A story written by me when I was doing A/L
The Place of Women in BuddhismIn the Brahmin’s society women always had a subordinate place. Men enjoyed superiority over women. In this set up women had been deprived of some of their rights. During the period women were exposed to a great deal of torture both mentally and physically. In this time women could not learn and follow a religion. It was a forbidden thing to go to a religious place. If she had been found reading a religious scripture, she would have lost her tongue. And if she had been caught listening to them, Brahmans would pour sizzling liquid metal into her ear. Women always had to be under man. The following Sanskrit stanza bears testimony to the then situation,“Baleyya pithur vase nishteth
Panigrahasya yawvane
Puthranan bhartheera prethe
Nabhajesthri vethanthranam”
According to the above stanza, a woman during her childhood time should live under her father’s protection, after marriage under her husband’s and then under the protection of her son. If she has not got a son, she should jump into her husband’s funeral pier. And if she could not do that, her life would be miserable. She did not have a chance to marry again. She had to cut her hair and wear white clothes. She had to get food only one time per day and it should also be without any salt. People even thought she was an unlucky sight. One of another opinion of Brahmans is don’t trust women in any time.
“Au dumbaran bavan pushpan
Svetha varnassa kakayo
Mathsya padan jale pishcheth
Stree vakyan navishvaseth”
The stanza states please trust if someone says there are flowers in Udumbara tree, crows are white and there are foot marks of fishes in the coast. But never trust what women says. This shows the bad attitude of Brahmans about women. And also a maiden had to marry a man with a greybeard. It happened according to her parents wish. Polyandry was a forbidden to women. But Polygamy was not a forbidden to men. Brahmans had only one use of women .That is to supply a boy child to the society. There are many stories about how women’s rights were deprived in Brahmin society in Manusmruthiya (A book that has been written in Vedic period)
But Buddhism is based on the principle of equality and milk of human kindness. Therefore with the introduction of Buddhist doctrine women could recover their lost rights and put an end to the insults. In Buddhism woman is valued as a mother, wife, devotee and a bhikkhu.
People trusted Brahma has mercy. Buddha showed parents also have mercy. Then Buddha said it is useless of worshipping an invisible Brahma and it is great merit to worship parents (Brahmathi Matha Pitharo) Buddha said mother is the best friend of children (Matha Mitthan Sake Gare) Treating parents is a good meritorious thing and the one who does not treat parents is an out caste
In Buddhist philosophy women has been admired as a wife too. Buddha said wife is not a waiting woman but a partner. Buddha defines the contact between the husband and wife at 5 points in Singalovada Sutra. As in Paththabariya Sutra women has allocated 7 forms as their qualities. From these seven kinds of wives, first four are good and next three are bad. They are Mathu Bhariya (the wife who acts like a mother), Ghathi Bhariya (the wife who acts like a relation), Bhagini Bhariya (wife who acts like a sister), Sakee Bhariya (wife who acts like a friend), Sami Bhariya, Vadaka Bhariya and Chora Bhariya.
Women have been recognized as a devotee too in Buddhist philosophy. In this society man could be a devotee and women also could to be a devotee. Vishaka, Kujjuththara and Bandula Mallika are some of them.
The most valuable turning point in women’s history was the establishment of community of nuns in Buddhist culture. First Buddha also did not give his consent because those days there were fragments of Brahmin’s philosophy. However women could enter the order because of Prajapathi Gothami’s leadership. Women could attain Arahathship too. Buddha gave designations too for their possibility. Patachara, Kema and Uthpalavanna are some of them.
Women could get most of rights as man because of Buddhist philosophy. But now in the west women are demanding rights equal as man.These things might lead to some degree of hatred among the sexes. But Buddhist philosophy shows women should live with a guardianship of a man. It is useless of demanding rights and men should get it from man. For example there are many divorces in the west than in the east. Because of them children become helpless.
If women adjust their life as mentioned in the Buddhist philosophy, then there will not be shouts about equal rights and they will automatically get them and as a result there will be a good caring society.
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