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Lecturer Name:- Ms. D.M.S. Lakmali

Bhikkhu B. Dhammarama
SIBA-BABL 14-13
7th Semester
Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy
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Content

Introduction

Position of women in ancient periods

Women in Pre-Vedic period

Women in Vedic period

Historical evil practices against women in India

Buddhist attitudes on women

Some crucial issues affecting women empowerment in whole over the

world

Status of women in modern period

Conclusion

Bibliography
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Introduction

A woman is a female human who can be a sister, mother, daughter or in form of a

wife. According to the World Banks current official statistic women represent half of the

world population (50%) and the current female population of Sri Lanka is 50.7%. on the other

hand women make up at least 40% of the workforce in more than eighty countries.

As we all are aware of the fact that in western countries women are equal with men.

But the status of women in Indian subcontinent countries it has not been become equal as

much as men. Women have suffered numerous social, cultural, political, and religious

deprivations in in patriarchal societies such as India and Sri Lanka. Considering the historical

evidences of pre-Vedic period, it is proved that women were regarded as goddesses in the

form of Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Durga etc. but when it comes to Vedic period, particularly in

Brahmanic period women were treated brutally as animals. Their only duty was making

sexually satisfaction of men and reproduction or procreation. Most importantly the earliest

metrical work of Brahmans was the Manusmriti which means the law or word of Manu

reveals the nature of a woman as in following verses:

Women have no divine rights to perform any religious ritual, make or

observe a fast. Her only duty is to obey and please her husband, if she wants to be

exalted in heaven

It is defined by the verses which have been mentioned above, the position of the

women in Brahmanic period was not fortunate enough to live a harmonious life. But with the

advent of Buddhism that pathetic situation of women was changed. Buddhism transformed the

miserable position of women into blessed and worthy statues. The scope of this assignment

will cover the earliest position of woman and how they were gradually given the due place in

the society as well as the modern situation of the women etc.

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Position of women in ancient periods

Women in Pre-Vedic period

In the period of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa there was gender equality. They worshiped the

sexual organs of both men and women. Also they believed in god Pashupathi and goddess Jaganmta.

In that period women were treated as the symbol of prosperity. And they had freedom and were happy.

In the Vedic period also women had a respectable position in society. In that period women were free

to study Vedic texts and to do religious activities also. But this is the period which started to limit

womens freedom.

Be a friend to our livestock without casting an evil eye and do not hurt your

husband. Give birth to brave children. Worship gods. Live comfortably.1

Women in later Vedic period

When it comes to the later Vedic period, the women had to face many problems in

their lives. Because in that period Brahmins wanted to spread and entrench their power in

Indian society. And also the position of women did not appear to have been a very happy one.

Generally women seem to have been looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at times they

were considered as being on the same level as the Sudras, the lowest of the four castes. Their

freedom was extremely limited. In the Manu Smriti it is shown the cruel infliction of domestic

subservience on woman.

In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband,

when her lord is dead to her sons, a woman must never be independent.2

1
Rig Veda, 10th zone, 85 verse.
2
Law of Manu. V. 153. Nsti strna pthag yajo na vrata npyuposatha pati suryate yena tena

svarge mahyate
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By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be done

independently, even in her own house. In childhood a female must be subject to her

father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never

be independent3

No sacrifice, no vow, no fast must be performed by women apart (from their

husbands): if a wife obeys her husband, she will (for that reason alone) be exalted in

heaven.4

Because of such concepts society automatically changed in to a patriarchal society.

The Brahmin tradition always looked at women with misogynist eyes.

Historical evil practices against women in India

Traditions such as sati, jauhar, and devadasi among some communities have been

banned and are largely defunct in modern India. However, some instances of these practices

are still found in remote parts of India. The purdah is still practiced by Indian women in some

communities, and child marriage remains prevalent despite it being illegal under current

Indian law.

Sati

Sati is an old, almost completely defunct custom among some communities, in

which the widow was immolated alive on her husband's funeral pyre. Although the act was

supposed to be voluntary on the widow's part.

3
Laws of Manu, V, 147-8.
4
The Laws of Manu. Vol. XIV. P. 196. Ch. V. v. 155.
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Jauhar

Jauhar refers to the practice of voluntary immolation by wives and daughters of

defeated warriors, in order to avoid capture and consequent molestation by the

enemy. The practice was followed by the wives of defeated Rajput rulers, who are known

to place a high premium on honor. Evidently such practice took place during the Islamic

invasions of India.

Purdah

Purdah is the practice among some communities requiring women to cover themselves

so as to conceal their skin and form from males. It imposes restrictions on the mobility of

women, curtails their right to interact freely, and is a symbol of the subordination of women.

It is noted that Indian women had to purdah in the Islamic Kingdoms in Indian Subcontinent,

as result of fear, that they would be kidnapped by the Muslim invaders.

Devadasi

Devadasi is often misunderstood as religious practice. It was practiced in southern

India, in which women were "married" to a deity or temple. The ritual was well-established by

the 10th century A.D. By 1988, the practice was outlawed in the country.

These kinds of serious traditional practices were performed upon women and they had

to obey these practices without any questioning.

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Buddhist attitudes on women

Under Buddhism the Buddha gave an honorable place to women. With Buddhism

women got the freedom to engage in religious activities, to live freely under Buddhist

guidance, to enter the Buddhist Sagha communityetc. The Buddha regarded everyone as

equal. Buddhist society consisted of the following:

1. Bhikkhu

2. Bhikkhun

3. Upsaka

4. Upsik

According to Ven K Sri Dhammananda Theras explanation:

Women's position in Buddhism is unique. The Buddha gave women full

freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious Teacher

who gave this religious freedom to women. During the Buddha's time, women's

position in society was very low. The Buddha was criticized by the prevailing

establishment when He gave this freedom to women. His move to allow women to

enter the Holy Order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed

women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity like men to

attain the highest position in the religious way of life by attaining Arahantahood.

Every woman in the world must be grateful to the Buddha for showing them the real

religious way of living and for giving such freedom to them for the first time in world

history.5

An incident reported in the Pali Canon illustrates this well. It records an exchange

between Mara, the Buddhist embodiment of evil, and a nun Soma Theri. Mara taunts Soma

5
Dhammananda K Sri. (2002). What Buddhists Believe. (4th ed). P: 309.
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that no woman could reach the high ground of the wise because she has only the two-

finger knowledge (dvagulapa), an allusion to cooking where the consistency of the

cooked rice is tested by pressing it between the fingers. But as a best answer, once the Buddha

uttered to the King Pasenadi Kosala as:

Women also should be looked after. They also could be wise and they also

could treat relatives well and give birth to brave children who can rule the kingdom.6

The most interesting story is that Ambapali was a celebrated prostitute of Vesali. She

was very charming and beautiful. The kings, nobles and rich men would come to visit her. So

after that she had to refuse some of them. Once while walking, the Buddha come to Vesali.

Ambapali met him and offered all her resources including her mango garden for the use of the

Buddha and his disciples. She gave up her profession and embraced the life of Bhikkhuni.

Ultimatety she became an Arhant when she had heard the sermon preached by her son Thera

Bimala Kondanna. In her old age she wrote about her religions experience in beautiful verses

which are known as the Gathas of Ambapali in Pali literature as:

Lo, thou art wanting to walk where no path is;

thou sickest to capture

moon from the skies for they play.

Thou would jump over the ridges of Meru,

Thou who presumes to lie in wait for

A child of the Buddha.7

6
itth pi hi ekacciy seyy posa jandipa - medhvin slavat sassudev patibbat

Tass yo jyat poso sro hoti disampati - eva subhagiy putto rajja pi anussat SN. I. 86.
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Verses of the Sisters, 152
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It is clear that Buddhism does not neglect the intelligence of women as inferior.

The Buddha allowed women to ordain in his dispensation and showed the way of

liberation without any discrimination.

Some crucial issues affecting women empowerment in whole over the world

SKEWED
CHILD
SEX RATIO
Access to
Illiteracy food

POLITICAL Issues
PARTICIP Dowry
Affecting
ATION
Women

SEXUAL Sex
ASSAULT selection

RAPE

Status of women in modern period

Women are an integral part of todays society. They have an active social life. They

participate in various social and cultural functions. The women can no more be kept behind

the curtains doing only domestic duties. Our society is accepting the wider participation of

women. They are working as pilots; and they are even holding the helm of a countrys
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administration. As well as the women now work in offices both as clerks and as officers. They

participate at Assemblies and Parliaments as the peoples representatives.

But by nature they have certain kind of weaknesses and miseries. Although the women

have been given the equal status in modern situation, they have also been subjected to

misfortunes which were in the past. Such as:

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths

are preventable, but due to gender-based discrimination many women are not given the

proper education or care they need.

As many as 1 in 4 women experience physical or sexual violence during pregnancy.

Women make up 80% of all refugees and displaced people. Instruments of genocide

such as sexual violence and rape are often directed at women and girls.

More than 16.4 million women in the world have HIV/AIDS.

Women account for 70% of the population living in absolute poverty (on less than

$1.00 a day).

Over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the age of 18.

603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered as a

crime.8

Those miseries are always encompassed the women in any societies. Although in

Western this situation has been changing smoothly, as the patriarchal societies most of Asian

countries still conduct the same theories what they practiced in the past. Therefore the modern

status of women has not been highly changed in the whole world.

8
World Health Organizations (WHO) statistics, 2016.
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Conclusion

Generally a woman was considered a burden on the family because the males had to bear

the responsibility of looking after her. Besides, at the past she was incapable of performing

religious rites for the well-being of the departed parents, and therefore, she was considered as

being of little use. This is why the birth of a female child was considered as a sign of

misfortune in a family. Parents prayed for the birth of sons in Brahmanic period. Even today

this thought is been conducted in India sometimes even in Sri Lanka.

Although the women constitute almost half of the total population of the entire world they

are not enjoying their freedoms, equalities, privileges, as the male party. Nevertheless women

are given the room in political, education, religion and business fields, in practically even

today they have no equal freedom as same as the male party. Though some religions

philosophically accept their freedom in performing religious lives, still today almost all

religions do not have the equal freedom to women to perform religious acts considering the

cultural and traditional notions.

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Bibliography

Primary Sources

Trenckner, V. (1964), The Dgha Nikaya, Vol. II, pp. 30-35.; The Majjhima- Nikdya, Vols. I, III, (3rd

ed), Pali Text Society, London.

Wilhelm Geiger (1958), The Mahdvathsa, (2nd ed), Pali Text Society, London

V. Fausboll (1964), The Jataka, Vols. IVII, (2nd ed), Pali Text Society, London.

Buhler G. (1866). Laws of Manu, Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXV. Oxford University Press.

Secondary Sources

Lalita Dhar Parihar (2011), Woman and Law, From Impoverishment to Empowerment A Critique,

Eastern Book Publication, Lucknow.

Bhagawat, N. K. (1937). Therigatha. (ed). Delhi New Publisher. New Delhi.

Agrawa. A. (2003). Female Foeticide Myth and Reality, 374 Cases Histories of Woman Who Have

Undergone Female Foeticide, Sterling Publication Private Limited New Delhi.

Arvamundan. G. (2011), Disappearing Daughter's, The Tragedy of Female Foeticide, Penguin Book

India Publication.

Dr. Annupriya, M. (2013). Plight of Women Domestic Workers in India, Wisdom Publication.

Boston.

Sreelakhmamma, K. (2008). Empowerment of Women in India. Serial Publications. New Delhi,

India.

Bergmann, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 26). Chicago.

Online References

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2015

http://www.importantindia.com