away, and it invokes the voracious energy of Kaali.
I used to think that the objectification of women only happened in India, where I grew up. But when I moved to the U.S. in 2004, I learned that women are being objectified everywhere... it's just the type of objectification that varies. I live in Los Angeles, where a woman's body is openly given a price tag in a strip club. And of course, this happens worldwide. Tragic.
The question to ask is: Why does this objectification keep happening!?
Many men I meet are taught to hide their vulnerability, to not be in touch with their emotions. This impacts their emotional quotient, shrinks their awareness, and significantly suppresses their sexual energy. Every time you suppress your sexual energy, it will reemerge in an uglier form! We have all been suppressed by society and religion, but this suppression of emotional and sexual energy can bear a very heavy cost to society. This lack of understanding about what we call masculine and feminine energy ends up turning into emotional and physical abuse.
Ask yourself, what is manliness? How do you exhibit it in your day-to-day life?
It's time to redefine our relationships with our masculine and feminine selves.
This so-called manliness that we have been conditioned to identify with is now just a rotten idea. Our new wave of consciousness demands that men be in touch with their emotions and channel their energy through sacred outlets. It is time to bury any idea that links pride with the act of dominating a woman. The new man doesn't need to show his strength over a woman. It is not manly to rape, it is not manly to suppress a woman, and it is simply idiotic to reduce her to a mere commodity. There are many cultures and communities that exist in this world where a woman is forced into a marriage for ridiculous reasons. I meet and hear from these women on a frequent basis. It is essentially a rape that goes unnoticed!
It is time to redefine "manliness." Women need to continue to understand and accept the strength that they carry. From a spiritual viewpoint, a woman is way stronger and much more receptive to higher energy. The entire world may be trying to tame her, but she isn't meant to be tamed. She isn't meant to pleasure the sexually suppressed minds by selling herself in strip clubs, becoming an escort, or reluctantly satisfying a man's sexual appetite.
Women are inherently built on emotional energy. They crave emotional support more than physical. If a man can give that to her, he has her love. That's all it takes! We are lacking the right perspective on feminine energy. It seems as if the world isn't ready for women who are mentally and spiritually independent. But we can begin to change this situation!
The Stanford rapist: I know he's not the first and he's unfortunately not going to be the last. We can't change the whole world. But if we start to honor and channel the masculine and feminine energy within us, we can help change the world's perceptions. Start by making a conscious decision to break the norms, and take a stand for what's right.