Buddhism
In examining the Buddhism religion, particurally the role of women in Buddhism, it was
quite clear that the religion of Buddhism is practiced very different from country to
country.
Buddhism is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha ("Buddha" means "enlightened
one"), who lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C. The Buddha was not a god
and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the
Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering.
Women have been a part of Buddhism since the Buddha first made his enlightenment
known in Northeast India in the 6th century BC. Looking back to the earliest roots,
several nuns and laywomen were among the Buddha's ablest and wisest Diceples.
The everyday role of women in many countries is quite different from that defined in
Buddhist scriptures. Pure Buddhist ideology
The Buddha
originally banned women from monastic practice (nuns) but later reversed
his decision, allowing them to practice in separate
quarters. The Buddist scriptures say
very little about women, treating them as equals.
In one scripture, the Visuddhi Magga, a monk asked, "Reverend Sir, have you seen a
woman pass this way?" And the elder said: Was it a woman or a man that passed this
way? I cannot tell. But this I know, a set of bones is travelling upon this road.
Although this verse attempts to show the equality of women on the spiratual path, there
was, and still is... sexual stereotypes present in the culture of Buddhist communities.
By contrast to such bigoted practices that hinder spiritual development, Buddhism can be claimed
to be the least discriminatory in attitudes towards women. There is no doubt at all that the
Buddha was the first...
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