Buddhism, the religion of enlightenment from afar seems like an egalitarian religion in which means that the religion gives priority to all people, whether it be with sex or status. Buddhism developed around 500 BCE by Buddha, born in Nepal and brought into a Hindu family was given the prophecy of him being a great ruler or a spiritual leader. Buddha sees misery and wanted to figure out how people could find happiness and enlightenment among misery. He came up with the 4 noble truth that helps guide life through misery through the process of enlightenment. In general, Buddhism is focused on dharma, the teachings of life that an individual could use to get enlightenment. After Buddha died, many monks and nuns took on the role to pass on the …show more content…
However, Buddha emphasized that his teachings were based on focusing on oneself and their own insight, no matter the sex or status of the individual. Feminism is defined as equality for women, to be at the same level of men which there aligns with Buddhism. In other words, since Buddhism seems like an egalitarian religion it is easy for feminists to follow it. I had chosen to write about Buddhism because, from an outsider's perspective, the teachings of Buddhism are egalitarian, but I also took in consideration that many other religions are not and some do very well in being nontransparent with their own teachings and how sex plays in a role in them. This made me wonder whether Buddhist women were inferior, whether they were able to take on the feminist movement and questioning how nuns were to take a role in the religion with monks as their counterparts. After researching, it seems that there are many sides as to whether women are inferior or not, whether Buddhist women are both able to be part of the feminist movement and not able to and there is a complicated relationship between nuns and their …show more content…
At first, it seemed the answer to whether Buddhist women were inferior or not was inconclusive but many examples suggest that they are in fact inferior. As a general fact, in the Indian society women were supposedly treated better compared to other ones in other regions. However, during Brahmanical religion era, in the Buddha days, before Buddhism it seemed that women were viewed as inferior and even kept away from the religious aspect of society. Fortunately during that time, after Buddhism, Buddha made it seem it seem like women were better options for males. One example would be how one of the descriptions of Buddha stating that he believed men should be tamed, men should be tamed due to them being more violent and aggressive than women. In other words, meaning that women are not violent and shouldn't be tamed which for most interpretations would be a good thing. A final example would be how the king during the era of Buddha’s enlightenment years, King Pasenadi of Kosala felt disappointed that he had a daughter instead of a son. Fortunately, Buddha assured him the king that a daughter was a better offspring than boys. To emphasize, In Did Buddhism elevate the status of women? By Ramee Begum, the author pointed out a great example of how women are not inferior
In China and India, Buddhism helped women gain ground in maintaining education in. Buddhism allowed and encouraged women to join religion and education as equal to men. While in China a few women were Buddhist scholars, the Neo-Confucianists excluded women from the politics and educational system to prevent the power of women in government. Upper class women commonly had more opportunities for higher education then the lower class. Women in Europe and America lived more freely and openly than in other societies. European upper class women were able to read and write, become apprentices in towns, and perform family medicine, and some were caught with English Bibles.
That being said, women were extremely limited in their role in society. First of all, women were expected to be homemakers. By homemaker, I mean the women w... ... middle of paper ... ...ay."
During the postclassical era, major societies and religions developed various perspectives about how women should be treated and how they should behave. One viewpoint on how women should be treated included the idea that they were a symbol of enticement and possessed liberal and unintelligent qualities; making them considered unequal to men. Dissimilar to this belief, another standpoint concluded that women had equivalent roles as men and should be treated with respect. Women played both a demeaning and dignifying role in the post classical era in multiple significant societies and beliefs, which decided how they should be regarded and viewed.
Buddhism is a religion of the Buddhist. Buddhist are non theistic meaning they don't believe in or worship a God or Goddess. Buddhism originates from northern India between 1000 and 5000 years ago. As of today there are between 488 and 535 million Buddhist throughout the world.
However, their views would not work in an Islamic culture. The Qur’an does states that, “Women have the same (rights in relation to their husbands) as are expected in all decency from them; while men stand a step above them" As Western feminists want women to be treated as though they are on the same step as men, Muslim women would not be able to accept this. Men are seen to be more capable in Islam. They do not necessarily have more rights, but their capability is higher due to their physical nature.
In today 's society women play a number of rolls depending on what area in the world they live in. Here in the western part of the world we are lucky enough to live in a society where women are able to speak freely and to share what is on their mind. If a woman disagrees with a man 's opinion or something that he says she is allowed to voice her disagreement. However, in other societies throughout the world women do not have as much of a voice. They are expected to be submissive to their husband and respectful when in the presence of other men. The female population is thought of as inferior to the male population. This sort of thinking is very similar to that of the mindset of the sixteenth century. Women were thought of
It can easily be seen that while men were considered to be the most powerful and wisest humans and gods, women had the power to significantly influence these men. From Uta-napishti's wife who convinced Uta-napishti to tell Gilgamesh about the plant that would make him young again to the examples mentioned above, several women were put in roles that had important effects on the men they encountered. Of course, this is not much different from the society we live in today. While many may believe that women have still not reached the point of true equality, it is hard to say that they are inferior and the significance of their roles in society is undeniable.
Throughout almost every time period in history, and in nearly all world cultures women have always been thought of as being lower than men. Most societies are patriarchal and leave men as the powerful decision makers. This idea has only recently started to change more towards equality among the sexes in the last one hundred years or so. However, the religions of Islam, Western Christianity and Byzantine Christianity, although they all showed some semblance of wanting to help out women, all were really just reinforcing and justifying the patriarchal conditions of their cultures. They also went to further probe that different religions do make a difference for women.
Women of these times were obviously not equal to their male counterparts. In modern days however, women are thought of as equals in society. The problem is that they are still not being treated as equals in a religious aspect as well as many other aspects. Elizabeth A. Johnson draws attention to how, despite being considered equal in Genesis, women had their worth ignored “Consistently subordinated and demeaned in the theories, symbols, rituals, A large wave of pro women thinking has arisen in the form of feminist theology. This line of thought draws from Genesis and the idea that men and women were created equally.
Religion is supposed make people feel good about themselves emotionally and spiritually and lead them on the right path, but yet some religions devalue women. Women have been struggling to be treated with respect and equality, but it does not help if religion, the one thing that people actually call on for guidance, puts women down and take away basic rights. Religion expresses that women are beneficial, but also that women are secondary to men. Yes, there are many different types of religions out there in the world, but in the various types of religious scriptures, it is conveyed that women will never be equal to men.
Buddhism was originated in India in the fifth century B.C.E by Siddhartha Gautama. In today estimation there are about three hundred and seventy six million followers, which is the sixth most practiced religion in the world. The founder of this religion was born a Kshatriya, which was the military or ruling class in the caste system. The caste system is a Hindu tradition. Buddhist does not believe in this system. Instead Buddhist believes in the four noble truths. The four noble truths teaches that everyone suffers, selfish desires causes suffering, suffering can be overcome by destroying selfish desires, and if man follows the Eightfold Path, he will destroy selfish desires and end all suffering. Buddhist also believes in Nirvana which is a release from selfishness and pain. Karma is also part of the Buddhist belief. Karma is interpreted in many ways around the world. But in the Buddhist religion Karma refers to the good and bad actions a person does in his or her life. The good actions will bring about good things in the future. Unlike the good actions, if...
The everyday role of women in many countries is quite different from that defined in Buddhist scriptures. Pure Buddhist ideology The Buddha originally banned women from monastic practice (nuns) but later reversed. his decision, allowing them to practice in separate quarters. The Buddhist scriptures say very little about women, treating them as equals. In one scripture, the Visuddhi Magga, a monk asked, “Reverend Sir, have you seen a woman pass this way?”
From the moment we are born we have the tendency of craving the worldly desires that we are exposed to. Its part of human nature to want an ideal life where you are either wealthy, powerful, happy or all of the above without any suffering involved. Although that ideal sounds phenomenal, it is the thought of limitation that drives many people to seek for something more than just worldly pleasures. As some stay within the lines of an insatiable life, others come to the realization that living a life with nothing but worldly pleasures and goals are ultimately not everlasting. This is the point where people go on to pursue something bigger than themselves, something that gives them a purpose and infinite joy or as most would call it, a religion. One of the most fascinating major world religions that many have chosen to follow for centuries is Buddhism. A very complex, yet intriguing religion that seeks for a way of life that ultimately releases a person from suffering and leads them to inner peace and joy.
For centuries, women struggle to obtain equality with men. They are invisible and not given opportunities because of their gender. Feminism is the matter of consideration in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. The feminist movement has been the key to give the rights to women who have been stricken of their equality and privileges that men had fail to give them. It is believed that women have every right to be equal with men and feminism is achieving this gradually. Feminism is favorable to the men, women, and their families because it gives an equal opportunity in life
Women are always expected to behave decently in our society because if they do any damaging act it will bring shame and dishonor to the male members of their family.