Women's Role In Buddhism Essay

It is clear that the role of women, especially in the Eastern religion of Buddhism, is a significant one. Western religions are rather forthright about a woman 's position in their tradition. For example, most Western religions; not including the Roman Catholic Church, grant women the ability to be in a leadership role within their own religious community. Yet, the big contrast in the Eastern religion is found in the philosophical and/or scriptural mentality against women versus the actual, "everyday role" of women. Buddhism in particular originally banned women from monastic practice but later decided to reverse this decision, granting women the right to practice in separate accommodations. The point of women in Buddhism has been a subject …show more content…
Gautama Buddha, who was the founder of Buddhism, gave women full freedom to engage in religious life and also permitted women to join his monastic community and participate in it. The Buddha was the leading religious Teacher who made sure women were given the chance to have equal and unfettered opportunities. Before Gautama Buddha came along, women 's duties in Buddhism had been confined to being strict on only doing house chores. Women were not even authorized to enter any temple or to recite any religious scripture. Previous to the Buddha 's time, women 's position in society did not appear to be a very happy one. Generally, during this time women were seemed to have been looked down upon as being inferior to men. And, at times they were considered as being on the same level as the Sudras, which is the lowest ranking of the four Varnas into which Indian society was traditionally divided. The general view of women appears to be that she had to be beneath the care of her parents during childhood, under the protection of her husband in her youth and in the woman 's old age she had to be under the control of her sons. Thus, it was believed that women in Buddhism did not deserve to have any