“No wonder they wanted to clear it,” says Becky, “it makes you look like an idiot.”

“I know,” says Hymie.

“Then why the hell,” snaps Becky, “did you buy it?”

“I will tell you,” replies Hymie. “When I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror, I looked so stupid that to argue with the sales clerk was impossible.”

In fact, women should be given every honor for all the great awakened people. But to awaken somebody else is charity. Men have not allowed women to become enlightened. Men have not allowed women to be anything that is their potential. In the whole of history, at the most ten women have become enlightened. The fact is very sad and miserable. These women must have been very rebellious.

In the Vedas, there is one woman, Gargi, and you can see her courage…The king of those days, Janak, used to have every year a great conference of the wise ones, to argue and discuss about the ultimate truth. He was himself very much a seeker. He wanted to listen to all the aspects, all the different pathways.

Yagnavalkya was one of the most important wise people. He had thousands of followers. And there was a great prize also: whoever won that great contest would get one thousand cows, which were standing outside the palace with their horns covered with thick gold.

It was getting hot. Yagnavalkya told his disciples, “Take these cows to the ashram.” But they said, “You have not won the debate.” He said, “That I will do later on.” He was so confident, and everybody knew that he would win, so nobody objected, not even the king – because this was absolutely not right, to take the prize before you have even entered the discussion. You have accepted yourself as victorious already.

His disciples took away those one thousand cows. And Yagnavalkya was winning against other learned people; one by one, whoever stood against him was defeated immediately. But he encountered for the first time a woman, Gargi.

Gargi said, “You will have to bring those cows back. You have not won the debate – I am here. I will ask a few questions and you will be finished.” Even Yagnavalkya became afraid. Nobody had behaved like this, and a woman….

Gargi said, “Do you think God exists? – then give the evidence.”

There is no argument that can prove God’s existence – either you believe or you don’t believe, but belief is not an argument. It is simply failure of your nerve. Yagnavalkya remained silent. She asked, “Can you tell me if anybody created the world?”

He said, “Yes, God created the world.”