Women in Buddhism Essay -- Religion Religious Philosophy Essays

Women in Buddhism The division of women in religion, especially eastern religions,is a strange one. Western religions be plumb straightforward virtually a womens place. For example, most Western religions(excluding the Roman Catholic Church) lease women in leadershiproles within the religious community. Judaism allows women rabbis,most Christian religions allow women ministers, and even Islam,which does non allow women mullah, have had many influential femalesufis throughout Islamic history. Women have had comparable roles in Eastern religion. However,the big divagation in Eastern religion is in the philosophical orscriptural attitude towards women versus the actual, everydayrole of women. According to the Bhagavad Gita, ...those who take shelter inMe, though they be of set out birth -- women, vaisyas (merchants), aswell as sudras (workers) -- can approach the supreme destination.(Bhagavad Gita, 932) This places women in a spiritual rolesimilar to that of men. However, because of the place of women intraditional Indian society, women are judgement to be inferior. Thisis clearly expressed in the Gita in a number of chapters. Womenare thought to be fly-by-night and stupid, easily corrupted(140), and a hindrance to men on the path to liberation (1611-12). The Manu-samhita, a Hindu book that lays down the justness of thehuman race, explains that women should not be faden freedom andshould be protected at all times. According to Swami Prabhupada,the leader of the Krishna Consciousness movement, That does notmean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are likechildren. Children are not given freedom, but that does not meanthey are kept as... ...untries, such as Japan, Korea andIndia, set more equality towards women, female religiousteachers should become much more common. This may be just whatBuddhism needs to shake it from its lethargy, and give it a pushof much needed energy. As it stands now, the United S tates hasbecome the spiritual center for Buddhism, a fact that has a lot todo with the role of women in these traditions. workings CITEDA.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 seek -- Religion Religious Philosophy EssaysWomen in Buddhism The role of women in religion, especially Eastern religions,is a strange one. Western religions are fairly straightforwardabout a womens place. For example, most Western religions(excluding the Roman Catholic Church) allow women in leadershiproles within the religious community. Judaism allows women rabbis,most Christian reli gions allow women ministers, and even Islam,which does not allow women mullah, have had many influential femalesufis throughout Islamic history. Women have had similar roles in Eastern religion. However,the big difference in Eastern religion is in the philosophical orscriptural attitude towards women versus the actual, everydayrole of women. According to the Bhagavad Gita, ...those who take shelter inMe, though they be of lower birth -- women, vaisyas (merchants), aswell as sudras (workers) -- can approach the supreme destination.(Bhagavad Gita, 932) This places women in a spiritual rolesimilar to that of men. However, because of the place of women intraditional Indian society, women are thought to be inferior. Thisis clearly expressed in the Gita in a number of chapters. Womenare thought to be untrustworthy and stupid, easily corrupted(140), and a hindrance to men on the path to liberation (1611-12). The Manu-samhita, a Hindu book that lays down the law of th ehuman race, explains that women should not be given freedom andshould be protected at all times. According to Swami Prabhupada,the leader of the Krishna Consciousness movement, That does notmean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are likechildren. Children are not given freedom, but that does not meanthey are kept as... ...untries, such as Japan, Korea andIndia, develop more equality towards women, female religiousteachers should become much more common. This may be just whatBuddhism needs to shake it from its lethargy, and give it a boostof much needed energy. As it stands now, the United States hasbecome the spiritual center for Buddhism, a fact that has a lot todo with the role of women in these traditions. WORKS CITEDA.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. Budd ha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Secaucus, NJ Citadel Press, 1988.Tworkow, Helen. Butsumon. Spring 1990. San Francisco Buddhist Bookstore and Buddhist Churches of America.