The Image of Women in Buddhism: The Canon and Its Contemporary Interpretation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47850/RL.2026.7.2.135-155Keywords:
Buddhism, Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, feminism, interpretation, rebirth, monasticismAbstract
At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, the debate over the gender component of Buddhism intensified. Its context is shaped by four main factors: the globalization of Buddhist teachings and the conversion of women from Western countries; the desire of women from Asian countries to gain access to the full Buddhist education; the need to improve the situation of women who have taken the eight or ten vows; and, finally, the movement to restore the female sangha in those traditions where it had been interrupted. This article examines fragments from three Buddhist canons (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana) that express attitudes towards women; provides commentary on these fragments and analyses interpretative techniques aimed at overcoming the misogynistic aspects of Buddhist teaching. These techniques include considering these aspects to have been introduced under the influence of Hinduism or as later additions, devaluing them as insufficiently substantiated, emphasizing gender-neutral concepts, etc. The main conclusion is that the Buddhist canon does not formulate a clear and unambiguous position on gender-sensitive issues. As a result, each of these issues remains open-ended, that is, it can be resolved in different ways, using different approaches to interpreting canonical texts and extra-canonical arguments.
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