Science Maung Wa - General Contemporary Literature

A paper before becoming a pioneer in science

The status of women in their religion

History shows that no nation has ever sacrificed its life for the sake of its religion, as it has always done. The great wars of religion in Europe over three hundred years ago have cost many lives. The point is that religion can change the minds of all people. The behavior and attitudes of a people can be seen by looking at the religion they believe in. Religion should not be ignored when considering the status of women. If religion says that women are inferior to men, everyone will agree with it. If religion says that women are superior to men, it will not be disrespectful to the public. Therefore, when thinking and writing about the status of Burmese women, it is important to know what their status is in Buddhism, which is their religion. If you ask who is superior in Buddhism, men or women, you will most likely answer that men are superior to women. If you think about it deeply, you will find that men are superior to women. If you think about it deeply, women are the same in all other areas except caste. Although men are superior to women in terms of caste, age and status should also be taken into account. In Buddhism, honor and dignity are more important than caste, so if you look at honor and status, you should consider the status of men and women differently. For example, whether the father is a man or the mother is a woman, the duties of children are the same. Just as we should respect and serve our father, we should also serve our mother in the same way. The duty of children is not one towards the father and another towards the mother. Since the duty of parents applies to both, it cannot be said who is better, the mother or the father. Killing a mother is also worthy of the fivefold kamma. Killing a father is also worthy of the same kamma. Who is better, then? Since mothers suffer more from their children, it is sometimes said that mothers are better than fathers. However, they cannot provide any solid evidence. It is clear in the introduction to the Suvannasama Jataka that the Blessed One praises a monk who, despite being a monk, takes alms and serves his mother and father, who are very old and infirm. Moreover, the Blessed One clearly explains the great merit and goodness of mothers in the Matupoṣaka Sutta. But for older brothers and sisters, it is because of their age and the dignity of their age. It seems that the elders in the past gave the proverb, “The elder sister is like the mother, the elder brother is like the father.” As for husbands and wives, it is stated in the scriptures that the husband is superior.

If we consider all the laws of man and woman, without considering the son and mother, brother and sister, husband and wife, the physical and mental, and the moral, there is reason to think that men are superior. This is because women are often seen in scriptures as inferior and inferior to men. “Women are only good, they are not good, they are called Hina, because of their life, they are not worthy of honor, they are beautiful like gods, but women are beautiful, they are at the feet of men,” and “Women are bad, they are lazy in the morning, they are lazy in the evening, they are lazy in the night,” and “Animal women and human women, because of their life, they are not together, they are the same, they are different in nature, they are not different in nature.” The great monk Manyana Sayadaw wrote extensively in the Maghadeva Lankathi Puttavadaka. By supporting this desire, women will not be as good as men’s servants. The low attitude of women is also evident from the conclusion of the epics such as the Paduma Jataka and the Isithi Singha Jataka. When the Buddha consulted him, he often exposed the sins of women.

Here, it is worth asking whether the Buddha only spoke of the faults of women and did not speak of their virtues. The Buddha did not speak of the faults of women, but also spoke of the virtues and virtues of women, giving examples of women such as Amara, Keenari, Madi, and Sambula. Even the great sage Manana, although he described the bad deeds of women, did not write that men were better than women. He had already written that men were just as guilty as women. In the Maghadeva Lankathi, he says, “In the human world, women are the only ones who behave badly, are bad in their sexual relations, and are not bad. Men are also ignorant of knowledge, do not observe rules, are not virtuous, and do not behave well.” “Men’s minds, when they see, are like the flesh of a goat, the nature of a cow,” and “Without wisdom, the limbs, even men, are more wicked than women, wicked and foolish.” In support of the above two evils of women and men, even the great monk who wrote the Lankan text only writes that women and men are of the same class. In addition, “The servant is good, if I were to drive, I would drive, and I would drive, and I would drive,” and “With faith, I would carry a chair and a flower, and I would carry a lamp, and I would carry a umbrella, and I would carry a good thing, and I would carry ten things.” In the ninth chapter, the priest Brahmin describes the virtues of his Brahmin wife.

In summary, it is clear that although women were lower than men in terms of caste, they were still considered equal in religious terms.

During the Buddha's time, women were also allowed to enter the order of bhikkhunis, just like monks. Like the monks, aggathasavakas, and mahasavakas, bhikkhunis, aggathasavakas, and mahasavakas were prominent during the Buddha's golden age. Bhikkhunis such as Khema and Upalavan were great bhikkhunis who reached the pinnacle of the order.

Moreover, the main point of Buddhism is Nibbana. This most noble Nibbana is something that anyone, whether male or female, can strive to attain. The Buddhist doctrine does not state that women should not strive to attain Nibbana because they are women. Even in this crucial area, if men and women are put on the same level, there is no point in arguing about such insignificant matters. Whether a man or a woman is virtuous or not is only a matter of their inner qualities and behavior. In the true sense, men and women have nothing to show, but are merely a collection of 32 elements, so it is impossible to decide who is virtuous and who is not virtuous. Based on this, men and women are not

Only the inner element becomes the primary source. For example, very bad.

If we ask, "Who is superior, a man with a very high inner quality, or a woman with a very high inner quality?" The answer is that only a woman with a high inner quality is superior. As mentioned above, in the Buddhist teachings, it is not said in general terms who is superior, a man or a woman. It is only the inner quality that is important.

It is well known. Similarly, the venerable Manana Sayadaw also agrees with the idea of ​​placing men and women in the same category, saying, “In this world, there is no difference between men and women in nature. Love your children, be wise, be wise, and be wise. But this Buddha is only for men, and he is not a man.”

The status of Burmese women in the country's politics is crucial.

Having considered the status of women in religion, we must continue to consider and write about the status of women in politics. The West has been the first to demand that women be allowed to participate in politics. In any country, there are men and women, and it is unfair for men to be given more rights in the administration of the country and in voting, so in Western countries, women are not only allowed to vote in national affairs, but they are also allowed to participate in the legislative bodies called parliaments. Burmese women have also started demanding more rights for themselves, just like Westerners. When writing about the Burmese people, we must take into account both the past and the present to understand the whole truth.

The words "government of the country" and "government of the country" are the same in meaning, but their names are different. In ancient times, Burmese women participated in the administration of the country.