Portrayal of Women in the Suttas and what response do these texts promote?
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 6:22 am
This is one of those issues that has been rather difficult for me. Some texts, are just frankly, unpleasant. Women are often portrayed as some sort of villain.Someone brought this up too in the other Wheel. Quoted passages from the Siksasamuccaya. I'm getting tired of having to resort to mental gymnastics to resolve these. Can someone tell me what is happening here?
A: There are texts that are prejudicial against women,
B: Metta practice does not support this sort of attitude against women. A common simile in Buddhism is to develop love for being like a mother would her child. And it is very clear to me that texts in "A" will cause the arising of pretty negative states in the mind of the reader (male). So this cannot be the point of the passage if the point of Buddhist practice is release from suffering.
So is the whole point of this simply to cultivate a middle ground? As in, when one finds himself/herself attached to women/ men - read A to arouse dispassion. When falling into the other extreme where there is revulsion of the other gender, read B to soften the heart.
Much thanks in advance for responses.
A: There are texts that are prejudicial against women,
B: Metta practice does not support this sort of attitude against women. A common simile in Buddhism is to develop love for being like a mother would her child. And it is very clear to me that texts in "A" will cause the arising of pretty negative states in the mind of the reader (male). So this cannot be the point of the passage if the point of Buddhist practice is release from suffering.
So is the whole point of this simply to cultivate a middle ground? As in, when one finds himself/herself attached to women/ men - read A to arouse dispassion. When falling into the other extreme where there is revulsion of the other gender, read B to soften the heart.
Much thanks in advance for responses.