Why is education for women important in contemporary Buddhism? To answer this question, we have to look at the role women play in Buddhism, tracing it back to the time of the Buddha and his teachings. How did the Buddha feel about women’s place in the Buddhist community? Looking at how women are treated in Buddhist vinayas and sutras will help us to look at the roots of discrimination against women, from the time of the Buddha to the present.
Women’s role in Buddhism has, to a great degree, reflected their role in society. Considered secondary to men, women have lacked access to education and other means of self-development, which meant that they have had unequal spiritual opportunities as well. Correcting these social inequalities is essential if women are to gain equal status in Buddhism. The modern trend in Buddhism—Humanistic Buddhism—has helped to correct these problems.
In this paper, I will examine women’s roles in Buddhist texts, comparing the ancient and the modern. I will show how Humanistic Buddhism implements a program for women with the goal of overcoming past social inequalities. I believe that women can and should play an important role in the Buddhist community. To achieve this, education is necessary. The social conditions in contemporary Taiwan have allowed women’s participation in Buddhism to flourish; a major contributing factor has been the vast advancement of women’s education there.
