The concept of well-being is very broad; if you look in the dictionary, you will find that it is defined as “the state of being well, happy or prosperous.” Well-being also has to do with health, advantage, benefit and welfare. In this paper, I will discuss how women benefit from Buddhism, especially Humanistic Buddhism. At the same time, I will discuss women’s contributions to society through Buddhism, and the need to recognize and emphasize them.
The founders of nearly all of the major religions were male or male-identified. The people who wrote the texts of these religions or transmitted the wisdom of the sacred books and sayings, were men, embedded in the social mores of their times. Those who wrote or re-wrote the histories of their religions have tended to be men as well. It is not surprising, therefore, that the history and lore of the world’s religions are replete with instances of, at best, misunderstandings and misconceptions about women, and, at worst, patriarchal domination and misogyny. Buddhism is no different in this regard.
