Jain Spirit 2002 03 No 10

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 29

LIFESTYLE
BALANCE IS A STRUGGLE
Jugna Shah admits her dilemma of balancing family life, work, spirituality and career
self-worth on external measures of success. Everything from needing to please others, to being considered equal, to being accepted and loved often leads women never to say "no". It leads to higher and higher stress levels both personally and professionally as they get older. This is not unique to Indian women but in some ways it is a newer issue for us. Other women have been dealing with these issues for longer. We have more choices now and more opportunities than ever before, and also more angst and unhappiness. We know we should get an education, we know we should work and earn money, and we know that we want equality but we don't always know what that means. It certainly means different things to different women. All this makes the concept of equality difficult to handle.
I've fought for equality for myself and for others over the years. My most recent revelation may be unpopular among staunch feminists. It's the following: Equality - seems to be the personal price you pay just to find that you 're tired of lots of things... including fighting for your rights just to realise that
even when things seem equal, they really arent. Every now Jugna Shah
and again you realise to your chagrin) that you dont really
want it, but you 're too far down the road to back out. SA YOUNG WOMAN, RAISED IN NORTH AMERICA WITH BOTH I turned to Jainism to find a better way to look at the A Eastern and Western cultural backgrounds, I have often concept of equality as I was beginning to feel very confused. I
s truggled with the demands and stresses of everyday life. began to view equality among the genders as we look at There is the external struggle that has to do
equality among all life forms in Jainism: with my gender and the need to be heard and
respect and fairness rather than treated fairly. The other struggle is the "Living as a woman "sameness". Viewing equality in this internal spiritual one that relates to the three
way and applying it to gender situations jewels of Jainism. I have the knowledge and comes with its own set of made more sense to me. I believe I have the faith, but the required
I've realised that my external struggle actions don't always follow. This internal
expectations.”
to find the balance will continue until I struggle has very little to do with being a
address and reconcile the link between woman, but almost everything with the Jain awareness about life - my external struggles and my internal spirituality. One key karma and moksha.
aspect of my external struggle has been to determine what I am Living as a woman seems to come with its own set of truly meant to do with this human life of mine. Perhaps it is not expectations and behavioural responses. These are often any one thing, perhaps it is the very thing that I am doing now, inconsistent and even conflicting. This trait is particularly charac- or perhaps it is completely different. I won't be able to teristic of women as they tend to base their self-esteem and recognise what it is until I quieten my soul and spend time truly
I
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Jain Spirit - March - May 2002