Male of Female? Who is superior?

[Positive Change]

I extracted this from a teaching from HHDL which I think is brilliant way of seeing things in a Buddhist light.

Based on the principal of reincarnation, i am certain that our mind streams have been male and female thousands if not millions of times. Thus, gender is really not important until defined and confined by society. As an example, in animal kingdom such as that for the lion, the "bread winner" are the lionesses.

It is mostly out of fear that some individuals impose restraining definitions upon other members of society. Limitations are also introduced as a consequence of the desire to control, manipulate and benefit from others based on the belief that we are unable to practice the act of willful giving.

As our world continues to degenerate, it is of great importance that we do not get distracted by the petty reasons that causes a separation within our society. Instead, we should focus our intelligence and effort on matters that pull us together because harmony is the key to long term success.

Thus, I believe women can be great leaders just like men can be because we are much the same and extremely capable of complimenting each other as leaders.

[fruven]

Woman can be superior. Our definition of superior is dominance instead of leadership. Leadership quality can be from either gender. People look up to leadership because a leader has all the good qualities everyone admire and aspire to be and leaders take good care of their people. Woman do have all those qualities so why not? Instead of being superior, being inspiration to others where people would want to follow and learn from. What are the good qualities that make up of a good leader?

[DSFriend]

In today's world, we have both female and male political leaders. We also have the amazonian are also led by females. There are many matriarcal societies. So depending on which part of the world, what culture we are exposed to, female or male superiorities are subjective. For me, male or female are different energies. Both have their own benefits

[hope rainbow]

I heard this story from a female CEO.
She was asked if she was able to use her female condition to her advantage within a rather machist world.
She said yes.

She said when there was a meeting with new people at her office, she would wait that the outside guests would be seated in the meeting room, then she would arrive, there would be men only, she would enter the room and ask: "anyone for coffee or tea?", automatically, most everybody would assume she was the "tea lady".
Then, she'd coming back a minute later followed by someone with a tray of coffee cups.

The men who fell for the trick would typically be the most macho-types, and they would feel embarrassed about mistaking the CEO with a tea-lady and she says it would make it easier for her to negotiate contracts with them as they were somehow looking for "forgiveness".

How to turn weaknesses around...
When someone feels superior, he is in a position of weakness once exposed to the fragility of the foundation for that feeling to abide.

[Manjushri]

Male or Female, we are all defined as one - Human. The human race, regardless man or woman, is the same, they are one. What we can classify is the nature of our mind, for that is what continues and our physical vessel, male of female, is only temporary. Superiority doesn't come just because we are male or female. Superiority comes with character, attitude, personality, who we are, and that is determined by our mindstream. Of course, physically, male are stronger than females generally speaking, but superiority does not depend on physical strength.

Therefore, Male and Female, both are superior in their own ways if they want to be. We should not let labels classify who we are or stop us.

[DSFriend]

I heard this story from a female CEO.
She was asked if she was able to use her female condition to her advantage within a rather machist world.
She said yes.

She said when there was a meeting with new people at her office, she would wait that the outside guests would be seated in the meeting room, then she would arrive, there would be men only, she would enter the room and ask: "anyone for coffee or tea?", automatically, most everybody would assume she was the "tea lady".
Then, she'd coming back a minute later followed by someone with a tray of coffee cups.

The men who fell for the trick would typically be the most macho-types, and they would feel embarrassed about mistaking the CEO with a tea-lady and she says it would make it easier for her to negotiate contracts with them as they were somehow looking for "forgiveness".

How to turn weaknesses around...
When someone feels superior, he is in a position of weakness once exposed to the fragility of the foundation for that feeling to abide.

Loves this story. Very clever way to get a better footing/upper hand by starting out by lowering one's self.  It reminds me of the 8 verses of mind transformation, to "give the victory to others". With this mindset, we never lose. Even if outwardly we seem to "lose" eventually things will catch up.

[dondrup]

In Jambudipa or the Southern Continent where humans like us reside, the males appear to be superior than the females.  What HH Dalai Lama had said is true.   The situation may be otherwise in other realms of existence, in other World Systems or Universes.  The superiority of the being is defined by the society itself.  It is due to the causes that one had made in the past lives that propel them to take rebirth in either the male form or female form.

[Rihanna]

For me it is not a matter of gender especially if we are talking from Buddhism's point of view where everyone is equal. All beings have the potential to be a Buddha, take Mother Tara as an example if gender is taken into equation.

Yes, females may have limitations in terms of physical work compared to males but females compliment in things that males are poor at. So there is no way to say which gender is more superior because they balanced out each other's limitations.

Rather than gender comparison, I will gauge superiority of the mind. Just take a look around, women and people from various races are chosen to hold important positions in government offices and big companies throughout the world. This prove that superiority cannot be measured by gender or race.

[thor]

In the west, the family patriarch is the holder of wealth as it passes down generations. In Tibet, the matriarchs are the wealth holders instead. In the original Islamic tradition, a man could have many wives. In Tibetan, the women could have many husbands. So who is more superior, the male or the female? It seems that the answers depend on which tradition you come from. 

However, if one examines the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhist deities, one will see male and female Buddhas. For example, Manjusri and Saraswati are both buddhas of wisdom, and consorts to boot. Heruka and Vajrayogini likewise. Also Zambhala and Norgyuma, Amogasiddhi and Tara?

So, is Manjushri smarter than Saraswati? Vajrayogini more enlightened than Heruka? I think not. Both are equally powerful, smart, enlightened. Male and female are equal. Men and women have the same potentiality within them to become smart, rich, powerful enlightened. And in Tibetan Buddhism, men and women have the equal opportunity to practice the true path to enlightenment. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise.

[diamond girl]

Personally, this distinction of male and female is very archaic. In today's world the differences between men and women and their capabilities is so minor. In fact there is no difference. Both genders are equal and the difference in them is not about physical nor mental but simply attitude. We have seen tons of movies showing this. And even in reality, many women have risen to powerful places which used to be filled by men only. Even in the spiritual world, there are very powerful monks AND nuns.

However, I do notice that most Buddhas are male. I have wondered why? Then again you have Tara, Saraswati and Kuan Yin... I figured that because religion is from many centuries back where male gender is dominant that would be the case brought forward to today's practices. I do not see this as some superior or inferior thing but simply the way it is. They are all powerful in their respective purposes.

What is key is not the Buddhas but how we people (both male and female) practice and are true to the practice and application to life. Thus, I go back to attitude and not gender and biology. 

[Tenzin K]

At this ear, not much different you can really see interm of the capabilities of both male and female. In fact we can see so many lady leaders that rule the country successfully.

This conclusion would take us back to the question of the Buddhist attitude towards women and how it differs from that of other religions. Examining the position in ancient India it is clear from the evidence in the Rigveda, the earliest literature of the Indo-Aryans, that women held an honorable place in early Indian society. There were a few Rigvedic hymns composed by women. Women had access to the highest knowledge and could participate in all religious ceremonies. In domestic life too she was respected and there is no suggestion of seclusion of women and child marriage. Later when the priestly Brahmans dominated society and religion lost its spontaneity and became a mass of ritual, we see a downward trend in the position accorded to women. The most relentless of the Brahman law givers was Manu whose Code of Laws is the most anti-feminist literature one could find. At the outset Manu deprived woman of her religious rights and spiritual life. "Sudras, slaves and women" were prohibited from reading the Vedas. A woman could not attain heaven through any merit of her own. She could not worship or perform a sacrifice by herself. She could reach heaven only through implicit obedience to her husband, be he debauched or devoid of all virtues. Having thus denied her any kind of spiritual and intellectual nourishment, Manu elaborated the myth that all women were sinful and prone to evil. "Neither shame nor decorum, nor honesty, nor timidity", says Manu, "is the cause of a woman's chastity, but the want of a suitor alone". She should therefore be kept under constant vigilance: and the best way to do it was to keep her occupied in the tasks of motherhood and domestic duties so that she has no time for mischief. Despite this denigration there was always in Indian thought an idealization of motherhood and a glorification of the feminine concept. But in actual practice, it could be said by and large, Manu's reputed Code of Laws did influence social attitudes towards women, at least in the higher rungs of society.

It is against this background that one has to view the impact of Buddhism in the 5th century B.C. It is not suggested that the Buddha inaugurated a campaign for the liberation of Indian womanhood. But he did succeed in creating a minor stir against Brahman dogma and superstition. He condemned the caste structure dominated by the Brahman, excessive ritualism and sacrifice. He denied the existence of a Godhead and emphasized emancipation by individual effort. The basic doctrine of Buddhism, salvation by one's own effort, presupposes the spiritual equality of all beings, male and female. This should mitigate against the exclusive supremacy of the male. It needed a man of considerable courage and a rebellious spirit to pronounce a way of life that placed woman on a level of near equality to man. The Buddha saw the spiritual potential of both men and women and founded after considerable hesitation the Order of Bhikkhunis or Nuns, one of the earliest organizations for women. The Sasana or Church consisted of the Bhikkhus (Monks), Bhikkhunis (Nuns), laymen and laywomen so that the women were not left out of any sphere of religious activity. The highest spiritual states were within the reach of both men and women and the latter needed no masculine assistance or priestly intermediary to achieve them. We could therefore agree with I.B. Horner when she says Buddhism accorded to women a position approximating to equality.

[brian]

For me, it is obvious that the most apparent difference between male and female is physical attribute. This has been let to believe (from many centuries ago) that male are superior than female. It is not so the case in the modern world. More and more women are filling up important posts in big companies and official posts. Futher to that, male and female actually compliment each other's shortcomings and basically made no differences between the two genders. My take is, physical attribute can never be used to determine superior. The mind is, because everyone of us regardless gender are able to generate compassion and become enlightened.

[Midakpa]

The Buddha taught that women are just as capable as men of reaching enlightenment. Although at the beginning he refused to allow Mahapajapati to go forth to the homeless life, when questioned by Ananda whether women were capable of realizing the results of their practice, the Buddha replied that that they were capable:

Ananda: "Lord, are women capable, after going forth from the home unto the homeless life under the Norm-Discipline set forth by the Tathagata, - are they capable of realizing the Fruit of Stream-winning, of Once-returning, of Never-returning, of Arahantship?"

The Buddha: "Women are capable... of doing so, Ananda."

It is worthy of note that after Mahapajapati had taken the eight vows laid down by the Buddha and became fully ordained, the Buddha said to Ananda that "if women had not been permitted to go forth from the home unto the homeless life... then would the righteous life last long, the Good Norm would last, Ananda, a thousand years. But now, Ananda, since women have been permitted to go forth from the home unto the homeless life ... not for long will the righteous life prevail; only for five hundred years, Ananda, will the Good Norm stand fast." (Vinaya, ii. x)

After the Buddha's death, the Order charged Ananda with the offence, among others, of introducing women to the order and so causing its decay.

Thus, to prevent the order from degenerating, the Buddha had proclaimed the eight important rules which are not to be broken as long as one lives.

[Ensapa]

Here's an article that also touches on this topic:

Letters to the Editor

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Attaining Buddhahood: Is gender an obstacle??

Attending a Katina puja this morning brought to mind an official visit I made to Bangkok a decade ago, during which I took time off to visit a temple 65 kilometres outside the city. It was an Il Poya Day, and I was curious to observe how the Thai people conducted the Katina Puja.

Unlike the city’s showpiece golden temples, which charge visitors an entrance fee, this remote Ashokarama was very similar to temples in Sri Lanka. The only difference was the gender ratio, which was almost 50/50, compared to our very high Upaasika involvement.

According to the Mahavagga Pali, the third book of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Katina originated with 30 forest-dwelling monks, Pindapatika wearing rag-robes who were on their way to visit the Lord Buddha at Sravasti. It was the rainy season, “Vassa”, and bad weather forced the monks to break journey. However, they resumed the journey despite the rain, and reached Jetawana exhausted, their robes soaked with rain. Hearing about the monks’ difficult journey, the Buddha relaxed some of the rules for Bhikkhus, especially during the Vassana.

The meaning of the word “Katina” is disputed. There are two schools of thought, both of Theravada origin. One says “katina” means “hardness”, while the Thais say the word comes from “Katrina”, which means “weaving cloth.”

According to the Vinaya commentary, the ceremony and the robes were called “katina” because the merit achieved from a gift of robes was as hard as a diamond. Sri Lankan scholars say the word implies “firmness”, “stability”, “long-lastingness.” To sojourn during the rainy season is “vas viseema”, and this is performed from the Vap Full Moon to the Il Full Moon. Of related religious activities, the Katina Puja is the most meritorious. The Buddha was very clear when He declared that in this noblest performance, the accumulation of merit is limitless.

In Sri Lanka, the Upaasika, or lay female devotee, plays a leading role in the ceremony. The Buddha did not discriminate against women in any sphere of activity. It is therefore puzzling that there is not a single female among the 28 past Buddhas. The Gautama Buddha said the next Buddha would also be a male.
Can a woman attain Buddhahood? Is gender an obstacle to becoming a Buddha?

Buddhist teachings say that no one is superior to another by birth, caste, race, creed or gender. The “bondage” sutta advises against clinging to gender identity. Thai Theravada scholars such as Ajahn Sujato and Dr. Mettanando Bhikkhu believe the “Garudhammas”, the eight rules that restrict nuns, including the rule that “a bikkhuni, irrespective of her seniority, must bow down to every novice male monk”, were introduced by prejudiced, chauvinistic, anti-women participants at the First Council after the Buddha. That rule is more Jainist than Buddhist.

There are a number of instances where the Buddha praised the mental strength and capacity of the Upaasikas. In the Kundalakesi story, the Buddha compared motherhood to Buddhahood. Consider the famous Buddhist females Maha Prajapathi Gothami, Vishaka and Sujatha. Kisagothami and Patachara entered the Sasana and attained Arahathship. “Atta Deepa Viharata” -Be a lamp unto Thyself – the Buddha

[diablo1974]

I am man....So am going to talk about women or rather married woman .  In advising women about their role in married life,  the  Buddha appreciated that the peace and harmony of a home rely on women. His advice was realistic and practical when he quoted a good number of day-to-day characteristics which a woman should or should not do or practise. The Buddha counselled that a wife:

(a)      should not harbor evil thoughts against her husband;
(b)      should not be cruel, harsh or domineering;
(c)      should not be a spendthrift but should be economical and live within her means;
(d)      should zealously guard and save her husband's property and hard-earned earnings;
(e)      should always be virtuous and chaste in mind and action;
(f)        should  be  faithful and harbor no thought of any adulterous acts;
(g)      should be refined in speech and polite in action;
(h)      should be kind, industrious and hardworking;
(i)        should be thoughtful and compassionate towards her husband and her attitude should equate that of a mother loving and protecting her son;
(j)        should be modest and respectful;
(k)      should be cool, calm and understanding, serving not only as a wife but also as a friend and adviser to her husband when the need arises.

In the days of the Buddha, other religious teachers also spoke about the duties and obligations of a wife towards her husband, particularly stressing the duty of wives in bearing off-spring for their husbands, rendering faithful service, and providing conjugal happiness and heavenly bliss. This view is also shared by the Chinese culture. In the Sigalovada Sutta, the Buddha also clearly mentioned the duties of a husband towards the wife...Its not just the wife only.

Buddha clearly understands there is no inferiority in sexes and they should be given fair judgement if there is a need to. At the Buddha times, the society cannot accept woman being superior than man....But the Buddha understands all is about Karma.