Summary: Rita Gross, Buddhism After Patriarchy.

Carissa Sharp

In this article the author Rita Gross introduces herself as both a feminist and a Buddhist. As such, she believes that she has the requisite tools as both an insider and an outsider (or academic) that allows her to approach the task of creating a "feminist history, analysis, and reconstruction of Buddhism" (12).

She gives an overview of the basic teachings of Buddhism, which are common to all forms of the religion. She states that "Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. Its central teachings point out to its adherents the cause of and the cure for human suffering, locating both within human attitudes towards life" (7). These beliefs are summed up in the Four Noble Truths, which describe the human existence as being filled with suffering and the cause of that suffering as being desire for unattainable goals. However, the Four Noble Truths also acknowledge that there is deliverance from suffering, which is attainable from following the path, which has three major elements: "Moral discipline, spiritual cultivation, and the pursuit of wisdom" (8). All forms of Buddhism assert these truths, but diverge on the extension and practices of these beliefs.

Gross also outlines the situation of women in Buddhism throughout history. When Buddhism was founded in India about 2,500 years ago, the Buddha was reluctant to allow women to be nuns. He finally allowed it, but added extra rules for them, and made the comment that the Buddhist teachings would not last as long as they would have before women were allowed to be nuns. Many women became nuns and were believed to attain nirvana, and literature about their lives and insight was preserved. However, in later centuries, the position of women weakened, and the belief that women could not attain enlightenment became popular (9-10).

Theravada Buddhism, the oldest form of Buddhism, is common in Southeast Asia, and is very conservative in its views towards women. Around 500 years after the Buddha's death, Mahayana Buddhism, which was more open to women, grew up. In fact, in many of their texts, women's abilities are professed to be equal to men's. However, Mahayana Buddhism is contradictory in this manner, because there are also many Mahayana texts that see womanhood as antithetical to Buddhahood. Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhism, primarily present in India and Tibet, grew out of Mahayana Buddhism, and depicts Buddhas and Bodhisatvas as male and female partners in sexual union. Because of this positive attitude towards women, they have many female leaders and founders. However, women have generally not been equal with men over time (10-11).

In East Asia, including China and Japan, Buddhism is male-dominated institutionally. However, popular devotional forms of Buddhism recognize female Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In addition, women do have options in religious life, such as full ordination as nuns, the lineage of which has been preserved in China and Korea. In Japan, there is no traditional nun's ordination. They can receive the precepts, and they generally do not marry or drink alcohol, and they sometimes may fill leadership and liturgical roles. In the West, women are participants in all forms of Buddhism (11-12).