Examine the role and status of women in Theravada Buddhism, and examine how this contrasts to how Theravada Buddhism is practiced in the wes

Theravada Buddhism is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism and the most traditional, initially practiced mainly in Southern Asia – predominantly Sri Lanka and Thailand it is now practiced in the west and throughout the world. This essay will look at the role of women in Theravada Buddhism then, now and in the west.
The status of women in Theravada Buddhism has changed throughout the history of the religion from its foundations (approximately 5 BCE) to today. At the time of the Buddha’s existence women lived a life of sub-ordinance; obeying and serving their families and husbands and civil rights such as divorce were only instigated by the husband. Therefore women had little power in Asian society. Willis states that women were second-class citizens, inferior to men in all situations (Willis 1985: 61).
Historically, Asian culture has been patriarchal; leadership or authoritative roles within society were reserved for males and women left with subordinate roles. This concept clashes somewhat with the ideals of modern westerners following or interested in Theravada Buddhism. However within Theravada Buddhism there is a strong emphasis on the woman as mother and the strength and importance of the love from a mother. Harris (1999) analyses the role of Buddhism and women and the imagery and language used in many Theravada Buddhist texts where maternal and filial love is liberating and importance whereas sexual love is like bondage.
The Buddha stated that women were capable of achieving arhat status alongside men, this statement shocked people of the time and his decision to found separate monasteries as well as for Bhikhus (monk) and Bhikhunis (nuns) cemented his belief in the right to equality for both men and women. However there are passages written in the Pali canon of scriptures where the Buddha placed certain sanctions upon the Bhikhunis which meant they would live a subordinate life compared with the Bhikhus. These stories are contentious as some scholars argue they could have been added after the Buddha’s death to integrate existing societal beliefs into Buddhism, to make Buddhism more acceptable. They could be true however, as the Buddha would have been conscious of the role of women and the social implications equality could create and therefore although he is groundbreaking in his elevation of the role of women, there was a careful separation of men and women.
Theravada Buddhism became popular with Asian women were particularly as they were greatly interested in becoming nuns. The life of a Bhikhuni was more appealing to them than their current situations and it allowed them to learn, to be free and independent.
There is much scripture within Buddhism that was created by the Bhikhunis. The Therigatha or enlightenment poems of the nuns (although probably heavily edited by monks) serve as the early voice of women in Buddhism e.g. “Free I am free I am free from the three crooked things: mortar, pestle, and my crooked husband. I am free from birth and death and all that dragged me back” (quoted in by Andrews 2006 and in Lenore Friedman, 1987, pg 11). Scriptures like this can bring liberation to women not only in Asia but throughout the world and are important today as much as they were when first created.
Those who chose to or could not join the monastic orders, referred to as lay Buddhists, were also important in Buddhism. Over the next few centuries the Bhikhunis developed throughout Asia but they gradually declined, by becoming nurses and undertaking other social duties as governed by the monarchy.
After violent battles in Asia during the first millennium practically all of the Theravada Bhikhunis and Bhikhus were killed and the restoration of the monastic order did not include the recreation of monasteries for the Bhikhunis. By this time there were no surviving Theravada nuns and the complicated and difficult ordination process prevented any more from being created; female Theravada Buddhists had to settle for the lay roles.
The online magazine “Women in Buddhism” offers an international portal for female Buddhists to learn about world events and read texts on the situation of women in Buddhism. The site confirms that in 2003 seventeen women were ordained as Bhikhunis in an Australian Buddhist centre, showing that the elevation of women in Buddhism is occurring in the western world. Perhaps this is because of the western social influences on the religion. The understanding of women in Buddhism in Asia is different from that of the social role of women in the west. The practices of Theravada Buddhism brought into the west have largely remained the same but women have helped the knowledge of Buddhism spread throughout the world just as men have through thought, speech, education and art.
The issue of women in Buddhism is important to many people as Buddhism has become so popular in the west. Many western women are Buddhist, Theravada Buddhism being the most popular form practiced in Britain, and social writers argue Buddhism now attracts more women than men in the west.
A young woman in Thailand is currently causing controversy because she is an ordained monk living amongst other male monks, an offence in Thailand. The American International Committee for the Peace Council has financially supported her cause since the 1990s because of her fight for equality in religion and society. Cases like this highlight the controversy of the relationship between women and Theravada Buddhism throughout the world and continue to encourage education on human rights and women’s rights around the world.
Theravada Buddhists in the west are different than the Asian variety. At the Wat Phila Buddhist temple of Philadelphia women have been given greater roles within the organization and running of the centre. This has helped to identify different roles for female Buddhists in America and question the overall status of women in Buddhism.
A consequence of this cultural exchange has led to the Sri Lankan government’s aim to support the development of Theravada nuns and many women have taken the ‘Dasa-Sil-Maniyo’ order – the mothers of the ten precepts. These women live monastic lifestyles without being ordained and this order has spread throughout the world into the west. There are meditation centres and temples in the west where these women and others like them can live and work and there are women who have undertaken special training and become Theravada Buddhist trainers of meditation techniques and dharma.
From this discussion it is apparent that the role of women in Theravada Buddhism is not clear-cut. The scriptures are clear on the elevation and possible state for the women in Buddhism but social and governmental control has for a long time controlled the development of women in Asia. Now that Theravada Buddhism has spread throughout the world the role of women in the religion has been questioned and is adapted depending on the social constraints within each particular country, paying observance to the traditional role of women in the religion. The teaching and practicing of the dharma remains the paramount issue but the ways in which it is transmitted always remain and important point for discussion. There appears to be a cultural exchange between Buddhism and western society. Where Buddhism brings forward new religious thought and practice, the west is encourages the elevation of women in the religion and from this, the two different worlds are learning and enriching one another.