Oh man, I'm behind; I wish I could transcend work lately, but I wanted to at least post something as I just read this passage yesterday. I'll be getting back on track, but just posting it. bla 
In any case, I like practice because I really feel it empowers me to face directly all the mental crap floating around: negative thoughts, etc. It also helps me not let euphoric, happy thoughts take control of my life. It gives me balance, and that balance directly helps others because being around someone who can accept their faults, admit them and work on them is always a good thing.
The one question that captures me is about the transcendental view and the view of women as lesser beings. I don't think you can really summarize cultural views into one nicely formatted box. I find it suspicious when authors do this because I feel as if they are trying to justify their viewpoint and sell books rather than seeking the truth. In any case, this may help to explain it, but I think back when we were primarily physical creatures that had to defend our territory, the sex that would be more physically powerful (typically males) would probably take a leading role in society because they were the ones that had to protect against outside male invaders. In addition, women had to have children or humanity would die out, so the roles were pretty well defined and primarily based on survival.
So I think that maybe this is another place where we need to evolve out of habits of the past now that our roles are not so black and white any longer and we no longer live in caves.
I have no scientific basis for this; it's just a theory.
Gassho,
Risho
-sattoday
In any case, I like practice because I really feel it empowers me to face directly all the mental crap floating around: negative thoughts, etc. It also helps me not let euphoric, happy thoughts take control of my life. It gives me balance, and that balance directly helps others because being around someone who can accept their faults, admit them and work on them is always a good thing.
The one question that captures me is about the transcendental view and the view of women as lesser beings. I don't think you can really summarize cultural views into one nicely formatted box. I find it suspicious when authors do this because I feel as if they are trying to justify their viewpoint and sell books rather than seeking the truth. In any case, this may help to explain it, but I think back when we were primarily physical creatures that had to defend our territory, the sex that would be more physically powerful (typically males) would probably take a leading role in society because they were the ones that had to protect against outside male invaders. In addition, women had to have children or humanity would die out, so the roles were pretty well defined and primarily based on survival.
So I think that maybe this is another place where we need to evolve out of habits of the past now that our roles are not so black and white any longer and we no longer live in caves.
I have no scientific basis for this; it's just a theory.
Gassho,
Risho
-sattoday
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