== NEW FASHION: BREAKING LEG & ADDING A FEW INCHES ==
Namaskar,
One of the latest schemes to "increase one's beauty" is to get a body
extension, i.e. get your legs broken and then pulled out of their joints
and lengthened. This limb lengthening surgery, which is an extremely
radical procedure with a lengthy & painful recovery process, stands as
but one of a wide array of so-called beauty options offered to the public.
MUST LOOK A CERTAIN WAY
As we all know, the media, fashion industry, & entertainment business
etc tell people 'how they should look', and sadly enough the common
citizens often get duped. They fall into that trap. After being
bombarded with glossy pictures and catchy phrases, people begin to think
that 'I am not good enough as I am'. In turn they develop an inferiority
complex about themselves, about their external looks.
Please excuse me for saying so, but our young sisters are especially
vulnerable in this regard. Being a woman, I have seen this first-hand on
so many occasions with friends, family, classmates, and colleagues. So
many of our sisters have gotten caught up in the swirling whirlpool that
makes them think, 'As I am is not good enough-- I must beautify myself
to become worthy'.
This is the deplorable state of things today. Is this not why Baba has
made the following declaration.
Baba says, "Selfish men, however, have disregarded the value of women;
they have taken full advantage, and are continuing to take full
advantage, of their weakness. Although men have publicly declared that
women should be respected as the mothers of society, they have actually
relegated them to the status of domestic cattle and sheep." (HS-1)
In result, some of our unfortunate sisters feel they should, nay have
to, look a certain way. People think that their hair, nose, hips, belly,
or height should be adjusted to match the popular propaganda of the day.
Men are not out of this loop-- they are also affected. They can
certainly talk about this. But it is the women who are the hunted in
this industry.
To make matters worse, various doctors and other entrepreneurs
capitalise on the situation and have turned cosmetic surgery and
so-called beauty enhancement products into a lucrative, mega-billion
dollar industry.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY DO
High-heeled shoes, lipstick, teeth whiteners are some of the more
"benign" methods for enhancing female beauty. But in true sense we
cannot call this benign as those things are done as a result of an
inferiority complex that has already been planted in the mind. Women
feel, 'I am not worthy'.
More "advanced" strategies include liposuction (sucking fat cells from
various body parts), hair removal, hair implants, breast augmentation,
and the like. Again, here the industry is just capitalising on women's
desire, primarily, to look a certain way.
And this is a systemic problem that diminishes humans as being mere
objects and categorically overlooks their existential value as living,
breathing, human beings. It is due to this deplorable situation that
black females may straighten their hair to look like white females, and
why so many sections of the population are displeased with their
inherent looks.
But we should not let today's degraded societal values impose such
feelings of inferiority complex on any human being. We should not let
the so-called powers-that-be take advantage of the common mass-- the
good people of the world.
Baba says, "Great injustices are also being perpetrated against
so-called uneducated people." (HS-1)
This brings us to the one of the latest and most awful methods for
increasing one's beauty.
LEG BREAKING, BODY EXTENSION
The leg-breaking, body extension will help ordinary females reach movie
star height and glamour. Here is how it works.
First they break your legs while under anesthesia-- both the shin bones
and the large fermur bone. That is the least painful part.
Then they partially detach a women's legs from her joints which sets her
up for a year-long therapy process wherein the legs are stretched more
and more and the broken bones are pulled apart and forced to grow back
in longer way in order to fill the space.
That is what is meant by limb-lengthening procedure. The latest and
greatest in cosmetic surgery.
But do not get fooled this is no joke. It is an excruciating process
that is filled with painful therapy sessions and months and months of
rehab-- not to mention the distinct threat of permanent nerve damage as
well as a host of other complications and side-affects.
On the top, there is absolutely no guarantee that the procedure will be
successful. Which is quite a risk to take given its cost of nearly
$200,000.00.
But due to massive propaganda about beauty etc, this is what people, and
especially women are willing to do.
NOT ALL PLASTIC SURGERY IS NEGATIVE
Here I do not want to outrightly condemn all forms of plastic surgery.
There are certain situations where it is quite appropriate and highly
beneficial such as for burn victims who need skins graphs and for those
born with cleft pallets or other birth defects that severely hinders
their ability to manage their life. In that case, plastic surgery can be
a real life saver and restore functionality and dignity to the patient.
IRONY OF BODY EXTENSION
But, for the most part, the body extension or leg lengthening is a horse
of another color. Generally it is done for purely cosmetic purposes,
with only some done for birth defects.
And the irony of it all is that such a procedure will not change the
genetic make-up of a person. When that female who had a leg lengthening
procedure gets pregnant, then she will give birth to "short" children,
most likely. Thereby setting up another generation to potentially
undergo a leg lengthening procedure in order to fit in with her family.
ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL IN THE EYES OF PARAMA PURUSA
Parama Purusa has made human beings in all shapes and sizes-- all
designed by Him. So all have their beauty and reflect His vibration.
Thus to allow scores and scores of women to fall into the
ever-increasing abyss of plastic surgery for purely superficial cosmetic
reasons is to go against the natural order of Parama Purusa.
He thinks we are beautiful as we are-- according to His original design.
When one understands this, they will no longer suffer from an
inferiority complex and will not become victim of the fashion / plastic
surgery industry.
OUR DUTY
Our duty as Ananda Margiis is to bring society onto the right track and
correct all the ills-- whether the problem be unemployment or imposed
feelings of inferiority that a person's look or skin color is not right.
Every human being is to be respected, honored, and encouraged to grow.
This is Baba's on going teaching to us all. And in so many realms of
society, various margiis and acaryas are making great gains. So many of
our dedicated wt's open children's homes, schools, and medical camps etc.
In the same way, we should tackle the cosmetic-cum-beauty-cum-medical
industry that poisons our society by implying that people are not worthy
or good enough as they are.
Instead the various sizes, shapes, and colors of people are to be
celebrated. Baba loves all human beings and we are to help create the
vibration on this earth that everyone is a dignified and beautiful
member of our human family.
By definition, human beings are imperfect and none should get duped into
thinking that because their look does not match a certain vogue then
therefore they are ugly or undesirable. People should not get lost in
the maze of trying to gain perfection through physical presentation-- we
are beautiful with whatever physical imperfections we may have-- and
instead strive to embrace our inner beauty. Our value or quality of
being human is a psychic one. That is what we should honor, not one's
external presentation.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, the entire view of beauty for our human society needs
to be shifted toward the psychic and spiritual realm. We must not let
any person feel they are worthless and or undesirable due to some
physical characteristic.
Baba says, "A woman who is "unattractive" but is mentally elevated or
has a loving nature will look beautiful to others." (MVNS)
Baba says, "Those entities in whom psychic and intellectual powers are
looked upon as more gorgeous than the physical ones are called humans –
predominantly mental beings. Hence, to bring about the real well-being
of humanity, greater attention has to be paid to the psychic and
intellectual expressions of human beings, for that will lead to perfect
spiritual composure and all-round fulfilment in human life..." (Ananda
Vanii #73)
Namaskar,
Maya Devii
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Excellent Teaching but Difficult to Follow
Baba says, "You love your son; that is alright. But if he dies, you will
have immense grief. It is not true? Because a son is a finite entity, he
will not remain forever. He is bound to die one day. Leaving you in
boundless sorrow. but if you take your son to be a manifestation of
Brahma, you need not fear in constant fear of losing him, because Brahma
will never be lost. He is ever present surrounding you. This is the
spirit of renunciation or vaeragya." (APH-4, p. 265)
Note: This above Baba's divine teaching everybody knows, but in
practical life how far everyone follows, every person should look within
their own heart.
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