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F ORUM TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 577

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Min Wei: Such negative comments will lead to a One of the central teachings of Taoism is to attain
premature decline of the Dharma. Gender discrimination balance of the male and female principles/energies.
continues even in the present times. The phenomenon Modern science also tells us that both males and
of patriarchalism in Buddhism essentially violated the females have testosterone and estrogen but in different
fundamental spirit of Buddha’s advocacy of gender proportions. An imbalance of them can cause women
equality. Buddhism could not continue its traditional to be abnormally masculine and men feminine. So, it
discrimination towards women, but rather needed to seems that the obsession with gender issues betrays
return to the original intents of the Buddhism, promote one’s lack of understanding of the laws of nature.
gender equality from men and women; restore back the
path of balanced development. Therefore, we should call Min Wei: Yes, absolutely. The Dharma has no gender.
for an end to the inferior status of Buddhist nuns and of This means all lives are equal, leaving no one behind.
Buddhist women in general. Therefore, the end goal in Buddhism is awakening with
either the achievement of liberation from cyclic existence
Geshe Dadul: In some sūtras, there are references to or the attainment of perfect awakening. Thus, the gender
women’s body as falling short of being the most ideal of a person should not matter in their means to achieve
base for accomplishing full awakening in the swiftest enlightenment as it would reflect as an attachment
possible duration. However, I see that as contextual to the physical state of the body. The attainment of
and reflecting of the socio-cultural milieu of the time Buddhahood is a state that transcends the body and all
of Buddha and other such times, rather than as a its worldly attachments including the person’s physical
generalization that applies to every woman anywhere, being. Therefore, gender should never be viewed as an
anytime. obstruction to achieving spiritual goals as the Mahāyāna
teachings on the Buddha’s nature states that it is present
Besides, both male and female are the same in being in every person, regardless of gender.
capable of obtaining the precious human rebirth
endowed with the leisure and fortune to practice the Geshe Dadul: I believe that such a statement may not
dharma. In the case of both bodhisattva and tantric be out of place. Given that a Buddha is completely free
ethical codes, there is no separate precept based on of both the obscurations, viz. afflictive – which includes
gender. The same codes apply to both genders equally lust and attachment – and cognitive – which includes
and gender difference is irrelevant there. On top of that, instincts of ego and self-grasping – down to their very
in the highest yoga tantra, despising women for being roots and subtle traces, any gender-based sense of
female is not only objectionable, but it incurs a root identity or belonging irrelevant.
transgression of ethical code on the part of any tantric
precept holder, be it male or female. On the other hand, The female Saṅgha has disappeared in the
there is no such precept against despising men in the Theravāda tradition and ordination in the Tibetan
tantric ethical code. Also, among the tantric training tradition is only restricted to novices. As half the
instructions, one is required to pay salutations to world’s population are females, we cannot ignore
women or at least train in paying salutations to women, them. How can we re-energize the female Saṅgha
failing which is considered a violation of the ‘vinaya’ today in the Buddhist traditions?
of Vajrayāna vehicle. Again, there is no such thing
regarding male in the same code. Aggacitta: Your question seems to be a contradiction
of terms. How can the female Saṅgha be re-energised
Even though Siddhatta was born a male, can we say when it is no longer there? If you are referring to re-
that when he attained Buddhahood, the distinction establishing it, there are several prominent bhikkhus in
between male or female disappears, i.e. a Buddha the Western world who have been advocating its revival
has transcended gender? by arguing that doing so would not be against the

principles of the Vinaya.
Aggacitta: Awakening is about the eradication of the
fetters or mental defilements so that one is liberated Min Wei: There has been without doubt, a strong
from suffering which has nothing to do with gender. patriarchal emphasis within Buddhism for a long time.