Are Traditional Dresses Better For Health And Less Provoking For The Opposite Gender?

[Tinku K asked: People say that the old Indian traditional dresses for both men and women were good for health and that the present dresses are not good for health. Also, the present clothes that girls wear are provoking to boys, which leads to crimes. Could You please clarify.]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! This gross body itself is a dress for the soul (Vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni…—Gita). If you see the ancient way of dressing of ladies in India, they only tied a piece of cloth around the chest. They did not wear a blouse. That dress was also provoking to men. This external factor of dressing has no importance by itself. Today, Muslim ladies cover their entire face and body. Does it mean that there are no sex-related crimes in Muslim communities? Everything depends on the maturity of the mind and on the control of the senses, which can be achieved through spiritual knowledge and devotion to God. External factors such as dressing can provoke a person to some extent and, in that aspect, we should appreciate the tradition of Islam, which continues even today.

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| Shri Datta Swami | Are Traditional Dresses Better For Health And Less Provoking For The Opposite Gender? | Vaasaamsi jiirnaani