Buddhism and Gender Inequality: The history behind Tzu Chi

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One of the great world religions that can be found all around the globe is Buddhism. It has flourished in the Eastern World and has made its way into the Western World, joining the ranks of all the other great religions. Like all the other major religions that exist we find that with Buddhism there is a distinct problem in the equality between men and women especially as it looks on the duties of both in taking up positions in monasteries and conducting religious duties. With following stories with women in early Buddhism, evidence from texts have shown indications of what their place was in the communities and who they were. The kind of women that came forward wanting to be nuns came from all levels of the social pyramid. Examples of some of these such women were those that were mothers, those who widows, and some who left their old life behind in search of wandering the world. This group of women included those that were wealthy, intelligent and dignified but were in search of reaching new heights in their spirituality. The extents to which women went to become nuns were unbelievable. Defying the social norms and going against what the majority had thought, some women went above and beyond even disfiguring themselves to make a point of their devotion. In the world today, an issue that is considered to be one of the greatest in Buddhism is gender equality in monasteries and the suppression of women who want to be devotees. Going back to the story of when Buddha was still alive, we look at how he had initially refused to admit women into the monastery but later on reluctantly allowed women into the sangha. Even though Buddha had allowed women into the sangha, many rules were instilled on them and they were left under the rule of... ... middle of paper ... ...e time presented itself, she was expected to be a substitute for her husband in family affairs if he was not around. Another expectation of a wife in Buddhism was to familiarize herself with any business or trade that her was involved in, so that in the case he is absent, she would be able to take over. Works Cited • "Library." Gender and Sexuality. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. • "Buddhist Studies: Buddhism & Women: Position of Women." Buddhist Studies: Buddhism & Women: Position of Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. • "Buddhism and Women -- Is Buddhism a Sexist Religion?" About.com Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. • Gender Equality in Buddhism." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. • "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Buddha []. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. • "STATUS OF WOMEN IN BUDDHISM." Status of Women in Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

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