The Role and Status of Women in Buddhism and Confucianism Essay

However there are arguments that not all religions treat women unequally. Reform Judaism allows women to become Rabbis since 1972 and in Sikhism women are allowed to hold office and recently female vicars have been allowed into the Church of England. Women largely

According to their stories, women were created to serve men, mainly by giving children and raising them. Any chances women had to teach or participate in public events were limited to only the women of high class. Women were not allowed to participate in or perform any religious ceremonies. As children, they were under the rule of their father, and when they got married, they had to obey their husband. If their husband died before them, they were expected to cremate themselves. Also, if their husband died at a fairly young age, the wife was often blamed for his death, especially if it was a sickness, because they didn’t know the real cause of viruses. Women were also not allowed to be in the company of any other man than her husband unless a family member was there to escort

Deep within the trees little hooded men walk along a path to meditate and pray dressed in brown robes tied with nautical rope. They dwell in silence and live a life of celibacy. This is what most of think of when we hear the word monk. Throughout the years, monks have always been people of intrigue. They live a different lifestyle than most. They live a life of seclusion far from the mores of modern society, which often makes people ponder who these people really are and why they choose to participate in such a foreign religious movement. This paper will attempt to unravel the mysteries of this peculiar movement of by researching it's origin, the true meaning of a silent lives, and how key leaders have helped to

Across cultures, many times similarities lay within them that go unnoticed. It is true that obvious differences set them apart; but if a closer look is taken, it is surprising what can be found. The Chinese culture is obviously different from the American culture, but underneath the surface there are similarities. One of them is how the treatment of women has evolved and changed. Anti-feminism in China has been present since ancient times, and has just recently decreased. Anti-feminism in America has never been as severe as it was in China; however, instead of the value of women gradually increasing over the years - it has reversed. The value of women in America has decreased. There are many similarities between the ancient Chinese women

Based on Lessons for Women, women in the China were taught that they were unworthy, unsophisticated, unenlightened and by nature unintelligent. (Strayer

Throughout history the role of women in Asia has changed drastically. In many areas, such as China, women were not treated socially, politically, economically, or culturally equal. China was a patriarchal society meaning that men had more power than women; this was mainly to do their Confucian beliefs. Politically, the literacy rates were much higher in males than in females; due to the fact that women were not allowed to receive an education. Additionally, a common tradition practiced by wealthy females was footbinding. Footbinding limited the physical abilities of women, ultimately making them dependent on males. Furthermore, economically, women could not own or inherit property as men could. Nonetheless, China was not the only Asian country where women were treated differently. The

Women’s lives in China have changed dramatically throughout reforms in the Qing Dynasty, the Nationalist period, the Chinese Civil War, etc. In the historically male-dominated society, there still is not the gender equality that women have been hoping for. “Millions upon millions of women are missing. They are not lost, but dead: victims of violence, discrimination, and neglect” (Baute). Why should one gender be valued more over the other? Why should one gender be viewed as more important? Females in countries like China are discriminated against, mistreated, and are valued less since many women and girls are not allowed to get an education, the violence/abuse that they have to go through, and because the one-child policy rule that is placed in countries like China.

His rank is heavenly, he is “to hold the place of Christ in the monastery,” (pg. 21) and is even addressed as Christ by cenobites. The abbot has the enormous job of guiding all the monk’s souls to heaven, leaving their eternal salvation in his hands. Much responsibility has been entrusted in the abbot, who is expected to lead with dignity, compassion, and utmost control. The abbot controls daily life, from the serious punishment of an excommunicated monk, “Let him take his food alone in a time and amount the abbot considers is appropriate for him”, (Pg. 51) to the banal reception of gifts “[A monk] must not presume to accept gifts even by his parents without previously telling the abbot.” (Pg. 75). Of the 73 chapters of The Rule, 9 instruct the abbot and 10 refer to the care of the monastery. The monks entrust the abbot with their daily life and afterlife. There is no room in this equation for competition, individuality, and questioning

•Islam: According to the holy scripture, males and females are equal spiritually, as both males and females are

Confucianism has three main themes: virtue, ethics, and rites. According to Adlakha (2013), rites refers to propriety, where men are seen as superior to women and women are expected to be loyal and obedient to their father, husband, and son. The superior status of men is embedded in the patriarchal family system, economic, legal, and political institutions. In traditional Vietnamese society, men were required to work outside their homes and serve their community and women were excluded from leadership and political positions (Bui & Morash, 2008, p.

The Monk has many different and strange characteristics for his title. But that is why he is a rule breaker, a rebel, and a leader of his own

In the book China: A Nation in Transition, many topics are covered, including the one-child policy, religious ceremonies, and most importantly, women's rights and emancipation. In the chapter Chinese Communism and Emancipation of Women, the reader learns about various issues China has with gender inequality between men and women along with quickly growing campaigns and efforts in the pursuit of equal rights. For example, this chapter covers what rulers have done in order to help women , like when the young Mao Zedong added women studying abroad to his socialist society, along with pointing out some discrepancies between men and women, like passing the Health Care and Labor Organizations law creating limitations on jobs women can perform. On

Despite their similar origins from societies filled with turmoil and suffering, in the era of 1000 BCE to 400 BCE, Confucianism and Buddhism diverged greatly when it came to Buddhism’s egalitarian attitude and Confucianism’s more patriarchal attitude towards gender relations and the status of women. Also, the two belief systems also differed substantially in the types of obligations and requirements their adherents took part in with Confucianist requirements focused on society as a whole, and Buddhist requirements focused on personal and spiritual fulfillment. Both Confucianism and Buddhism developed from similar origins filled with turmoil, suffering, and founders in similar positions. Just years before Siddhartha Gautama created Buddhism, he was feeling the intense burden of suffering throughout society. To seek the root of this suffering, Siddhartha became an ascetic.

S- After being ordained as a Bhiksu at the age of twenty i went and traveled throughout china to find sacred books of Buddhism. After a while i came to Chang’n that reigned under a peaceful ruler named Emperor of Taizong of Tang. I’ve noticed that women were very lucky here, much more open minded and had liberal ideas. I learned much about gender roles in Chang’n,because there is such a difference. Before women were limited, they had no voice. There marriages were arranged and there were to obey the rules set by males. What i have experienced is much different, they were given a voice and had same rights as men. They had the following privileges: education, marriage choice, work, laws on land owning. Freedom to have a business,and

Women have been considered inferior to men since the beginning of time. The Women in China were perceived no differently. Only in modern times have women’s social conditions begun to improve. The rise of the Chinese Communist Party saw several improvements for women’s rights. Women have been barred from participating in the political processes, banished from the fields and condemned to performing housework and having babies. The CCP viewed women as “holding up half of the sky” with men holding the other half; because of this new perception, the CCP chose to advance the female condition by not only abolishing old, barbaric practices, but by also giving women more social power by emancipating them from their husbands and fathers.