[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Women and Nibbana (comment from Bud



Subject: Women and Nibbana (comment from Buddhist Relief Mission)

--=====================_813564382==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



--=====================_813564382==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>A Talk About Women
> .....
> (Quoting from my speech) "The above quotation about the
>goddess Tara should have a word of explanation.  In
Buddhist >belief, a woman cannot attain Nirvana. She must
strive and be >as good as she can and then perhaps she might
be born in >another life as a man, who, if he is worthy, might
reach that >ultimate goal.  

Point of Clarification: The "Buddhist belief" to which she
refers may be found in Tibetan Buddhism but it is not in
original Buddhism in its oldest form, viz. Theravada
Buddhism, which is practiced in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam.  

The Pali canon is full of the names, stories, and verses of
women who became fully enlightened arahants.  There is no
goal higher than Nibbana and these women (and uncountable
others whose stories we do not know) attained it  

Some were from royalty; others had been slaves.  One of the
more famous was the stunningly beautiful courtesan,
Ambapali.  The Buddha accepted her offer of a meal, refusing
a later offer from the Licchavi princes.  Ambapali was
converted to Buddhism, gave her choice garden to the Sangha,
entered the Order, and herself attained arahanship.

One woman who felt a true vocation was Dhammadinna. 
Although she had been happily married to a devout citizen of
Rajagaha, she asked her husband to agree to her leaving the
homelife.  Dhammadinna quickly gained arahantship. When
she returned to her home town, her former husband was eager
to ask her questions about the Teaching.  Her husband's
questions were perceptive, but her answers were profound. 
The Buddha ranked Dhammadinna foremost among nuns who
could teach.  

Consider what the nun Soma said in refusing to admit the
relevance of sex where arahanship is the aim.  

"What should the woman's nature signify
When consciousness is tense and firmly set,
When knowledge rolleth ever on, when she
By insight rightly comprehends the Truth?

"To one for whom the question doth arise:
Am I a woman in these matters, or
Am I a man, or what not am I then?
To such a one is Mara the Evil One fit to talk."

There is nothing in a woman's nature to prevent us from
willing and attaining Enlightenment.  

Picking a few short verses from the Theragatha, can't we still
appreciate these as if they were contemporary? 

The nun Uttara
I was restrained in body, speech, and mind.  Having plucked
out craving root and all, I have become cool, quenched.

The nun Sangha
Giving up my house, having gone forth, giving up son, cattle,
and what was dear, giving up desire, and hatred, and having
discarded ignorance, plucking out craving root and all, I have
become stilled, quenched.

The nun Punna
Punna, be filled with things sublime, as the moon on the 15th
day is full; with fulfilled wisdom tear asunder the mass of
darkness of ignorance.

An unknown nun
Sleep happily, little nun, clad in the garment which you have
made; for your desire is stilled, like dried - vegetables in a pot.

The nun Mutta 
"I am well - released, properly released by my release by
means of the three crooked things, by the mortar, pestle, and
my crooked husband.  I am released from birth and death; that
which leads to renewed existence has been rooted out.

   Actually, didn't SLORC challenge a statement of Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi's regarding women's spiritual capacities and
weren't they also corrected by a learned Sayadaw?  We recall
something of this sort and would appreciate learning more of
that incident if anyone can supply the details.


--=====================_813564382==_--