Author: Rasika K. Wijayaratne
Date Created: 20/12/2010
Date Modified: 20/12/2010
Version: 1.0
Email: [email protected]
Most authors who pose issues around the Garudhammas and other such topics are
from a Western cultural background and bring with them the Western cultural
mindset. They come to the conclusion that patriarchal culture in place in India
at the time of the Lord Buddha and even today is somehow wrong or
inappropriate,
simply because it no longer exists in their culture and they have 'progressed'
since then. Even Western cultures had such structures in place in the past, and
to a great extent still do informally, but have been lost with the so called
'progress' made culturally. For example living together is now considered
'progressive' and even the norm in Western society. But is it really
progressive
or does it lead to the deterioration of the social fabric as we know it by
directly affecting society's morality as a collective?
The Lord Buddha gave these teaching in a culture that correctly recognizes the
place of each family member in the family unit, with the husband being the head
of the family and the wife playing an equally important supportive role in the
family unit. In the Balapandita Sutta where a Wheel -turning Monarchs is
described, they refer to his wife as a help-mate, viz. 'She rises before the
Wheel-turning monarch and retires after him. She is eager to serve, agreeable
in
conduct, and sweet in speech.'1 This is just one of many such examples of the
dynamic between a husband and a wife from an Eastern perspective. This does not
make the wife subservient to the husband, but correctly identifies the role
that
each member plays in the family unit. The husband and wife both respect and
love
each other, making decisions together in relation to the family unit while
remembering their correct place in the family unit. It is when this natural
order (Dhamma) is not correctly understood that it leads to discord in the
family unit and thus society as a whole when the whole society thinks along
these lines, something that can clearly be seen in the West today with high
divorce rates, something still not prevalent in the East. People in the East
have correctly understood this natural order of things and live in harmony with
each other in their families and also society as a whole, much more so than in
the West. This is after all why more and more Westerners are turning to
Buddhism. But then attempting to impose on Buddhism the same kind cultural
thinking, that does not correctly identify the place of each family member, is
not only counter-productive but is also highly destructive.
When the Lord Buddha established the Garudhammas for female disciples, he would
have done it understanding this natural order of things (Dhamma) between the
man
and the woman. He would have put these into place to formalize this natural
order as had formalized so many other things in the Vinaya. These would have
been established to ensure everyone understood their correct place in the
Sangha
community and there was harmony among monks and nuns. However now it is evident
that certain segments within the Buddhist community, mainly Western female
disciples and others such as academics, are attempting to turn these Garudhamma
rules upside down. This is already creating a lot of disharmony in the
community. The thrust behind this attempted imposing of their 'modern' cultural
values on to the Buddha-Dhamma teachings - a modern day form of cultural
imperialism. However it should be noted that the Buddha's teachings, which were
preserved in their pristine original form throughout the ages by Arahants and
other saints, are timeless (akaliko) and do not need to be altered to 'fit the
times' or to fit in with so called 'modernisation' of society.
The very same groups who are crying foul over the Garudhamma rules are
proposing
in order to support their position that the Tipitataka has somehow been altered
through time. It must be remembered however that the Tipitaka was preserved by
Venerable monks including Arahants and other saints who had no gender
discrimination whatsoever. With the Tipitake being so large, sections would
have
been given to many monks to recite and recollect. With the Sangha being a
democratic institution which requires all or the vast majority of members to be
on agreeance on a vote on a decision for it succeed, it is hard to accept that
these monks all colluded to change large sections of the Tipitaka.
In fact at the first Sangha Council after the Lord Buddha's passing away, which
was presided by only Arahants, the presiding members criticized Venerable
Ananda
for insisting on the admission of women into the Sangha. Were they being sexist
as Arahants (enlightened beings) or were they purely concerned about the
preservation of the Dhamma with time. The Lord Buddha warned at the time that
women were admitted into the order that the dispensation (Buddha-Sasana) would
not last long due to the admission of women. He established the Garudhamma
rules
to prevent this kind of deterioration. However today we see this deterioration
coming true with mainly women clamouring for the removal of the sacred
Garudhamma rules.
WHO CAN OVER-TURN?
Who can over-turn,
the words of a Tathagata?
No one can.
For if they tried,
those words as unshakable as a mountain,
would fall on them,
and crush them down,
all the way to hell.
This is the power,
of a Tathagata's words,
so true,
that none can turn,
upside down.
REFERENCES
1. The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of the Majjihma
Nikaya, Translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, pp 1025.
--
******************************************************
This is the Best Sri Lankan E-Mail Group.
******************************************************
IF you like to join us,
Go to,
http://groups.google.lk/group/sricom/boxsubscribe
visit this group at
http://groups.google.lk/group/sricom
***************:::www.SriNet.lk:::******************
******************************************************
=====================================================================
List-Subscribe :Send a Email to : [email protected]
List-Unsubscribe : Send a Email to : [email protected]
=====================================================================
http://www.srinet.lk/
