Women in Buddhism Essay -- Religion Religious Philosophy Essays

Women in Buddhism The role of women in religion, especially Eastern religions, is a strange one. Western religions are fairly straightforward about a women's place. For example, most Western religions (excluding the Roman Catholic Church) allow women in leadership roles within the religious community. Judaism allows women rabbis, most Christian religions allow women ministers, and even Islam, which does not allow women mullah, have had many influential female sufi's throughout Islamic history. Women have had similar roles in Eastern religion. However, the big difference in Eastern religion is in the philosophical or scriptural attitude towards women versus the actual, "everyday role" of women. According to the Bhagavad Gita, "...those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth -- women, vaisyas (merchants), as well as sudras (workers) -- can approach the supreme destination." (Bhagavad Gita, 9:32) This places women in a spiritual role similar to that of men. However, because of the place of women in traditional Indian society, women are thought to be inferior. This is clearly expressed in the Gita in a number of chapters. Women are thought to be untrustworthy and stupid, easily corrupted (1:40), and a hindrance to men on the path to liberation (16:11- 12). The Manu-samhita, a Hindu book that lays down "the law of the human race," explains that women should not be given freedom and should be protected at all times. According to Swami Prabhupada, the leader of the Krishna Consciousness movement, "That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that does not mean they are kept as... ...untries, such as Japan, Korea and India, develop more equality towards women, female religious teachers should become much more common. This may be just what Buddhism needs to shake it from its lethargy, and give it a boost of much needed energy. As it stands now, the United States has become the spiritual center for Buddhism, a fact that has a lot to do with the role of women in these traditions. WORKS CITED A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, trans. Bhagavad Gita As It Is. New York: Collier Books, 1972. Bays, Gwendolyn, trans. The Lalitavistara Sutra. Berkeley, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1983. Coomaraswamy, Ananda. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1988. Tworkow, Helen. Butsumon. Spring 1990. San Francisco: Buddhist Bookstore and Buddhist Churches of America. Women in Buddhism Essay -- Religion Religious Philosophy Essays Women in Buddhism The role of women in religion, especially Eastern religions, is a strange one. Western religions are fairly straightforward about a women's place. For example, most Western religions (excluding the Roman Catholic Church) allow women in leadership roles within the religious community. Judaism allows women rabbis, most Christian religions allow women ministers, and even Islam, which does not allow women mullah, have had many influential female sufi's throughout Islamic history. Women have had similar roles in Eastern religion. However, the big difference in Eastern religion is in the philosophical or scriptural attitude towards women versus the actual, "everyday role" of women. According to the Bhagavad Gita, "...those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth -- women, vaisyas (merchants), as well as sudras (workers) -- can approach the supreme destination." (Bhagavad Gita, 9:32) This places women in a spiritual role similar to that of men. However, because of the place of women in traditional Indian society, women are thought to be inferior. This is clearly expressed in the Gita in a number of chapters. Women are thought to be untrustworthy and stupid, easily corrupted (1:40), and a hindrance to men on the path to liberation (16:11- 12). The Manu-samhita, a Hindu book that lays down "the law of the human race," explains that women should not be given freedom and should be protected at all times. According to Swami Prabhupada, the leader of the Krishna Consciousness movement, "That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that does not mean they are kept as... ...untries, such as Japan, Korea and India, develop more equality towards women, female religious teachers should become much more common. This may be just what Buddhism needs to shake it from its lethargy, and give it a boost of much needed energy. As it stands now, the United States has become the spiritual center for Buddhism, a fact that has a lot to do with the role of women in these traditions. WORKS CITED A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, trans. Bhagavad Gita As It Is. New York: Collier Books, 1972. Bays, Gwendolyn, trans. The Lalitavistara Sutra. Berkeley, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1983. Coomaraswamy, Ananda. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1988. Tworkow, Helen. Butsumon. Spring 1990. San Francisco: Buddhist Bookstore and Buddhist Churches of America.