DHAMMA PADETHA – 3. DEPENDABLE FOR WOMANKIND
DHAMMA PADETHA – DEPENDABLE FOR WOMANKIND
Because women are gentle and delicate in every way, they are thought to be the weaker sex, having no strength nor power. That is not true. They are those who have skill, strength and capability.
The strength of womankind
(1) Rupabalam — Physical beauty is one of the strengths of females. Thus, they try to beautify themselves.
(2) Bhogabalam —Being prosperous is one of the strengths of womankind. Hence, they have to earn and save up.
(3) Natibalam —Having parents and relatives is one of the strengths of womenkind. That is why women of good parentage live amicably with parents and relatives.
(4) Puttabalam —Having children is one of the strengths of women. Therefore, to bear children should be given a priority.
(5) Silabalam —To be endowed with sila is women’s strength. Consequently, she must abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies and abstain ing from intoxicants, thus, fulfilling her sila.
These five qualities are the strengths of a good and virtuous woman (Sam 2/443)
Housewives who are perfect with these five qualities of strength are able to run the house and look after the family, they win the respect of the whole family.
Among the five qualities of strength, physical beauty, having property or riches, parents and relatives and having children are not strengths to reach higher planes in future lives. They are only for the present existence.
Only those good women who possess sila will reap the five benefits:
(1) property and riches can be acquired easily.
(2) can become famous due to good reputation.
(3) has a pleasant disposition and can enter various functions happily and delightfully.
(4) at the time of death seeing good signs and dying peacefully.
(5) to be reborn at the celestial abode
These are the five benefits a good woman gets.
Motto: Easily obtain property, earning good reputation never inferior, dying in peace, reaching celestial abode. Those are the five benefits of observing sila.
Consequently, good women should depend on sila which must be spotless.
