Martha Dharmapali And The Role Of Women In Western Buddhism

Western societies tend to come from liberal backgrounds where men and women are regarded as equal. The concept of equality amongst the sexes transcends upon Western Buddhism. One of the most compelling examples is Ven. Martha Dharmapali. Ven. Martha Dharmapali is an American trying to establish a Women’s Dharma Monastery that is not tied to any one tradition. As it is stated in "Buddhism: An Overview.” “Buddhism as a whole has not yet developed a distinctive character in the modern period... Thus the sectarian, civilizational, and cultural patterns continue to exert a predominant influence in the evolution of Buddhist tradition.” The role of women in Buddhism continues to evolve throughout the world including in Western culture. Likewise, the role of Buddhism continues to evolve through the adoption and omission of several practices. …show more content…
Western Buddhists accept teachings from a variety of different denominations, which is far less frequent in Asian countries. For this reason, Western Buddhism may be viewed as a "Cultural/Religious mosaic”, as the West contains more forms of Buddhism than any other place in the world. “Cultural/Religious mosaic” represents the idea that Western Buddhism is a mix of ethnic, cultural, and religious ideology set in the Western world. “Previously, Buddhism had developed in relative isolation from each other.” Whereas, Western Buddhism was looking ‘outside’ themselves for a different kind of Buddhism and was therefore open to incorporate many aspects of Traditional Buddhism in ways in which they see fit.” For this reason, Traditional Buddhism often disparages and discredits Western Buddhism as a ‘light’ version of