The Power of Breast

The Power of Breast


There are perhaps very few things in heaven and earth that are as mysterious and intriguing as human breast. My great aunt, who was herself a formidable character, travelled the world alone and who did a Ph.D in Anthropology, said that the world revolved around the breast. By this she meant that it was the centre, focal point of all kinds of forces in the world. Breast is the primal source of energy that is both terrifying and wonderful at the same time, the point where energy becomes all conflicted, right that of a child to an adult, old person.We often see that on a child's expression when he/she wants to drink breast milk- raging desire or frustration, longing filled with a strange kind of love, affection. I remember once, several years ago, when a lump was detected in my mother's breast and how that put the entire family into anxiety. Thankfully, nothing bad was diagnosed there and we were much relieved.

In adolescence, when women start developing breast, they are often told things about it by the close women in their lives which causes a sense of confusion and trepidation about the goodness of breast in the context of the world and in terms of morality. How can something that is so apparently sacred and life-giving brings forth the eternal questions- Breast is good or bad? While in the western world, the cleavage, the narrow space where the breasts separate, is considered to be a thing of beauty, much to be revealed and shown off with low-cut, elegant dresses, in India, this is not encouraged as much, especially in average, ordinary areas. However, interestingly, all our Hindu goddesses and their sculpted figurines across walls of renowned temples like Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and others have always portrayed breasts beautifully. At a very early age, such depictions and moral dilemma teach us about the duality of all things and how human endeavour has always been to reach a non-dual state of existence.

In mythology, Inanna is the queen of heaven, the Sumerian goddess who is known to be very fertile, the goddess of love and war. Her breasts are symbolic of her power to sustain life and means of life, wherever she is present. The mound of Inanna is well-known in a part of Canada where celtic, pagan people gather in groups to worship the bountifulness of Inanna. In fact, the goddess religion from all across the world hold the secret of breast and its eternal impact on life.

In 60s feminism too, brassiere burning, the piece of cloth that holds the breasts together in a firm manner, became a rage to protest against patriarchy and oppression. Being able to throw the bra away and burn it was seen as a sign of sexual freedom and revolution. In that era, it resonated with a lot of married women too,  reeling under pressures of their control-freak husbands.

Our first lesson in life is to perhaps acknowledge and respect this power of the breast, its influence on human psyche and the energy it brings into the world. In a very unconscious manner, our breast always transforms our notions of morality and pushes us into a wider sphere of existence. So much so that breast can almost be equated to a cultish guru, drawing a huge number of people to itself and transforming their world-views with sheer magic and mesmerism.

ENDS