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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 7

referred to the Buddha, he decreed that each was to be Awakening is about the eradication of the fetters
transferred to the respective monastic communities and or mental defilements so that one is liberated from
their seniority retained without any necessity for re- suffering. Obviously this has nothing to do with the
ordination. genders.

The commentary then explained the kammic One of the central teachings of Taoism is to attain
mechanism involved in this phenomenon thus: among balance of the male and female principles/energies.
the two genders, the male is superior and the female Modern science also tells us that both males and
inferior. Therefore, the male gender disappears because females have testosterone and estrogen but in different
of strong unwholesome kamma and the female gender proportions. An imbalance of them can cause women to
is established because of weak wholesome kamma. be abnormally masculine and men feminine. So it seems
Similarly, the female gender disappears because of that the obsession with gender issues betrays one’s lack
strong unwholesome kamma but the male gender is of understanding of the laws of nature.
established because of strong wholesome kamma.
So, both genders disappear because of unwholesome The female sangha has disappeared in the
kamma and (the opposite) is obtained because of Theravada tradition and ordination in the Tibetan
wholesome kamma. tradition is only restricted to novices. As half the
world’s population are females, we cannot ignore
My personal view is that there is nothing negative them. How can we re-energize the female Sangha
or positive about this objective explanation of the today in the Buddhist traditions?
mechanism of kamma. Moreover, it also shows that both
genders are produced by wholesome kamma although Your question seems to be a contradiction of terms.
the strength varies. How can the female Sangha be re-energised when it is
no longer there? If you are referring to re-establishing
Even though Siddhatta was born a male, can we say it, there are several prominent bhikkhus in the Western
that when he attained Buddhahood, the distinction world who have been advocating its revival by arguing
between male or female disappears, i.e. a Buddha that doing so would not be against the principles of the
has transcended gender? Vinaya. Those who are supportive can refer to their
writings. EH