

All religions are inherently sexist…and Buddhism is no different. This post consists of a question I received from a student writing a paper on Buddhist practice. My answers were supplemented slightly before posting with additional info, links and quotes. I hope my answers can be of some benefit and maybe inspire conversation (and possible even an ‘A’ from my student!). For more on this topic, see Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 on my personal blog, Sweep the Dust, Push the Dirt. ~ Cheers, John ~



Question: How do you feel about the rise in female Buddhist leaders?

From A Sacred Lotus:

“I think the Buddha was revolutionary and radical to have cared about gender equality 2,500 years ago. It’s nearly impossible for us to appreciate what an advanced thinker and compassionate person the Buddha was, to have worked so hard in his lifetime to protect women. Out of respect and veneration for the Buddha, it falls on all of us to maintain that spirit of protection of women.”

My response:

This is wonderful. Simply wonderful.

While progressive in many ways, Buddhism still suffers from the same stigmas and sexism that afflict other religions that maintain an old world mentality. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches come to mind when I think of an oppressive regime that remains in power long after it has fallen in world’s eyes (can you tell that I was raised Catholic and Orthodox?). How many women currently hold positions of power in those organizations? None. The reason for this, in my opinion, is blind allegiance to outdated social norms.

Buddhist women—from Pema Chodron and Joan Halifax-Roshi to any number of prominent Buddhist/Meditation teachers in Zen Centers around the world, as well as nuns and lay-ordained practitioners—hold important places in our hearts and practices. Buddhism should provide an open playing field for both genders to achieve spiritually. I wonder if the prominence of female teachers is due to its focus on practices of compassion and introspection that may appeal to women as teachers?

Organizationally, though, Buddhism has been slow in providing equal spiritual and organizational status to women.

There are Chinese and Korean traditions that offer full ordination for women but I believe this is still a relatively recent development. Many traditional Buddhist organizations have been dragging their feet. Personally, I am not even sure if the ‘official’ seat of Soto Zen in Japan—Sotoshu—accepts full ordination of women but I do know that many of the western permutations of Soto Zen do actively have female teachers—some of my favorites actually!.

And that is a huge difference.

Are we talking about the organization or the practitioners? While I don’t think that Sotoshu is necessarily any less in line with the Dharma and compassion, I do believe that “Sotoshu” becomes a higher priority than the actual practice as you rise up the administrative ladder.

Hopefully through the works of more progressive Buddhist dignitaries, we will see more female spiritual leaders, and more women receiving full bhikshuni ordination. Recently, the 17th Karmapa declared his commitment towards the full ordination of women as bhikshunis (nuns) providing an equal organizational and spiritual footing as the male monks.

Whether or not these changes will occur as quickly as those initiated in the Theravadan tradition by the “renegade monk” Ajahn Brahm with his ordination of women in Perth, Australia is unknown. Ajahn Brahm’s actions drew some heat from the presiding monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition and even an followed with an excommunication. (I hope to be excommunicated one day. It will let me know that I am doing something right!)

The 17th Karmapa seems to prefer change to occur slowly over time and on his terms but the fact that it was addressed so prominently is promising. Rarely do organizational Buddhist leaders take such a public stance on bhikshuni ordination. I don’t know much about the monastic codes for female ordination but this is a change that was a long time coming. I think that Ajahn Brahm put it succinctly when he stated,

Even though my ordination as a monk was in Thailand,I understood that my obligations were to the Dhamma and Vinaya, not to the Thai state.Nor was allegiance to Thailand part of the advice given to me by the Acting Sangharaja who presented me with the Thai ecclesiastical honour of Tan Chao Khun. The certificate that I received at the ceremony merely states that “Phra Brahmavamso of Bodhinyana Monastery in Australia is a monk of Royal Grade with the title of Phra Visuddhisamvarathera. May he accept the duty in the Buddha’s dispensation of teaching, settling Sangha business and looking after the monks and novices in his monastery in an appropriate manner. And to develop happiness and well being in the Buddha’s Dispensation.”

To put it bluntly, not allowing women the same status as men in both liturgical and organizational positions is to state that their spiritual potential is less than that of men.

This is counter to “developing happiness and well being in the Buddha’s dispensation” in any community, Buddhist or not.

A few comments from the Dalai Lama:

Some additional reading on Women and Buddhism courtesy of BuddhaDharma magazine