Feminine and Masculine Traits

The differences between men and women that are seen in most societies are due to the influence of cultural conditioning and also the influence of biological differences. Now there are biological differences between men and women which are undeniable. These biological differences not only affect the sexual functions of a person but they also affect the psychological functions. So there will be a tendency in many women to be more social, to value social skills and social relationships over intellect and there will be a tendency in many men to be less emotionally advanced than most women. They will have difficulty accessing their emotional sphere. Likewise, many women become overly emotional, overly attached to children, husband and family so that the more expansive pursuits of spirituality are not taken into consideration. These are tendencies of men and of women.

The tendency of women to be emotional has a positive side in that it enhances the ability to get in touch with one’s feelings, to experience them. It is through feelings that the direct experience of Parama Purusha, God, may be had. The reserve of the male also has benefit in that it may make one’s thinking very clear and rational. So each trait has its positive side and its negative side. One cannot say that one is superior to the other, but one can say that there are psychological differences between men and women that are not merely cultural but are also biologically based.

However, I would not say that passivity is biological. I would say this is the stance of an oppressed person. For when people are oppressed over long periods and there is no hope to change the oppression, then they will become passive. There are many women who are not passive; they are very dynamic both in their families and in their communities. Passivity is not a biological trait. Like many traits one will find in women and men in different cultures, it is not biologically based. Yet there are many traits one will find which are biologically based. One must learn to distinguish one from another. Then the strengths of one's manhood and the strengths of one's womanhood may be utilized in the spiritual path and those tendencies that may become pitfalls may be recognized.

When one speaks of the natural or biological tendencies of men and women, one cannot generalize. There is a kind of Bell curve, in which some people may exhibit very little of a particular tendency and others may experience a great deal of the tendency. But in the main, you will find that men are more one way and women more another. So individually, it may not hold up, but in the main you will find that it does and it will hold up through all of the different cultures. You will find that it is women who desire to maintain the relationships of family and that they are not drawn to territorialism. You will find it is men who wish to forge forward, to conquer and to acquire new territory. You will also find that it is men who feel protective of the wives and children, who wish to protect them from harm, and you will find likewise in women the desire to be protected.

These are not bad. They do not make one superior or one inferior. They are tendencies of the mind. For the female gives birth to the children, she will suckle the children and she must be protected and it is the male who will protect her. The tendency of the female to feel maternal sentiments is biological. The tendency of the male to desire protection of the female and the offspring is biological. The tendency of the female to desire closeness in relationship is a biological feature also. Otherwise she would abandon her children. She would not provide the communication between people to hold the family together. She must hold the male so he will protect her and her offspring, and she must hold the offspring. For survival, the trait has come to be social.

You see, these are biological traits, developed for survival of the species. They remain in remnant form in modern men and modern women. They influence the behavior of even the most sophisticated people. It is not good to pretend they do not exist and for the sadhaka, spiritual seeker, it is very important to recognize these biological traits and to work with them, so that they may become advantageous to one's sadhana, meditation. It is important to know yourself, know your physiology, to know your glands, know how they affect you and know how your biological base affects your emotions. It is important to know how your intellect is affected, how your desires are affected and that way you can utilize these tendencies to your advantage in your journey towards Parama Purusha, God.