Sathya Sai: Only women recognize the divinity of the Avatar, first!

Is it true that women have more devotion than men?

Sathya Sai Baba: "I wish to emphasise in this context that during the life time of any Avatar, it is only the women who recognise His divinity first. They are the ones who lead their husbands to the path of divinity. It is only because of the devotion of the women that men cultivate devotion to some extent at least. But for women, few men would have had devotion. Since time immemorial, women have been identified with devotion and men with wisdom. Women can enter even the inner chambers, whereas men can go only up to the durbar hall of God. It means that wisdom can lead you near God while devotion will take you to the heart of God. That is why such a great value has been attached to Bhakti, devotion." SS Oct 2002 P 306 [From page 662 of book, A Compendium of the Teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, by Charlene Leslie-Chaden, Google Books link (note sometimes the particular page may not be shown in Google Books)]

Said so authoritatively by Bhagavan. It certainly jells with my experience of life. I have learned a lot about devotion to God from watching women devotees within my circle of family & friends (non Sai devotees and Sai devotees) including my late mother. But Swami goes further and says that it is only the women who recognize the divinity of the Avatar, first! Easwaramma (Swami's mother), Karnam Subbamma ("She had great affection for young Sathya, and after the declaration of Avatarhood, her house served as the first Mandir where devotees gathered for Darshan of Bhagawan.", http://www.srisathyasai.org.in/pages/devotees_experiences/Resurrection_Subbamma.htm) ... perhaps were in Swami's mind with reference to His own Avatarhood!

Interestingly, in my case, it was a book procured/being read by my late father on Upanishads that I dimly recall as my first exposure to Upanashadic wisdom as a school going boy (less than twelve years old then). My father passed away when I was sixteen years old and so I don't recall having conversations with him on Vedanta and Upanishads.

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