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Women in Buddhism is a topic that can be approached from varied perspectives including those oftheology,history,archaeology,anthropology, andfeminism. Topical interests include the theological status of women, the treatment of women in Buddhist societies at home and in public, the history of women in Buddhism, and a comparison of the experiences of women across different forms of Buddhism. As in otherreligions, the experiences ofBuddhist women have varied considerably.
Scholars such asBernard Faure andMiranda Shaw are in agreement thatBuddhist studies is in its infancy in terms of addressinggender issues. Shaw gave an overview of the situation in 1994:
In the case of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism some progress has been made in the areas of women in early Buddhism, monasticism and Mahayana Buddhism. Two articles have seriously broached the subject of women in Indian tantric Buddhism, while somewhat more attention has been paid to Tibetan nuns and lay yoginis.[1]
HoweverKhandro Rinpoche, a femalelama inTibetan Buddhism, downplays the significance of growing attention to the topic:
When there is a talk about women and Buddhism, I have noticed that people often regard the topic as something new and different. They believe that women in Buddhism has become an important topic because we live in modern times and so many women are practicing the Dharma now. However, this is not the case. The female sangha has been here for centuries. We are not bringing something new into a 2,500-year-old tradition. The roots are there, and we are simply re-energizing them.[2]
Masatoshi Ueki conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the status of women and gender equality in Buddhism, which was grounded in a diachronic textual analysis ofChinese Buddhist literature fromEarly Buddhism to theLotus Sutra. Ueki employed a nuanced interpretation of the terms 'male' and 'female' beyond mere biological characteristics, instead emphasizing their functional roles within society, which he referred to as the 'male principle' orYang qualities and 'female principle' or Yin qualities. His investigation culminated in the conclusion that Shakyamuni's teachings make no distinction regarding women's enlightenment, thus asserting gender equality in Buddhism.
Based on an assessment of archaeological data,Garima Kaushik states "the marked feminine presence at a number of Buddhist sites in the subcontinent indicate that the Buddhist society was in no way indifferent to the issues of gender and women and strange as it may seem, the subject was part of a larger socio-religious debate within Buddhism. Buddhism was receptive to issues of gender and it was the active participation and agency of the Buddhist women in religious, spiritual and social matters that prevented the society from remaining unresponsive to their presence".[3][page needed]
Ueki Masatoshi writes:
The establishment of the male principle in equal measure with the female principle is the natural order of things. They should never exist in a mutually exclusive relationship. They should not be an emphasis on one at the expense of the other, for both are indispensable. ... will the establishment of the true self be a fact of reality for both men and women.[4]
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| EarlyBuddhism |
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*This list is a simplification. It is likely that the development of Buddhist schools was not linear. |
From the earliest days of Buddhism, women were permitted to join themonastic community and participate in it, although there were certain special provisions for them known as ''The Eight Garudhammas''.[57] Susan Murcott argues that "The nun's sangha was a radical experiment for its time."[58] However, as Gurmeet Kaur writes, "Neither in society nor the monastic order are women recognized as spiritual leaders above the authority of men. Bhikkuṇī are systematically taught and told to follow the footsteps of Bhikkhu through an institutional mechanism that is so strong that whosoever tries to challenge it faces backlashes from the Buddhist community."[59]
According to Diana Paul, the traditional view of women inEarly Buddhism was that they were inferior.[60]Rita Gross agrees that "a misogynist strain is found in early Indian Buddhism. But the presence of some clearly misogynist doctrines does not mean that the whole of ancient Indian Buddhism was misogynist."[61]
According to foundational texts of Buddhism such as thePali Canon,Gautama Buddha sometimes displayed a negative view of women: "One must beware of women. For every wise woman, there are a thousand foolish or wicked women. The nature of a woman is as unclear as the path a fish takes in water. She is wild and underhanded like a bandit and rarely speaks the truth; for her, truth and falsehood are the same."[57] According to some scriptures and traditions, the Buddha believed that a person's karma had to be especially bad in their past lives in order to be reborn as a woman, thus making it that much harder for them to discover enlightenment.[57] The Buddha initially refused to induct women into the monastic community, but reluctantly permitted them after being convinced by his step mother and his discipline, Ananda.[62]
There are statements in Buddhist scripture that appear to be misogynist, such as depicting women as obstructers of men's spiritual progress or the notion that being born female leaves one with less opportunity for spiritual progress. However, in societies where men have always been the authorities and the ones given wider choices, a negative view of women might be seen as simply reflecting the empirical political reality. Furthermore, the religious literature is more likely to be addressed to men. Hence we find the Buddhist emphasis on renunciation of sensual desires expressed in terms of the male's attachment to women more frequently than we find the reverse.[63] The mix of positive attitudes to femininity with blatantly negative sentiment has led many writers to characterise early Buddhism's attitude to women as deeply ambivalent.[64]
The Buddha provided the names of women, both mendicant and lay, who were exemplars of attainment and character. These are listed in the Pañcama Vagga and Chaṭṭha Vagga of theAṅguttara Nikāya respectively:
Foremost of laywomen
The various schools and traditions within Buddhism hold different views as to the possibilities of women'sspiritual attainments.[65] One significant strand emphasizes that in terms of spiritual attainment, women and men have equal spiritual capabilities and that women not only can, but also in many cases have, attained spiritual liberation. Such a perspective is found in a number of sources of different periods, including early Buddhist literature in theTheravāda tradition,Mahāyānasūtras, andtantric writings. There are stories of women and even children who attained enlightenment during the time of the Buddha. Furthermore, Buddhist doctrines do not differentiate between men and women since everyone, regardless of gender, status, or age, is subject to old age, injury, illness, and mortality; thus the suffering and impermanence that mark conditioned existence apply to all.[66]
According to Bernard Faure, "Like mostclerical discourses, Buddhism is indeed relentlesslymisogynist, but as far as misogynist discourses go, it is one of the most flexible and open to multiplicity and contradiction."[67] Faure states that the ancient and medieval Buddhist texts and traditions, like other religions, were almost always unfavorable or discriminatory against women, in terms of their ability to pursueNoble Eightfold Path, attainBuddhahood andnirvana.[68][69] This issue of presumptions about the "female religious experience" is found in Indian texts, in translations into non-Indian languages, and in regional non-Indian commentaries written in East Asian kingdoms such as those in China, Japan and southeast Asia.[68] Yet, like other Indian religions, exceptions and veneration of females is found in Indian Buddhist texts, and female Buddhist deities are likewise described in positive terms and with reverence. Nevertheless, females are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse, death and childbirth. Rebirth as a woman is seen in the Buddhist texts as a result of part of past karma, and inferior than that of a man.[68]
In the Buddhist tradition, positions of apparently worldly power are often a reflection of the spiritual achievements of the individual. For example, gods live in higherrealms than human beings and therefore have a certain level of spiritual attainment.Cakravartins andBuddhas are also more spiritually advanced than ordinary human beings. However, as the Taiwanesenun Heng-Ching Shih states, women in Buddhism are said to have five obstacles, including being incapable of becoming a Brahma King,Sakra, KingMara, Cakravartin or Buddha.[65] In the Five Obstacles theory[note 1] of Buddhism, a woman is required to attain rebirth as a man before she can adequately pursue the Eightfold Path and reach perfect Buddhahood. TheLotus Sutra similarly presents the story of theDragon King's daughter, who desires to achieve perfect enlightenment. The Sutra states that, "Her female organs vanished, the male organs became visible, then she appeared as a bodhisattva".[72] In Chinese and Japanese Buddhist communities, since the 19th century, in addition to these five obstacles, women have been recognized as having three subordinations, namely, the need for women to obey their parents in youth, their husbands in middle age, and their oldest son in old age, which inherits from the Chinese Confucian traditional texts of theBook of Rites, theKongzi Jiayu, and the IndianMānavadharmasāstra.[73]
Some scholars, such as Kenneth Doo Young Lee, interpret theLotus Sutra to imply that "women were capable of gaining salvation", either after they first turned into a man, or being reborn inPure Land realm after following the Path.[74] Peter Harvey lists manySutras that suggest "having faded out the mind-set of a woman and developed the mind-set of a man, he was born in his present male form", and who then proceeds to follow the Path and became an Arahant.[75] Among Mahayana texts, there is a sutra dedicated to the concept of how a person might be born as a woman. The traditional assertion is that women are more prone to harboring feelings of greed, hatred and delusion than a man. The Buddha responds to this assumption by teaching the method of moral development through which a woman can achieve rebirth as a man.[76]
According to Wei-Yi Cheng, thePali Canon is silent about women's inferior karma, but have statements and stories that mention the Eightfold Path while advocating female subordination.[77] For example, a goddess reborn in theheavenly realm asserts:
When I was born a human being among men I was a daughter-in-law in a wealthy family. I was without anger, obedient to my husband, diligent on the Observance (days). When I was born a human being, young and innocent, with a mind of faith, I delighted my lord. By day and by night I acted to please. Of old (...). On the fourteenth, fifteenth and eighth (days) of the bright fortnight and on a special day of the fortnight well connected with the eightfold (precepts) I observed the Observance day with a mind of faith, was one who was faring according to Dhamma with zeal in my heart...
— Vimanavatthu III.3.31, Wei-Yi Cheng[77]
Such examples, states Wei-Yi Cheng, include conflating statements about spiritual practice (Eightfold Path, Dhamma) and "obedience to my husband" and "by day and by night I acted to please", thus implying unquestioned obedience of male authority and female subjugation.[77] Such statements are not isolated, but common, such as in section II.13 of thePetavatthu which teaches that a woman had to "put away the thoughts of a woman" as she pursued the Path and this merit obtained her a better rebirth; theJataka stories of the Pali Canon have numerous such stories, as do the Chinese Sutta that assert "undesirability of womanhood".[77] Modern Buddhist nuns have applied Buddhist doctrines such asPratītyasamutpāda to explain their disagreement with women's inferior karma in past lives as implied inSamyutta Nikaya 13, states Wei-Yi Cheng, while asserting that the Path can be practiced by either gender and "both men and women can become arhant".[78] This is based on the statement ofGautama Buddha in theBahudhātuka-sutta of theMajjhima Nikaya in thePali Canon that it is impossible that a woman should be "the perfectly rightfully Enlightened One", "the Universal Monarch", "the King of Gods", "the King of Death" or "Brahmaa".[79]Earlier limitations on attainment ofBuddhahood by women were abolished in theLotus Sutra, which opens a direct path to enlightenment for women equal to that of men.[80] According toNichiren" "Only in the Lotus Sutra do we read that a woman who embraces this sutra not only surpasses all other women but surpasses all men".[81]
Althoughearly Buddhist texts such as theCullavagga section of theVinaya Pitaka of thePali Canon contain statements fromGautama Buddha, speaking to the fact that a woman can attain enlightenment,[82] it is also clearly stated in theBahudhātuka-sutta that there could never be a femaleBuddha.
InTheravada Buddhism, the modern school based on theBuddhist philosophy of the earliest dated texts,achievingBuddhahood is a rare event.[citation needed] The focus of practice is primarily on attainingArhatship, and thePali Canon has examples of both male and female Arhats who attainednirvana.Yasodharā, the former wife ofBuddha Shakyamuni and mother of Rahula, is said to have become anarhat after joining theBhikkhuni order of Buddhist nuns. InMahayana schools, Buddhahood is the universal goal for Mahayana practitioners. TheMahayana sutras maintain that a woman can become enlightened, only not in female form[citation needed]. For example, theBodhisattvabhūmi, dated to the 4th century, states that a woman about to attain enlightenment will be reborn as a male. According to Miranda Shaw, "this belief had negative implications for women insofar as it communicated the insufficiency of the female but never a woman body as a locus of enlightenment".[83]
Some Theravada sutras state that it is impossible for a woman to be a bodhisattva, which is someone on their way to Buddhahood. A bodhisattva can only be a human (that is, a man).[84] These sutras do not deny that women can become awakened, but they are ineligible to lead a Buddhist community. If the aspiration to Buddhahood has been made and a Buddha of the time confirms it, it is impossible to be reborn as a woman. An appropriate aim is for women to aspire to be reborn as male. They can become a male by moral actions and sincere aspiration to maleness. Being born a female is a result of bad karma.[84]
However, the Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's past lives as a bodhisattva within the Theravada canon) mention that the Buddha spent one of his past lives as a princess. This is directly contradictory to the assertion that a bodhisattva cannot be born a female.[85]
The appearance of female Buddhas can be found in thetantric iconography of theVajrayana practice path of Buddhism. Sometimes they are the consorts of the mainyidam of a meditationmandala but Buddhas such asVajrayogini,Tara andSimhamukha appear as the central figures of tantricsadhana in their own right.[83] Vajrayana Buddhism also recognizes many femaleyogini practitioners as achieving the full enlightenment of aBuddha, Miranda Shaw as an example cites sources referring to "Among the students of the adeptNaropa, reportedly two hundred men and one thousand women attained complete enlightenment".[83]Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the fivetantric consorts[86] ofPadmasambhava is an example of a woman (Yogini) recognized as a female Buddha in the Vajrayana tradition. According toKarmapalineage however Tsogyel has attainedBuddhahood in that very life. On the website of theKarmapa, the head of the KarmaKagyu school ofTibetan Buddhism, it is stated that Yeshe Tsogyal—some thirty years before transcending worldly existence—finally emerged from an isolatedmeditation retreat, (c.796-805 AD), as "a fully enlightened Buddha"[87] (samyak-saṃbuddha)[citation needed].
There are predictions from Sakyamuni Buddha to be found in the thirteenth chapter of theMahayanaLotus Sutra,[88] referring to future attainments ofMahapajapati andYasodharā.
In the 20th centuryTenzin Palmo, aTibetan Buddhistnun in theDrukpa Lineage of theKagyu school, stated "I have made a vow to attainEnlightenment in the female form—no matter how many lifetimes it takes".[89]
The divine feminine is connected to the story of Gautama Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree. When Mara appears to Gautama and questions his worthiness to become the Awakened one, Gautama calls upon Mother Earth to witness his merit throughout countless previous lifetimes by touching the ground. This gesture is known as the bhūmisparśa or "earth witnessing"mudra. While Mother Earth is associated with the GoddessPrithvi, Alex Wayman asserts that the divine feminine in Tantra is connected with a plethora of terms including prajna ('insight'), yogini ('female yogin'), vidya ('know how'), devi ('goddess'), matr ('mother'), matrka ('mother' or 'letters'), and mudra ('seal' or 'gesture').[90] The anthropomorphic expression of Mother Earth in Gautama's enlightenment story developed into the figure of Buddha Locana ("eyes") in Tantrism. As one of the Five Buddha Mothers that represents the purity of the element of earth, Buddha Locana is a fully enlightened female Buddha and is the consort of Akshobya according to the Guhyasamāja Tantra or "Secret Assembly."[91] In the Guhyasamāja mandala, Buddha Locana occupies a higher status than Gautama Buddha as he was not able to attain enlightenment without her being called as a witness. Her title as a Buddha Mother, however, should not be mistaken as a child birthing figure in this context. Rather, the role of Buddha Mother refers to her primordial status. As a metaphorical form, Buddha Locana represents the all-seeing eye and mother figure that watches over humanity. Alex Wayman suggests that the metaphorical symbolism of the earth represents the power of arya-prajna, which provides the means to destroy illusion.[90] The primordial nature and central significance of Buddha Locana can be seen in her placement in the mandala, as she represents the prajna ofVairocana Buddha, who in turn is the dharmakaya of Gautama Buddha. Owing to this classification, Buddha Locana represents the high status of the divine feminine in Tantra, a status that surpasses the masculine principle.
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Institutional roles |
History and overview |
In the fifteenth century CE, Princess Chokyi-dronme (Wylie:Chos-kyi sgron-me) was recognized as the embodiment of themeditation deity and female Buddha in theVajrayana tradition,Vajravarahi. Chokyi-dronme became known as SamdingDorje Phagmo (Wylie:bSam-lding rDo-rje phag-mo) and began a line of femaletulkus, reincarnatelamas. At present, the twelfth of this line lives in Tibet.
Another female tulku lineage, that of Shugseb Jetsun Rinpoche (Wylie:Shug-gseb rJe-btsun Rin-po-che) (c. 1865 – 1951),[92] began in the late nineteenth century CE.[93] While she received teachings of all the Tibetan schools, Shugseb Jetsun Rinpoche was particularly known for holding alineage ofChöd, the meditation practice of offering one's own body for the benefit of others.[94] At the start of the twentieth century, Shugsheb Jetsun Rinpoche—also called Ani Lochen Chönyi Zangmo—founded the Shuksep or Shugsep (Wylie:shug gseb) nunnery located thirty miles from Lhasa on the slopes of Mount Gangri Thökar.[95][96] It became one of the largest and most famous nunneries in Tibet.[92] Shugsep Nunnery, part of theNyingma school, has been re-established in exile in Gambhir Ganj, India. The nuns of Shugsep continue their practices, includingLongchen Nyingtig andChöd.[94]
The Third DrubwangPadma Norbu ("Penor") Rinpoche, 11th Throneholder ofPalyul Monastery, former Supreme Head of theNyingma tradition,[97] officially recognized the American womanAhkon Lhamo in 1987 as the tulku of Genyenma Ahkon Lhamo during her visit to his Namdroling Monastery inBylakuppe,Karnataka, India.[98][99] As is customary, Penor Rinpoche sought confirmation of his recognition before announcing it. He received it from bothDilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–91), the then Supreme Head of the Nyingma tradition who was on a teaching visit to Namdroling at the time, and the most senior Palyul tulku, the Second Dzongnang Jampal Lodro Rinpoche (d. 8/87).[100]
Gautama Buddha firstordained women asnuns five years after his enlightenment and five years after first ordaining men into thesangha. The firstBuddhist nun was his aunt and foster motherMahapajapati Gotami. Bhikkhunis have to follow the eight rules of respect, which arevows calledThe Eight Garudhammas. According to Peter Harvey "The Buddha's apparent hesitation on this matter is reminiscent of his hesitation on whether to teach at all," something he only does after persuasion from variousdevas.[101] The ordination of women in Buddhism is and has always been practiced in some Buddhist regions, such as East Asia, is being revived in some countries such asSri Lanka, and is newly beginning in some Western countries to which Buddhism has recently spread, such as the United States. As Buddhism spreads, its prevalence in Mahayana countries grows in popularity as well despite the decrease in Theravada Buddhist nuns. As William Nadeau explains in his book Asian Religions a Cultural Perspective, "In the Mahayana countries, however, the nuns' order remains strong, particularly in Tibet and in Chinese speaking communities."[102]
In theAnguttara Nikaya (5:33), the Buddha tells future wives that they should be obedient to their husbands, please them, and not make them angry through their own desires.
Furthermore, the Buddha offers advice to married women in the Anguttara Nikaya (7:59; IV 91–94), where he describesseven types of wives. The first three types are destined for unhappiness, while the last four, as they are imbued with long-term self-control, are destined to be happy. These latter wives are characterised as caretakers (motherly-wife), companions (friend-wife) and submissives (sister-wife and slave-wife).
According to Diana Paul, Buddhism inherited a view of women whereby if they are not represented as mothers, then they are portrayed as either lustful temptresses or as evil incarnate.[60]
The status of motherhood in Buddhism has also traditionally reflected the Buddhist perspective thatdukkha, or suffering, is a major characteristic of human existence. In her book on theTherigatha collection of stories of womenarhats from thePali Canon, Susan Murcott states: "Though this chapter is about motherhood, all of the stories and poems share another theme—grief. The mothers of this chapter were motivated to become Buddhist nuns by grief over the death of their children."[103]
However, motherhood inEarly Buddhism could also be a valued activity in its own right.Queen Maya, the mother ofGautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, had a certain following, especially inLumbini, where she gave birth to him.[104] Since Maya died some days after his birth, Gautama Buddha was brought up by a fostermother, his mother's sisterMahapajapati, who also had two children of her own. She became the first Buddhist nun. Both of her children, her sonNanda and her daughterSundari Nanda joined the Buddhistsangha of monastics. The wife of Gautama Buddha,Yasodhara, was the mother of one son namedRahula, meaning "fetter", who became a Buddhist monk at the age of seven and Yasodhara also eventually became a nun.
One of the attractions for women inVajrayana Buddhism of following the path of ayogini rather than that of abhikkhuni nun was the opportunity to practice amidst family life with a husband or spiritual consort and possibly have children. Moreover, yoginis, unlike nuns, were not obliged to shave their hair.Machig Labdrön followed such a path, living in a monastery for a while but later leaving to unite withTopabhadra as her consort. According to Machig'snamthar he cared for the children while she practiced and taught. Some of Machig's children followed her on the spiritual path, becoming accomplished yogins themselves.Tsultrim Allione, a recognised emanation of Machig Labdron, herself was a nun for four years but left to marry and have children. She has spoken of the contribution motherhood has made to her practice:
...in Buddhism the image of the mother as the embodiment of compassion is used a lot. She'll do anything for the children. As a mother I felt that depth of love and commitment and having somebody who I really would give my own life for—it was very powerful to have that kind of relationship. I also felt that I didn't really grow up until I had my children. There were ways that maturity was demanded of me and having children brought forth that maturity. So I wouldn't say my children were an inspiration in the sense of what I thought would have been a spiritual inspiration before I had children. More so I think meeting the challenges of motherhood with what I had learned made my practice very rich.[105]
In general, "While Buddhism regards the celibate monastic life as the higher ideal, it also recognizes the importance of marriage as a social institution."[106] Some guidelines for marriage are offered. AlthoughBuddhist practice varies considerably among its various schools,marriage is one of the few concepts specifically mentioned in the context ofŚīla, the Buddhist formulation of core facets ofspiritual discipline. The fundamental code ofBuddhist ethics,The Five Precepts contains an admonishment againstsexual misconduct, although what constitutes misconduct from the perspective of a particularschool of Buddhism varies widely depending on the localculture, Although a foundational concept to be found inEast Asian medicine and social philosophy is the conservation ofJing or essence, as over indulgence in sexual desires or activity is seen to reduce the life span of a human being, as it is understood culturally to be the root cause to illness, disease and suffering.[107]
InEarly Buddhism, theSigalovada Sutta of theDigha Nikaya in thePali Canon describes the respect that one is expected to give to one's spouse. However, since the ideal of Early Buddhism isrenunciation, it can be seen from examples such as the story of the monkNanda and his wife Janapada Kalyāni that striving for thebliss ofNirvana is valued above romantic love and marriage. Despite having married her just that day, encouraged by his cousinGautama Buddha, Nanda left his wife to become abhikkhu in the BuddhistSangha. In stories like this from the Pali Canon, romantic love is generally perceived as part of attachment tosamsara, the endless cycle ofrebirth.[108] Susan Murcott has pointed out that Early Buddhist attitudes to romantic love and marriage generally reflect theBrahmanic ideals of India at the time... including the recent rise of the renunciate ideal and the associated decline in the status of romantic love and marriage.[109]
InVajrayana Buddhism, a sexual relationship with a consort is seen in a technical way as being a spiritual practice inanuttarayoga tantra intended to allow the practitioners to attain realizations and attainenlightenment. The union of tantric consorts is depicted in theyab-yum iconography ofmeditation deities.
TheDalai Lama spoke at a conference on Women in Buddhism at theUniversity of Hamburg in 2007:
Warfare has traditionally been carried out primarily by men since they seem better physically equipped for aggressive behavior. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more caring and more sensitive to others' discomfort and pain. Although men and women have the same potentials for aggression and warm-heartedness, they differ in which of the two more easily manifests. Thus, if the majority of world leaders were women, perhaps there would be less danger of war and more cooperation on the basis of global concern. I sympathize with feminists, but they must not merely shout. They must exert efforts to make positive contributions to society.[110]
In 2009, at theNational Civil Rights Museum inMemphis, Tennessee, he said: "I call myself afeminist. Isn't that what you call someone who fights forwomen's rights?"[111]
He also said that by nature, women are more compassionate "based on their biology and ability to nurture and birth children." He called on women to "lead and create a more compassionate world," citing the good works of nurses and mothers.[112]
In 2007 he said that the next Dalai Lama could possibly be a woman, remarking "If a woman reveals herself as more useful the lama could very well be reincarnated in this form".[113]
In 2010 he stated that "twenty or thirty years ago", when discussing whether a woman could be a Dalai Lama in the future, he said yes but "I also said half-jokingly that if the Dalai Lama's reincarnation is female, she must be very attractive. The reason is so that she will have more influence on others. If she is an ugly female, she won't be very effective, will she?"[114]
During a 2014 interview withLarry King when asked if he thought we will ever see a female Dalai Lama he stated "Yes! That's very possible." he recalled telling a reporter in Paris many years ago that it is possible mentioning that there are some female Lama's in history dating "...six or seven centuries ago, so it is nothing new." He then recalled joking with the reporter, "If female Dalai Lama come, that female must be very, very attractive. [It's] More useful"[115]
In 2015 he repeated this anecdote during an interview with theBBC on refugees. When asked if the Dalai Lama could be a woman he answered "Yes". Recalling again an interview in Paris the possibility he said, "I mentioned, Why not? The female biologically [has] more potential to show affection and compassion...therefore I think female[s] should take more important role and then—I told the reporter—if a female does come her face should be very, very attractive." The interviewer Clive Myrie then asked if a female Dalai Lama must be attractive, he followed up, "I mean. If female Dalai Lama come, then that female must be attractive. Otherwise not much use." Myrie replied "You're joking, I'm assuming. Or you're not joking?" to which The Dalai Lama insisted "No. True!". The Dalai Lama then pointed to his own face, stating that some people think he is very attractive and continued to laugh.[116][117]
In theMallikā Sutta of thePali Canon, KingPasenadi expresses disappointment when QueenMallikā gives birth to a daughter instead of a son. InBhikkhu Sujato's translation of the Sutta, the Buddha responds to this disposition by stating:
"Well, some women are better than men,
O ruler of the people.
Wise and virtuous,
a devoted wife who honors her mother in law.And when she has a son,
he becomes a hero, O lord of the land.
The son of such a blessed lady
may even rule the realm."[118]
In theSomā Sutta, thenun Somā is addressed by the evil godMāra:
"That state's very challenging;
it's for the sages to attain.
It's not possible for a woman,
with her two-fingered wisdom."
Somā responds to this taunt in verse:
"What difference does womanhood make
when the mind is serene,
and knowledge is present
as you rightly discern the Dhamma.Surely someone who might think:
'I am woman', or 'I am man',
or 'I am' anything at all,
is fit for Māra to address."[119]
At this response, Māra disappears.
According to theDhanañjānī Sutta, Dhanañjānī, wife of thebrahmin Bhāradvāja, had deep faith in the Buddha. She persuaded her husband to speak with the Buddha, who later converted, ordained, and became anarahant.
Buddhist feminism is a movement that seeks to improve the religious, legal, andsocial status of women within Buddhism. It is an aspect offeminist theology which seeks to advance and understand theequality of men and women morally, socially, spiritually, and in leadership from a Buddhist perspective. The Buddhist feministRita Gross describes Buddhist feminism as "the radical practice of the co-humanity of women and men."[120]
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