#‘radical’ means ‘complete’ or ‘total’ which in the case of feminism generally means All Individual Men Are Bad Full Stop No Exceptions

[death-limes]

terf is an acronym, trans exclusionary radical feminist. by the existence of the label, it implies that no, radical feminism is NOT inherently transphobic, though it is about gender abolitionism, and female liberation simultaneously. id do some research on the actual belief systems of ppl you choose to dislike before just assuming misinformation to be correct but eh whatever. no skin off my back, i was more baffled by the assumption that radfems arent all a bunch of crazy dykes lolll

1) i know terf is an acronym lmao

2) i mentioned in the tags that there are other problems with both radfem and terf ideology besides transphobia (again, assuming that there even is a difference at all)

3) i do not “choose” to hate radical feminism and terfs (or “gender critical” or whatever sanitized name yall wanna use) any more than i “choose” to hate racism or fascism, i simply do

4) not sure what is meant by that last comment but ill go ahead and clarify that i dont think of anyone as “just a bunch of crazy dykes” because a) in that context it would be a slur bc its being used as an insult and b) the problem has nothing to do with the lesbian part

(EDIT: lol nice phrasing “implies radical feminism is not inherently transphobic” carefully tiptoeing around actually saying ‘we’re not transphobic’ gee i wonder why 🙃)

[umi-ananda]

Chapter 1 - Impressions of Anandamayi

“This incident, which I have reconstructed from the diary account of Didi Gurupriya Devi, Anandamayi's lifelong chief assistant, typifies the paradoxical status of a figure such as Anandamayi in modern Indian society. She is so unusual that there is no woman, not even an example known to us from the past, with whom she can be compared except in the vaguest of terms. We are baffled, as were the inhabitants of Bhawanipur, by her unplaceability. A strange event was visited upon the good peasants of that nondescript village—an eruption of the sacred which they would puzzle over for many years. In her speech, mode of dress and features, the lady with the airs of a holy person seemed to belong nowhere or everywhere.

Nowadays, we indiscriminately call such a charismatic figure a Guru, without being any too clear what that term means other than, perhaps, somebody with pretentious claims to spiritual wisdom. We relegate all Gurus to a dubious category of exotic, perhaps dangerous, cults. Gurus have been seriously discredited by recent scandal and tend to be treated with a degree of caustic suspicion. We recall Bhagavan Rajneesh—he of the 87 Rolls Royces—or various cult leaders whose followers committed mass suicide. We look on them as sinister and mendacious personalities who take backhanders from politicians or seduce the daughters of our friends.

Traditionalists point out that people like Sri Aurobindo, Krishnamurti, Swami Ramdas and Swami Shivananda, Mother Meera, Sai Baba, and Meher Baba are not Gurus at all but a hybrid phenomenon catering to foreigners.

Certainly, the glamorized deluxe ashrams which have sprung up in recent decades are a far cry from the modest pattern of the age-old guru-shishya relationship of master-disciple tutelage; yet this ancient system survives, for example, in the teaching of classical music and dance.

Throughout Indian history, this pattern of instruction ensured the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next. In the case of Anandamayi who did not herself have a Guru, but was self-initiated, the traditional model of the teacher and the taught has, in certain respects, taken on new life, but in other equally important respects, she radically departed from tradition.

Her role as a revered Brahmin divine was by no means orthodox since this was a departure from the traditional status parameters of the married woman; further, for some 50 years as a widow and thus a member of the lowliest rank of Indian society, she was at the same time one of the most sought after of all spiritual teachers.

Yet again, she revived the old custom of the gurukul, an ancient style of schooling for both girls and boys at her ashrams. Until almost the very end of her life she could not be classed as a Guru in a technical sense; for a Guru is one who gives Diksha to disciples or initiation by mantra.

Nevertheless, in the more general and metaphorical sense of spiritual teacher, she was certainly a Guru, one of the greatest and the most respected of her time. In addition, she was indeed the Guru to many advanced sadhakas spiritual practitioners.

For them, she was everything that the Guru traditionally should be a perfect vehicle of Divine Grace. There is a section in the excerpts from the discourses of Anandamayi included here where she comments at length on the spiritual meaning of the Guru. The true Guru is never to be regarded by the disciple as merely human but as a divine being to whom he or she surrenders in total obedience.

The disciple places himself in the hands of the Guru and the Guru can do no wrong.

Moreover, from the point of view of the Guru's disciples, the Guru is the object of worship. Obviously so serious a commitment is hedged about with all manner of safeguards, for the Indian is as aware of the perils inherent in such a position of absolute authority as is any skeptical outsider—rather more so, in fact, for much experience about the dynamics of the guru-shishya bond has been amassed over the millennia of its existence.

How could such adulation, such assumption of control over another's destiny, fail to turn the heads of all upon whom this mantle of omniscience falls? Everything depends on the closely observed fact that there are a few rare individuals at any one point in time who are so devoid of ego that no such temptation could possibly be felt. Egolessness is the sine qua non of the Guru.

For an Indian, submission to tutelage by a Guru is but one among many possible routes to salvation or Self-Realisation. In the case of Anandamayi, it has become obvious, indeed widely known, that we are dealing with a level of spiritual genius of very great rant, Her manifestation is extraordinarily rich and diverse.

She lived for 86 years, had an enormous following, founded 30 ashrams, and traveled incessantly the length and breadth of the land. People of all classes, castes, creeds, and nationalities flocked to her; the great and the good sought her counsel; the doctrine which she expounded came as near to being completely universal as is attainable by a single individual.

Though she lived for the good of all, she had no motive of self-sacrifice in the Christian sense: "there are no others," she would say, "there is only the One". She came of extremely humble rural origins, though from a family respected over generations for its spiritual attainments.

In the course of time, she would converse with the highest in the land, but draw no distinction between the status of rich and poor, or the caste and sectarian affiliations of all who visited her. She personified the warmth and the wide toleration of the Indian spiritual sensibility at its freshest and most accessible.

The fact that she was a woman certainly accentuates the distinctive features of her manifestation. Female sages as distinct from saints capable of holding sustained discourse with the learned are almost unheard of in India. Her femininity certainly imparts to the heritage of Indian and global spirituality certain qualities of flexibility and common sense, lyricism and humor not often associated with its loftiest heights.

Her quicksilver temperament and abundant Lila sacred play are in stark contrast with the serenity of that peerless exemplar of Advaita Vedanta, Sri Ramana Maharshi of Tiruvannamalai, the quintessence of austere stillness. That a woman of such distinction and wide-ranging activity should emerge in India in the 20th century, the century of world-wide feminism and reappraisal of feminine phenomenology hardly seems a coincidence. The Guru, by definition, reflects the profoundest and most urgent needs of all followers. While the Guru incarnates the wish-fulfilments of a myriad devotees, he or she also extends, expands and elevates to new and unfamiliar sensitivity those who take heed.”

—Anandamayi, Her Life and Wisdom by Richard Lannoy Chapter 1, Pages 6-7 

[melodyfywproject]

Research Project Essay

The History of Feminism and its influence on Today’s Society

The concept of feminism started years ago but was most known in the early 1900’s. It took on many different meanings from its inception till today, adapting and changing based off various movements and reactions. However, many people are oblivious to the true meaning of feminism, both historically and presently. This is largely problematic because we are all influenced and affected by feminism to some capacity, some more directly than others. Nonetheless, it is vitally important to understand feminism and such ideals to understand our society, and what can be done to make the quality of life better for women going forward.

Barker et al. “Declaration of Sentiments” document states how women were oppressed, mistreated, and how most men treated women as unequal. “He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice” (Barker et al.). This statement shows how most men deprived women from their rights. In addition, this statement is on the other side of history. Not the side where women were fighting for their rights, but the side where most males were stumbling blocks to feminist women. In the twentieth century feminism started to be more well known. Many male figures used to implement rules that women needed to blindly follow. Most of the time women had no choice but to abide by them. Women were often viewed as individuals with no value, no voice, and no rights.

Since women were viewed as weak and with no voice, they eventually decided to fight back against inequality and the natural rights they were deprived of. This movement became known as Feminism, which is defined as being politically involved with women’s rights. However, throughout history this meaning has evolved and nowadays it means more than being politically engaged. Karen Offen’s “Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach” proposes a reexamination and reconceptualization of the public understanding of this word “feminism,” based on the history of the word. Many people in society think being a feminist person is engaging in a political movement. Even though this is partly true, being a feminist isn’t just a political factor. There’s more to it, such as encouraging women to voice out their opinions and embrace themselves. Moreover, in history we’ve learned how women become more courageous and proactive. As a society we are affected and influenced by movements and laws that were established in history. For example, gaining the right to vote allowed women in today’s society to vote with no obstacles, which was not always the case.

Understanding women’s history is essential to women’s present. Women in the past fought for rights that exist now, such as the ability to work and vote, and not merely be stuck as housewives. Brave women developed associations and societies to start a feminist revolution. Feminism started long time ago, however in the 1900s women gained what they hoped for: the right to vote. The women’s suffrage movement fought hard to gain the right to vote. In “Women and Social Movements in the United States,1600-2000” it shows a developed timeline of multiple movements regarding women’s history. An example of this is the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CUWS). In 1913 members of the CUWS were engaging in civil disobedience such as going on hunger strikes in jail, and chaining themselves to the White House fence (Women and Social Movements). Furthermore, the 1920s, also known as The Roaring Twenties were a decade of radical change and evolution as women broke from tradition. Women slowly started to break the stereotypical norms placed upon them by men who made sure they were only known as housewives. Many women cut their hair, smoked cigarettes, wore small dresses, went to parties, and started to work outside of home.

According to Women and Social Movements there’s a list of great social movements and associations that women developed. Another example of a specific movement is the birth control movement in 1915 “when reformers Mary Ware Dennett (1872-1947) and Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) took up the ‘birth control’ cause. From 1916 onwards, Sanger and Dennett competed for leadership, each forming different organizations and promoting different solutions to the issue of making birth control accessible and legal” (ibid.). This movement gave women life choices and more freedom of being capable of avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, women associations and societies such as The Daughters Of Bilitis in 1955 helped women not feel lonely or abnormal with their gender choice. This was a lesbian social and political organization formed in San Francisco in 1955 by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon (ibid). This organization helped change a bit of the perception of binary gender identification, however there were still inequalities that existed.

The issues of male dominance were still present and most women hesitated to voice their opinion out of fear. Women wanted equality in a more complete way. In the 1920s the equal rights movement proposed a new amendment to promote equal rights for women more generally. Furthermore, starting in the 1960s a feminist movement began “dedicated to greater equality between men and women, reemerged as a central feature of public life in the 1960s, partly inspired by the burgeoning social movements of that decade: the New Left, the civil rights movement, opposition to the war in Vietnam, and gay rights” (Women and Social Movements). This movement also encouraged to end violence against women and to respect all women. Women’s groups protested violence women suffered at the hands of men and the lack of protection offered to women victims by police and the legal system. Alongside providing shelters for battered women, women publicized the issue of violence, holding national conferences, and demanding legislative protections and reforms (ibid). Finally, in 1992 the women’s action coalition in which a group of people advocated women’s rights, highlighted a range of issues including sexual assault against women and women’s under-representation in the art world. (ibid).

These are a couple of key movements that drove us into the world we live in today. There has been much progress in the women’s world such as: voting, working, and having a voice that is respected. However, most women currently experience other issues that affect their lives in today’s society, like inequality in the workplace and not receiving an equal pay. Time has passed and we are thought to have evolved as humans, yet women still experience sexism from men and even from other women. Some women are sexist to one another even though they should stick together. These are issues that still persist in our society. Nowadays, feminism also means encouraging other women to love their bodies and embrace the flaws. 

An example of embracing women’s body is body hair. In modern society this is an issue because most men think women having body hair is disgusting or unpleasant. However, most women are choosing what to do with their own body hair and are embracing it. On the other hand, there are women bashing other women and not encouraging one another or not standing tall against the male figure. Lorin Basden Arnold’s “What is a Feminist? Students description” asks students from Northeastern University to give a definition of feminism. Eighty-eight students provided positive definitions of feminism. “One might expect that the students would describe feminists as people who believed in rights and equality for women in relation to men. In fact, just over one-half of these eighteen individuals defined feminists as people who ‘stand up for’ or ‘fight for’ the rights and equality of women” (Basden Arnold). This shows how most students have a different concept of the feminism and how some of them are quite oblivious to it.

In addition, Bridget Murray Law’s “What Feminism means today” reports how feminism needs more advancement in college and the workplace. Murray Law was interviewing professionals and asking them what feminism means today and one of them answered “It's about doing what you want to do in life, fighting for what you want-not waiting for others to give you what you need. There are still obstacles for women in doing that...” (qtd. in Murray Law). This is still an underlying issue and most people acknowledge what feminism is in their own words, but they don’t do much about it so it could advance and for society to be better.

On the other hand, Mariam Darce Frenier’s “American anti-feminist women: Comparing the rhetoric of opponents of the equal rights amendment with that of opponents of women's suffrage” shows the other side of history, which is the anti feminist. Frenier states “All these antis held only one opinion in common: the sexes were so different from each other that they by nature have different functions and should be treated differently”(Frenier). This gives us an insight of how some people strongly believe that women and men are very different, and there shouldn’t be more advances in the feminist world because of this oddly enough.

In an online survey conducted in November about feminism and how it influences today’s society with 58 responses in total. Most of them were familiar or somewhat familiar with what feminism means. Moreover, 48.3% consider themselves somewhat feminist and 31% of them are feminist. Most importantly, 48.3% have been influenced by feminism in today’s society with their own life choices (ibid.). This demonstrates how society is actively thinking about feminism and revolving their decisions around feminism to some extent. It also shows how most people want feminism to advance and how most of them have a clear understanding regarding the fundamentals of feminism, but some of them don’t want change. In addition, it shows how important it is to understand feminism, women’s history, and to be familiar with the meaning of the term.

Feminism started years ago and the meaning of it has progressed. Though the meaning has changed and become stronger in many ways, the same core principles still exist. The rooted concepts of women being brave and voicing their opinions aloud still holds tremendous value. Standing up for what is fair and equal is not an outdated principle by any means. Additionally, feminism is also about encouraging other women, being confident, and embracing one’s flaws. The events that happened in history influenced our society today so that women are able to work, vote, and be more independent. While, these are great steps up from where we used to be in relatively recent history, should we disregard that women were treated as second class citizens? How can we be satisfied with what we’ve achieved when implicit sexism still occurs in various forms such as the workplace environment?