Women in Buddhism Essay -- Religion Religious Philosophy Essays

Wo men in Buddhism The function of women in theology, especially easterly religions,is a strange one. horse opera religions argon fairly straightforward some a womens manoeuvre. For example, most western sandwich religions(excluding the Roman Catholic Church) allow women in leadershiproles within the phantasmal community. Judaism allows women rabbis,most Christian religions allow women ministers, and up to now Islam,which does non allow women mullah, film had many influential femalesufis end-to-end Islamic history. Women have had like roles in Eastern religion. However,the big loss in Eastern religion is in the philosophical orscriptural attitude towards women versus the actual, everydayrole of women. harmonise to the Bhagavad Gita, ...those who take shelter inMe, though they be of bring mow birth -- women, vaisyas (merchants), aswell as sudras (workers) -- can approach the commanding destination.(Bhagavad Gita, 932) This places women in a spir itual rolesimilar to that of men. However, because of the place of women intraditional Indian society, women are ruling to be inferior. Thisis all the way expressed in the Gita in a number of chapters. Womenare thought to be untrustworthy and stupid, easily modify(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 thehuman race, explains that women should not be abandoned freedom andshould be protected at all times. According to Swami Prabhupada,the leader of the Krishna Consciousness movement, That does not symbolize that women are to be unploughed as slaves, but they are likechildren. Children are not relieve oneselfn freedom, but that does not meanthey are kept as... ...untries, such as Japan, Korea andIndia, develop more equivalence towards women, female religiousteachers should hold up such(prenominal) more common. This may be just whatBuddhism needs to shake it from its lethargy, and g ive it a boostof untold 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. work 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 Essay -- worship 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 r eligious community. Judaism allows women rabbis,most Christian religions 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 thehuman 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. 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.