Women in buddhism
According to BuddhaNet, women and men are seen as equals. In ancient times, women were seen as an inferiority in Indian society and believed that they were useless. Women had no freedom whatsoever. They were seen as a burden in the family because males needed to have the responsibility to care for them; therefore, the birth of a girl was said to be a sign of misfortune for the family. Buddhism, on the other hand, sees women and men as equals and accepts both biological and physical differences. Both genders had a use in society, and the Buddha puts emphasis that a woman's role in society is being a good mother and wife, so that the family has a life a success. Husbands and wives are expected to share an equal amount of responsibility, and the wife is supposed to be the substitute when the husband is not around. The division of responsibilities is meant to show that in a Buddhist society, the wife has an equal stature with her husband. Buddhism does not restrict things, such as education or religious freedom, for a woman unlike in ancient Indian society. The Buddha acknowledges that women are capable of telling the Truth as men are. He permitted the admission of women into the Order, and recognized their talents and abilities.
Notable women in Buddhism: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/women_world.htm |
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"Buddhism and Women: Position of Women at the Time of the Buddha." BuddhaNet. Accessed March 6, 2015. http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/position.htm