Gender Equality in Buddhism

New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt/M., Oxford, Wien. Asian Thought and Culture. Vol. 46 General Editor: Sandra A. Wawrytko It was epoch making when Buddhism declared men and women equal in India where women traditionally were regarded as inferior to men. After the death of Buddhism's founder, Gautama Buddha, Buddhist monks, called Hinayana Buddhist, became conservative and authoritarian and began to make light of women as well as lay believers. While the Hinayana Buddhists discriminated against women, the Mahayana Buddhists tried to improve women's positions in society through their 'Renaissance of Buddhism'. Masatoshi Ueki discusses Nichiren's impartial view of women and insists that the male and female principles are indispensable for the perfection of personality. 'This is a well-documented and timely book on the subject of gender equality. It seeks its source and answers in the Buddha's teachings and the string of hermeneutic texts, such as the Lotus Sutra, that. . .make it abundantly clear that the central goal of Buddhism - nirvana or the attainment of enlightened experience - is free and open to all, regardless of race, nationality, gender, psychological state, or social status. To be exposed to the gender-free nature of Buddhist teachings is quite significant in leading one on to take up the challenge of understanding and intimating with other great Buddhist doctrines. One would, for example, come to know that human relationship is at bottom a unique dynamic experience of impermanence, emptiness, non-objective nature of self, mutually arising phenomenon, and compassion of all.' (Kenneth K. Inada, State University of New York at Buffalo)Masatoshi Ueki is the author of 'Gender Equality in Buddhism', published 2001 under ISBN 9780820451336 and ISBN 0820451339.