I find Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s teachings on gender to be far more radical

My soul has rebelled against gender stereotypes since as long as I can remember, even when I was a Hijab-wearing Muslim girl. I often tell people that I find Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s teachings on gender to be far more radical (and certainly more liberating) than even the most radical feminists. This post is mostly a compilation of the Mother’s most important writings on gender, and related quotes from her (see under the cut below for these). These articles and quotes emphasize one main idea: that the soul, and certainly the Divine, is not limited by human conceptions of gender. As one grows spiritually, these gender distinctions automatically disappear. The dualities and differences only exist at the terrestrial level...

Although the transcendence of gender is a popular idea in many spiritual traditions, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother go further than all other sages in terms of their idea of the transformation of matter itself, and envision a future species which would be a prototype of a new creation — beyond all dualities and therefore also beyond gender. So for them, transforming the body itself was also crucial and even the physical differences were not something that were permanent. However, this was to come much, much later. Hardly anyone today is ready to attempt what the Mother attempted during the last two decades of her life — the transformation of the physical body.

Of course I have no knowledge of Mother’s attempt at physical transformation from direct experience. What I do know from direct experience is that when you contact the inner being, mental distinctions start to disappear. I would say that losing gendered thinking altogether is crucial to developing the soul...

Source: Various books of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother referenced at the Search for Light website and the Light Endless Light website. Posted by ned on May 8, 2007. Filed under Contemplations, Notes.