Differentiation And Analyzing The Evolvement Of Buddhism Perspectives On Female Gender

This paper bases its analysis in the historical and cultural background of the originating of Buddhism and the relationship between Buddhism and women, studies the different attitudes to women under the interactive influence between the ancient primitive Indian Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, especially the modern Buddhism (including Taiwan Buddhism) and the geographical position and times it belongs to, as well as the universal situation female Buddhists encountered with. The study illuminates the interactive function between Buddhism perspectives on female gender and the different social history in an omnidirectional way, reveals the realistic importance of Buddhism perspectives on female gender to the establishment of modern democracy, freedom and equality, and the crucial importance of the perspectives to women's freedom and human emancipation in the future.In the history of human civilization, patriarchy has dominated the society for most of the time. Patriarchal culture has controlled the mainstream culture for so long time that women has lived a subordinate position since they were born. Although Buddhism pursuits equality of men and women based on that every human being has the Buddha nature, it has its limitation to meet this goal when in different time, geographical position and situation. The concept of men being superior to women in ancient India makes it impossible to approach the so-called equality between men and women. This is why we can often find some sayings and typical instances of positive discrimination against women in Buddhism Sutra. General speaking, in spite of the attitude of primitive Buddhism to women presented aninternal equality of men and women in a spiritual way, it actually adopted the doctrine that men were superior to women in its administrative system and followed the phenomenon of abhoring women during practicing Buddhism. In the period of Indian Hinayana doctrine, there were frequently acute expressions against women in Buddhism based on both the limitation of the social reality opinions and of social history. However, the emergence of Indian Mahayana doctrine brought about the doctrine of equality of men and women in an ultimate sense. It advocates that either men or women, everybody has the possible awareness of Buddhism and understand ability to become a Buddha, and everybody must participate social affairs and makes contributions to the society. This kind of thinking was not only reflected in its doctrine, but in its practices as well. It has concrete means and actions to practice this doctrine. Most Chinese Buddhists have beliefs in Mahayana doctrine, but they adopted some negative expressions against women during the period of adaptation of the local culture of introduction Confucianism into Buddhism. So women who had the desire for Buddhism had more ties than before when they became Bhiksunis. And furthermore, Bhiksunis has frequently encountered with slanders, insults and injuries. However, Chinese Buddhism came to restore its doctrine to the modern Western thinking of democracy and equality, the education of Bhiksunis drew an important attraction. Bhiksunis got a little higher status, especially in Taiwan, Bhiksunis suddenly rose to a spectacular status that draw the attention of the world. Taiwan Bhiksunis has won the world's respects because of their remarkable achievements in those fields such as charity, culture and education, Buddhist study and social solicitude, etc. And with the development of the worldly feminism, Buddhism circle in Taiwan, meanwhile, has been in retrospect its perspective on female gender. This, therefore, reflects an awakening of female Buddhists' self-awareness, and perhaps implies the future trend of Buddhism perspectives on female gender.