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Women's Rights and The Eigth Garudharma
Women's Rights and The Eigth Garudharma
by
Bhikkhuni Do Le Anh Thi
Contents
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3
2. The rights of women in modern times .......................................................................... 5
3. Women’s rights and the Eight Garudhammas in Buddhism .......................................... 6
4. The New Gurudharmas for monks of Plum Village tradition ......................................... 8
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 11
3
Abstract
Women have a sacred function naturally that is motherhood and
wifehood. They are sensitive, tolerant, altruistic ... compassion easily
arose in the heart of women. It is not by chance that Avalokiteshvara, the
Bodhisattva of compassion, manifests in the form of women, the
Vietnamese often call Him with a dearly affectionate name "Mother
Avalokitesvara." The image of the woman in Buddhist literature is
beautiful, gentle and also full of wisdom. Female Buddhism plays an
important role in the formation of a Buddhist Sangha: bhikkhus,
bhikkhunis, laymen, laywomen. Each gender plays a separate role,
complementing each other. The nature of man and woman has different
qualities, so there must be some difference in the practice of precepts, as
well as in ritualistic rituals. However, some scholars nowadays in the
world, such as Diana Y. Paul, Susan Murcott, point out that some of the
points in the Lotus Sutra and the Asta Garudharma are discrimination in
Buddhism, unrespected women1.
1. Introduction
1
D. Amarasiri Weeratne, the eight strict rules for buddhist nuns (aṣṭa garu
dharma ), Buddhist Himalaya Journal, retrieved on 8 March 2018,
http://nibs.com.np/pdf/buddhist-himalaya/VOL-XI/eight_strict_rules.pdf
4
Finally, The Buddha opened a door for the women can practice and
liberation, that door is the Eight Garudharmas.
With great vision and comprehension, the Blessed One can see the
dangers and inevitable shortcomings in running parallel two Sangha
simultaneously. Thus, he issued Eight Garudharmas to the Bhikkhunī
Sangha to preserve and protect the future of both Orders. The Buddha
taught Ananda that: “Ananda, if Mahapajapati Gotami accepts eight vows
of respect, that will be her full ordination (upasampada)”.
1. A bhikkhuni who has been fully ordained even for more than a century
must bow down, rise up from her seat, salute with hands palm-to-palm
over her heart, and perform the duties of respect to a bhikkhu even if he
has been fully ordained only a day. This rule is to be honored,
respected, revered, venerated, never to be transgressed as long as she
lives."
2. A bhikkhuni must not spend the rains in a residence where there is no
bhikkhu...
3. Every half-month a bhikkhuni should request two things from the
Bhikkhu Sangha: she should ask for the date of the uposatha day and
come for an exhortation...
4. At the end of the Rains-residence, a bhikkhuni should invite (criticism
both from) the Bhikkhu Sangha and the Bhikkhuni Sangha on any of
three grounds: what they have seen, what they have heard, what they
have suspected...
5. A bhikkhuni who has broken any of the vows of respect must undergo
penance for half a month under both Sanghas...
6. Only after a probationer has trained in the six precepts for two years
should she request ordination from both Sanghas...
7. A bhikkhu must not in any way be insulted or reviled by a bhikkhuni...
5
Sri Lanka also had a female president. One of the famous female priests,
Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. We know that the proportion of male and
female in the world is approximately equal. Why is the number of famous
women compared to men less? Today, although the female constantly
effort to increase the number of successful women in every field, the
proportion of successful women is still lower than that of men. The
problem is that because of the tradition of women is taking care of family,
they become the heroes behind the scenes, which is also good because the
male and female physiological psychologies are different, men are strong
and decisive Women are sensitive, flexible, they have to support together,
complementary defects each other.
3
Worldreligionnews, Dalailama says more women as leaders might lead to less violent
world, retrieved on 8 March 2018, https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-
news/buddhism/dalai-lama-says-more-women-as-leaders-might-lead-to-less-violent-world
7
responsibility, this, the one that respects one another. , help each other. If
there are 4 Orders (ie laymen, laywomen, bhikkhus, and bhikkhunis) in
the same meeting should consider the nature of the meeting to arrange
seats, for women Delegates and important positions should arrange them
to sit on equal with men, if the meeting is a common ritual, male and
female should distinguish which sit.
“Now, Lord, are women, having gone forth from home into homelessness in
the dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, able to realise the
fruit of stream-attainment or the fruit of once-returning or the fruit of non-
returning or perfection?”
8
The Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh taught to his monastic disciples
in Plum village The Eight Practices of respect- Gurudharmas (For a
bhikkhu to practice with regard to a bhikkhuni) 5
4
Theravāda vinayapiṭaka - khandhaka (cūḷavagga), Nuns (Bhikkhunī) First
recitation section, The story of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī translated by IB. Horner, Bhikkhu
Brahmali
5
Thich Nhat Hanh, The eight practies of respect for monks , retrieved on 8 march
2018 http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2015/02/the-eight-practices-of-respect-
gurudharmas
9
matter how long she has been ordained, represents the whole
bhikshuni Sangha, which has been a partner of the bhikshu Sangha
from the time it began to exist and will continue to be so in the future.
Conclusion
In short, the Eight Garudharmas of the Buddha prescribed for the
Bhikkhuni does not come from the discriminating mind for women as
Western scholars acknowledge, but come from his insights and
compassion. A bhikkhuni is humble, courtesy, majesty, she will be maken
people around the more respectful. Thus, the Eight Garudharmas only
honors the beauty of the woman in the Sangha of the Buddha.
References