The
Monogamy is the Best
တစ္လင္တစ္မယားစနစ္ က်င့္သုံးျခင္းသည္ အေကာင္းဆံုးျဖစ္သည္
Researched
by-
Myoma Myint Kywe
ၿမိဳ ႔မ ျမင့္ၾကြယ္
Violence against women is a technical
term
used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively
committed against women. Similar to a hate crime, which it is
sometimes considered, this type of violence targets a specific group with the
victim's gender as a primary motive.
This type of violence is gender-based, meaning that the acts of violence are
committed against women expressly because they are women, or as a result of
patriarchal gender constructs.
In ancient India the position of women does
not appear to have been a very happy one. Generally women seem to have been
looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at times they were considered as
being on the same level as the Sudra (low caste), the lowest of the four castes. Their freedom was extremely
limited. The general view appears to be that they had to be under the care of
parents in their childhood, under the protection of husbands in their youth;
and in their old age they had to be under the control of their sons.
Women came to be considered as greatly
inferior to men - both physically and mentally. A woman was looked down upon as
a mere possession or a thing. Her place was the home, under the complete
control and fancies of her husband.
Therefore, it was thought that they do not
deserve any freedom. Their main role was considered to be that of housewives,
managing the affairs in the house according to the wishes of their husbands.
Even as a wife the life of a woman was
often miserable
(unhappy and depressed). This was
specially so when she had the misfortune of being a co-wife. Jealousies and
conflicts between co-wives were a common feature in ancient Indian society. The
widow's plight was still worse. Normally, a widow was not allowed to remarry.
It is said that a widow had to kill herself by jumping into the funeral pyre of
her husband.
Women did not have educational freedom.
Education was not considered as being of any importance to women. Their
religious freedom, too, was restricted. As they had only little freedom, their
chances of performing meritorious religious rites, too, were very limited.
Parents prayed for the birth of sons, both to carry on the family name and
traditions and also to perform the necessary religious rites for their benefit
when they are dead and gone.
Violence against women and girls is a problem
of pandemic proportions. At
least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced
into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime with the abuser usually someone
known to her.
Violence against women can fit into several
broad categories. These include violence carried out by ‘individuals’ as well
as ‘states.’ Some of the forms of violence perpetrated by individuals are rape; domestic violence; sexual harassment; coercive use of
contraceptives; female
infanticide;
prenatal
sex selection;
obstetric violence and mob violence; as well as harmful
customary or traditional practices such as honor killings, dowry violence, female genital mutilation, marriage
by abduction
and forced
marriage.
Some forms of violence are perpetrated or condoned by the state such as war rape; sexual violence and sexual slavery during conflict; forced
sterilization;
forced
abortion;
violence by the police and authoritative personnel; stoning and flogging.
Many forms of VAW (Violence against women), such as trafficking
in women
and forced
prostitution
are often perpetrated by organized criminal networks. Similar to a hate crime, which it is
sometimes considered, this type of violence targets a specific group with the
victim's gender as a primary motive.
Modern life is fraught with all kinds of
tension and stress. Doubtless, very often it is tension and stress that creates
problems in many a marriage. If a proper analysis is made into the root causes
of such social problems as pre-marital sex, teenage pregnancies, unhappy
marriages and divorces, child-abuse and wife-battering, we inevitably (sure to
happen) discover that it is due mainly to selfishness and lack of patience,
tolerance and mutual understanding.
Is polygamy good for
women?
Every woman DISLIKED polygamy system
surely.
Therefore, please STOP the polygamy system in the world!
In addition, as for the bad conducts that
occur nowadays from some of the husbands who are polygamists, we should not put
extremely blame of this on polygamy; but rather, it should be the
responsibility of those husbands only.
Those husbands are those who defamed polygamy
and turned it into a malicious monster that scares most of women. Most women
hate polygamy because their husbands do not observe equity with them.
I will say it again our Myanmar should
prohibit by law target
to such as polygamous marriage system, bigamous marriage, homosexual marriages
and adultery as illegal.
If
someone (he or she) wants to get polygamous, they need to think
following ideas.
Of course someone (she) has brothers and father surely, so she
needs to be sympathetic minded for her spouse, she must refrain from polygamy
services and adultery system with other.
Someone (he) has sisters and
mother surely, so he needs to be sympathetic minded for his spouse, he must
refrain from polygamy services and adultery (sexual intercourse between a
married person and a person who is not their spouse) with other.
Polygamy, "state of marriage either many spouses" or "frequent
marriage" is a marriage that includes more than two partners.
The monogamy has its origin
related with the concept of honesty, sympathy and loyalty
(LOYALITY). So, all real Buddhist believe that the Monogamous marriage system
is the best for them. They have sympathetic mind already. Then they hated polygamy
problem and afraid of the many spouses in their family lives. Many social
science philosophers have believed that almost good people dislike polygamous
system, not only Buddhist but also non Buddhist people in the world.
We should prohibit by law target to such as
polygamy, homosexual marriages and adultery as illegal. We should have laws
monogamy be legalized in Myanmar. Then we need to be faithful in a marriage life each of
everyone in Myanmar. We need to be faithful to our spouse, and not to be
polygamous. We have both taken vows to be faithful in every way to one another.
Now it's time to believe in one another and trust our partner mutually.
Monogamy is a form of relationship in which an
individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Monogamy is the
abiding rule of 99.99% Buddhist families in Burma (Myanmar) since
several thousand years ago. Polygamy is not practiced very much nowadays,
especially among educated people. Then, the pure Theravada Buddhists in
Burma shall not commit living together system.
Many hundreds of people, all Buddhist
monks and all nuns in Myanmar also commit Celibacy. People’s
CELIBACY is also known as CHASTITY.
Celibacy (the state of abstaining from
marriage and sexual relations) is an important precept in some Buddhist traditions. They
don’t commit adultery and don’t harm
others in the course of sex.
Almost Theravada Buddhists are accepted
Monogamy system only. (Monogamy is a form of relationship in which an
individual has only one partner during their lifetime).
They also not commit polygamy system
and serial monogamy system. (Serial monogamy refers to remarriage after death or
divorce, i.e. multiple marriages but only one legal spouse at a time).
Officials of the Ministry of Immigration and
Population Myanmar said polygamy in Burma is accepted 0.001% very
few amount of Burmese Buddhist people but with one important difference from
other. A man cannot marry for a second time without the agreement of his first
wife, and he must abide by her decision because otherwise she can against for
divorce and a partition of the property.
In the past, although some
Kings of Burma had so many wives, BUT almost 99.99% Buddhist people in
Burma shall not commit Polygamy system and adultery. In one of the
five precepts in Buddhism, clearly advise to every Buddhist refrain from
committing adultery or sexual misconduct.
In the Buddhist perspective, marriage means
understanding and respecting each other's belief and privacy. From the Buddhist
point of view, marriage is neither holy nor unholy. Buddhism does not regard
marriage as a religious duty nor as a sacrament that is ordained in heaven. The
true Buddhists say that a man can have only one wife while non- Buddhists in
the world say a man can have more than one wife.
According to Theravada Buddhist tradition
applies to both men and women must be honest and faithful. It includes strict
abstinence from sexual relations before marriage and complete honesty and
loyalty to one’s spouse after marriage.
The pure Theravada Buddhists in Burma
shall not commit adultery, bigamy (the offense of marrying someone while
already married to another person), polygamy and homosexuality.
Homosexuality mean is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual
behavior
between members of the same sex or gender.
All the sufferings in this world are the
result of evil deeds performed by the human in the past. In order to make this
world a pure and stately place to live in, the only hope lies in our refraining
from evil and doing all that is good. Individually speaking, if we should
suffer from being uneducated, live in poor family circumstances, or chronic
illness, then these are the influences of our past or present karmic forces. Therefore
if we wish to live in peace and happiness, then all of us must strive very hard
to perform good acts.
Buddhism believes that all events that take
place are due to reverberations of our own karmic forces. Thus we are capable
of changing ourselves, even to the extent of changing the world.
We perform countless deeds with the
body, mouth, and mind.
These are the seeds which create our fate. The mind is performing them the most
and has the strongest power. We have learned about good causes, bad causes, and
own causes. So what kind of seeds do we have in our hearts and minds?
Even without knowing these causes or the Law of Cause and Effect, the actions of the mind, mouth and body are converted into invisible karmic power. The terms karmic power and seeds of karma are interchangeable.
Even without knowing these causes or the Law of Cause and Effect, the actions of the mind, mouth and body are converted into invisible karmic power. The terms karmic power and seeds of karma are interchangeable.
Non- Buddhist cannot be real clear it. Look
within the Mirror of Dharma at present. Listening to Buddhism is
essential. Practicing to Buddhism is essential.
Present effects are due to karmic
causes from the past. However, future effects arise from the causes we make in
the present.
It is always the present that counts. It is what we do in the present moment
that decides our future; our past causes do not govern our future as well.
Buddhism emphasizes that no matter what kind of karmic causes we have made in
the past, through the causes we make in the present we can achieve a brilliant
future.
We must first recognize the value of human
existence that we are playing a leading role in the universe. Having recognized
this value, we can determine the correct direction of the path to head towards.
It is ourselves who cause the human suffering and happiness, and the commotion
and peace in the world.
Polygamy (having
multiple sexual partners)
is major cause of sexually transmitted diseases in Ghana. Madam Nana Oye
Lithur, chief executive officer of Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) in December 2009 observed that the high rate of HIV cases could
be attributed to polygamous marriages in the country.
"Polygamous marriage which is
accepted in the country could be cited as one of the major causes of sexually
transmitted diseases," she said.
Speaking at a seminar organized by HRAC for Law
students on Reproductive Health and Human Rights in Accra, she said the
reproductive health concept was ideal to help control the population.
In 2009 alone, 310,000 people in South
Africa died from HIV/AIDS. That was the most amount of death from HIV/AIDS
in one country in the entire world. Polygamy can cause HIV AIDS. Polygamy is a
major cause of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. People are having
unprotected sex with multiple partners.
Some people believe that polygamy is the only
way to sustain resources in poor societies
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is the name of the organism that causes
AIDS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome kills T-cells, the cells that make up
your immune system.
This
causes your immune system to fail and makes you vulnerable to all sorts of
other diseases. HIV/AIDS is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact,
blood transfusions, and can be transferred by an infected mother to her baby
through breast milk (“HIV Transmission”). There is also a chance that an
infected mother may also infect her child during birth.
There
are many social, political, and economic factors related to the spreading of
HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Cultural practices, such as polygamy, pose a
threat towards controlling the disease.
Poverty
(the
state of being extremely poor) is getting in
the way of treating HIV with medication. People that have HIV (but don’t know
it) are scared to be tested and treated because they are afraid of being
shunned and cast out from society. Babies are being born with HIV because their
mothers do not have the funding they need to prevent it.
Polygamy is defined as the practice or of
having more than one spouse at the same time and all spouses know about each
other. Rather than look at the legality or the merits of polygamy let look at
this from the point of having multiple sexual partners and its implications.
Having multiple sexual partners (or her
partner having multiple sexual partners) means the risk of getting infected HIV
and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) increases with the number of
sexual partners and the number of sexual acts. The higher the rate of partner
change, the greater the likelihood that the virus will pass from infected to
uninfected persons.
Don't Allow to Polygamy!
We believe that MONOGAMY is the best
for every woman and all human in the world and especially in our beloved
Myanmar. Monogamous marriages system is really best for Myanmar.
Polygamy (practice plural
marriage or living together with many spouses) is a major cause of
the sexually transmitted diseases in the world.
Sexually transmitted diseases (STD), also referred to as sexually
transmitted infections (STI) and venereal diseases (VD), are
illnesses that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual
behavior,
including polygamous marriages and homosexual marriages.
Polygamy mean "someone
married to many spouses" or "frequent marriage" is a marriage
that includes more than two spouses. Polygamy is one of the major causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. Polygamy could be freely
practiced and recognized under civil law in non Buddhist countries. But most western countries do not
recognize polygamous marriages, and
consider bigamy a crime. Several countries also prohibit people from
living a polygamous lifestyle. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and
when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is
aware of the other.
In cultures that practice marital bigamy is
the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married
to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it
occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of
the other. In countries that have bigamy laws, consent from a prior spouse
makes no difference to the legality of the second marriage, which is usually
considered void.
Myanmar (also known as Burma) is also the only
predominately Buddhist nation to allow for civil polygamous marriages. Customary
law of Myanmar mentioned polygamy is legally permissible
in Burma, also known as
Myanmar, making it the only predominantly Buddhist nation to allow by
law. Despite the fact that such unions are legal under Customary Law, they are
severely frowned upon by society.
Polygamy is defined as the practice or of having more than one
spouse at the same time and all spouses know about each other. Almost pure Buddhists
in the world shall never accept polygamy, bigamy and dishonesty. Today, MONOGAMY
is the only legally accepted form of marriage in almost Buddhist countries.
Why did our Myanmar allow POLYGAMY
until today?
Burma, has allow for civil polygamous
marriages, a customary law system since throughout the British
colonial period. We must be fair and square. We had no idea about it. We want to
propose the government to ban polygamous marriage system, please.
Men should respect women - why?
Many free thinkers and scholars say
that why do women some
countries not have the same rights as women in the Buddhism, such as rights for
education and employment.
In 623 BC, Buddha was born to His
mother Queen Mara.
In
551 BC, Confucius was born to his mother Yan Zhengzai.
In
470 BC, Socrates was born to his mother Phaenarete.
In 4 BC, Jesus Christ was born to His
mother Mary.
In
570 AD, Muhammad was born to Aminah.
In
1869, Mahatma Gandhi was born to Putlibai
Gandhi.
In
1901, Hirohito was born to Empress Teimei.
In
1915, U Aung San was born to Daw Suu.
In 1944, Ban Ki-moon was born to Yeonsun Sinh.
In
1961, Barack Obama was born to Ann
Dunham.
Queen
Mara, Yan Zhengzai, Phaenarete, Mary, Aminah, Putlibai Gandhi,
Daw Suu, Yeonsun Sinh, Ann Dunham, etc are women really.
Each every Leader was born to their
mothers.
Each every President was born to their
mothers.
Each every Prime Ministers was born to
their mothers.
Each everyone and all living beings
were born to their mothers.
Each every human was born to woman.
We should need to
RESPECT women because
without them earth would become ... because without them
earth would become cemetery is it true
you know.
A college professor says that when God also
created women, he just didn't create a good thing, but a great thing! Women are
human, they give life and they produce good seeds.
It's a man's job to respect
women, but it a woman's Job to give him something to respect.
We studied the lives of
great men and famous women; and we found that the men and women who got to the
top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of
energy and enthusiasm and hard work.
Women’s rights around the world are
very important indicator to understand global well-being. We believe that
rights of women around the world is an essential in 21st-century. Current
statistics show that approximately 50.5 percent of the world population
is women.
A more recent analysis of WHO with the London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Medical Research Council, based
on existing data from over 80 countries, found that globally 35% of
women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence
or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
Nowadays many religionists like to claim that
their religions give women equal rights. We only have to look at the world
around us today to see the position of women in many societies. It seems that
they have no property rights, are discriminated in various fields and generally
suffer abuse in many subtle forms.
Forms of domestic violence include physical, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse, which can range
from subtle, coercive forms of abuse to violent physical abuse that results in
disfigurement or death.
This includes seeking to establish equal
opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or
supports the rights and equality of women. We know there's loads of other
reason why feminism is needed in the world, most importantly in places
that aren't quite as lucky as us to have women at least legally equal to men. Women's right around the world is an important indicator to understand global well-being.
Starting in the late 18th century, and
throughout the 19th century, rights, as a concept and claim, gained
increasing political, social, and philosophical importance in Europe. Movements
emerged which demanded freedom
of religion,
the abolition of slavery, rights for women,
rights for those who did not own property, and universal
suffrage.
In the late 18th century the question
of women's rights became central to political debates in both France and
Britain.
At the time some of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment, who defended
democratic principles of equality and challenged
notions that a privileged few should rule over the vast majority of the
population, believed that these principles should be applied only to their own
gender and their own race.
The rights of women and men to have equal pay
and equal benefits for equal work were openly denied by the British Hong Kong Government up to the
early 1970s. Leslie Wah-Leung Chung (鍾華亮, 1917–2009),
President of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants' Association 香港政府華員會 (1965–68), contributed to the establishment
of equal pay for men and women, including the right for married women to be
permanent employees.
The status of women in China was low,
largely due to the custom of foot binding. About 45% of
Chinese women had bound feet in the 19th century. For the upper classes, it was
almost 100%. In 1912, the Chinese government ordered the cessation of
foot-binding. Foot-binding involved alteration of the bone structure so that
the feet were only about 4 inches long. The bound feet caused difficulty of
movement, thus greatly limiting the activities of women.
To promote gender equality and
the development of women, China is making good efforts to improve its legal
system to protect the rights and interests of women, formulate and implement
programs regarding women's development, further improve relevant working
organs, increase financial input and strengthen social awareness.
In recent years, the
Chinese government has made fairness and justice, with gender equality included, an
important part of efforts to build a harmonious socialist society, and has
utilized economic, legal, administrative, public opinion and other measures to
ensure that women enjoy equal rights with men in terms of politics, economy,
culture, and social and family life, and continuously pushes forward women's
development in an all-round way.
Although women were granted the right
to vote in 1920, in the United States women did not turn out to the polls in
the same numbers as men until 1980. From 1980 until the present, women have
voted in elections in at least the same percentage as have men, and often more.
This difference in voting turnout and preferences between men and women is
known as the voting
gender gap.
The voting gender gap has impacted political elections and, consequently, the
way candidate campaign for office.
Before this, the job status of a woman changed
from permanent employee to temporary employee once she was married, thus losing
the pension benefit. Some of them even lost their jobs. Since nurses were
mostly women, this improvement of the rights of married women meant much the as
Nursing profession.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in
the world that prohibits women from driving. Women were previously forbidden from
voting or being elected to political office, but King Abdullah declared that women will be able to vote and
run in the 2015 local elections, as well as be
appointed to the Consultative Assembly.
Women's suffragist in the United
Kingdom was a national movement that began in 1872. Women were prohibited
from voting in the United
Kingdom
until the 1832
Reform Act
and the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act. Both before and
after 1832, establishing women's suffrage on some level was a
political topic, although it would not be until 1872 that it would become a
national movement with the formation of the National Society for Women's Suffrage and later the more
influential National Union of Women's Suffrage
Societies
(NUWSS).
During 1916-1917, the House
of Commons Speaker,
James William Lowther, chaired a conference on electoral reform which
recommended limited women's suffrage. In 1918 the Representation of the People
Act was passed which allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property
qualification to vote. Although 8.5 million women met this criteria, it only
represented 40 per cent of the total population of women in the UK.
of Commons Speaker,
James William Lowther, chaired a conference on electoral reform which
recommended limited women's suffrage. In 1918 the Representation of the People
Act was passed which allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property
qualification to vote. Although 8.5 million women met this criteria, it only
represented 40 per cent of the total population of women in the UK.
Suffrage, or simply
franchise, distinct from other rights to vote, is the right to vote gained
through the democratic process. The right to run for office is sometimes called
candidate eligibility, and the combination of both rights is sometimes called
full suffrage. In many languages, the
right to vote is called the active right to vote and the right to run for
office is called the passive right to vote. In English, these are sometimes
called active suffrage and passive suffrage.
Little victory was achieved in this
constitutional campaign in its earlier years up to around 1905. It was at this
point that the militant campaign began with the formation of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).
Feminism is a collection of
movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending a state
of equal political,
religious, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. Feminism is about
gaining equal rights and opportunities for women, and allowing women to have
control over their lives and bodies. At a time when women are sexualized and
objectified in so many cultures, feminism is also about empowering women and
young girls.
First-wave
feminism
was a period of activity during the nineteenth century and early twentieth
century. In the UK and US, it focused on the promotion of equal contract,
marriage, parenting, and property rights for women. By the end of the
nineteenth century, activism focused primarily on gaining political power,
particularly the right of women's suffrage, though some
feminists were active in campaigning for women's sexual, reproductive, and economic rights
as well.
Generally we can say that men and women
are on the same position in the social context, according to the Buddha’s
instruction.
The Women in Buddhism
In the Sigalovada Sutta, the Buddha
gives good advice on how to maintain peace and harmony in the home between
husband and wife in order to achieve a happy married life and be faithful life. He
(husband) should treat his wife as an equal— a partner and friend, not as an
inferior. He should accept his wife as an individual, as a person in her
own right and not despise her. Thus, he has to maintain a give-and-take
relationship.
Just as a husband should be faithful
to his wife, so too must the wife be to her husband. Both have to be more wary
in situations involving the opposite sex so that misunderstandings do not
arise.
There is no external power. God has
no power in our lives. We all human are free people, not puppets on a
string. God has no power here. Since we possess such an initiative power,
therefore we can uplift ourselves to perform wholesome acts. "God"
figure is not necessary with the idea of karma of Buddhism. It is vital to
note that karma is not an instrument of a God, or a single God, but is rather
the physical and spiritual 'physics' of being.
Most scholars regard, all Buddhists do not
believe in God. Buddhism has no God. Buddhism has no Prophets. Buddhism has the Buddha, the Dharma (teaching
of Buddha) and the Sangha (ordained Buddhist
monks
or nuns). All Buddhist
believe in Buddha, Dharma (Dhamma) and Sangha .The Three Jewels, also called
the Three Treasures, Three Refuges, Precious Triad, or most commonly the Triple
Gem.
What certain philosophical viewpoints may
term "destiny" or "fate" is in actuality, according to the
laws of karma, the simple and neutral working out of karma. Many have
likened karma to a moral banking system, a credit and debit of good and bad.
The liberation of self is the responsibility
of one's own self. Buddhism does not call for an unquestionable blind faith by
all Buddhist followers. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self
discipline and individual striving. Taking refuge in The Triple Gems i.e. the
Buddha, the Dharma (Dhamma) and the Sangha; does not mean self-surrender or
total reliance on an external force or third party for help or salvation.
The Buddha's life and His Teachings
inspire individuals who practice Buddhism to develop self-reliance, moral
responsibility, tolerance, compassion, wisdom and many other qualities that can
enrich happiness and make life more meaningful in today's world.
Along
with these qualities, an understanding of the true nature of things will enable
the Buddhist to live in harmony with a changing world and to enjoy the highest
level of happiness.
At the time of the Buddha the caste system
was firmly established in India. According to this system, a person's position
in society was determined from the time he was born and there was no way to
change his lot in life. There were four castes, or classes, or gender, of
people in society. The
Buddha didn't accept caste system and gender inequality.
The Buddha gave women full freedom to
participate in a religious life, social life and family life etc. Then, the Buddha
appreciated that peace and harmony in a home is to a great extent ensured by a
woman.
Looking back to the earliest roots,
several nuns and laywomen were among the Buddha’s ablest and wisest disciples.
Buddha taught human that wives should
respect their husbands and husbands should respect their wives.
The Buddha teaches us that we are each
responsible for our own actions, and that we are each capable of shaping our
own destinies. We should thus consider carefully before doing anything
wrong, and instead try to do right at all times.
If you are unsure whether an action is right
or wrong, you can apply this simple rule of thumb as taught by the Buddha: if the
action harms either yourself or another, or both; then avoid doing that
action. If not, then go right on ahead!
Buddhism takes a strong ethical stand in
human affairs and sexual behavior in particular.
The most common formulation of Buddhist
ethics are the five precepts:
1.
The
Five Precepts are as follows:
2.
To
abstain from killing living beings;
3.
To
abstain from taking what is not given, i.e. from stealing;
4.
To
abstain from sexual misconduct (adultery);
5.
To
abstain from false speech;
6.
To
abstain from intoxicants and harmful drugs.
And
once the observing of the Five Precepts becomes an instinctive part of
your behavior, developing its positive aspects will come easily and naturally:
1.
The practice of Harmlessness and Compassion.
2. The practice of Kindness and Generosity.
3. The practice of Faithfulness and Responsibility.
4. The practice of Truthfulness and Pleasant Speech.
5. The practice of Self-control and Mindfulness.
2. The practice of Kindness and Generosity.
3. The practice of Faithfulness and Responsibility.
4. The practice of Truthfulness and Pleasant Speech.
5. The practice of Self-control and Mindfulness.
They are not commandments; there is no God in
Buddhism, so none to issue any. The Buddha's advice is to: Do Good, Avoid
Evil, and Purify the Mind.
Many religions teach us to do what is good
and avoid doing bad. Buddhism, in particular, besides teaching us to refrain
from all evil deeds and to do all good deeds, also teaches us to purify our
minds. Once we have a healthy mental culture, naturally our minds will not
be filled with greed, anger, ignorance, and other evil thoughts and actions.
Everyone has the right to freedom of speech,
the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression,
peace, security of person. Everyone must be recognition and respect for the
human rights and human dignity others.
All the teachings concerning culture,
thoughts, opinion, beliefs and practices are valuable in their own ways. The
important factor is that the follower of the concerned religion must follow the
teachings sincerely.
We must be aware that the mind controls our
speech and actions, it all arises from our minds. Minds are also our thoughts.
It is because humanity lacks wisdom and awareness that we are constantly
deceived by our minds. We fail to understand the real meaning of karma, or
cause and effect. We do not know if our actions will hurt ourselves or others;
or if they are beneficial or harmful.
Hence,
unhappiness and sufferings follow.
Humanity wants happiness and dislikes
sufferings. But, due to the lack of wisdom, we do not know how to free
ourselves from our sufferings. However, if we learn from Buddha's teachings -
practice to purify the three karma of bodily action, speech, thoughts and our
wisdom can be cultivated. Once we have wisdom, whatever we think, speak and do,
the actions will be beneficial to ourselves, to others and to the world. These
eventually lead to happiness and
the
world will be filled with brightness and hope.
Henceforth, we can say that the culture of Buddhism is also Blissful Culture.
Henceforth, we can say that the culture of Buddhism is also Blissful Culture.
Men
and women are same according to the Abhidhamma Pitaka
If
we take everything in the universe according to the natural phenomenon (Svabhava
Dhamma), we will find that women and men are equal. Because according to the
Abhidhamma method in Buddhism which is closer to the natural phenomena, both
men and women are the composition of four great elements or five aggregate.
If we further analyze a woman or man we can
find that both man and woman were composed by twenty seven material elements
respectively.
Both woman (femininity) and man (masculinity)
are belonged to real rupa respectively. In general, rupa
is the Buddhist concept of material form,
including both the body and external matter. But, of these eighteen, itthi-bhava
rupa (femininity) is relevant to only woman.
On the other hand, purisa-bhava rupa (Man's Life or
masculinity), which is also included in the real eighteen rupa, only concern
the man. Thus woman as well as man possesses different quality according to the
Abhidhamma of Buddha. This highlights the harmonious dichotomy (entirely
different.) of women and men.
In fact, their external appearances are not the same but we can identify that the criteria of their quality is equal.
In fact, their external appearances are not the same but we can identify that the criteria of their quality is equal.
Two kinds of Truth are recognized in the Abhidhamma
according to which only four categories of things namely, mind (consciousness),
mental concomitants, Materiality and Nibbaena (Nibbaena is extremely
subtle and hard to describe .It is not a place like heaven or paradise) are
classed as the Ultimate Truth; all the rest are regarded as apparent truth.
When we use such expressions as ‘I’, ‘you’,
‘man’, ‘woman’, ‘person’, ‘individual’, we are speaking about things which do
not exist in reality in Conventional
Truth (Sammuti Sacca). By using such expressions about things
which exist only in designation, we are not telling a lie; we are merely
speaking an apparent truth, making use of conventional language, without which
no communication will be possible.
But the Ultimate Truth (Paramattha Sacca) is that there is no ‘person’, ‘individual’ or ‘I’ in reality. There exist only khandhas made up of corporeality, mind (consciousness) and mental concomitants. These are real in that they are not just designations, they actually exist in us or around us.
But the Ultimate Truth (Paramattha Sacca) is that there is no ‘person’, ‘individual’ or ‘I’ in reality. There exist only khandhas made up of corporeality, mind (consciousness) and mental concomitants. These are real in that they are not just designations, they actually exist in us or around us.
But in Abhidhamma the Buddha makes no
such concessions; he treats the dha
ma entirely in terms of the ultimate reality
(Paramattha sacca). He analyses every phenomenon into its ultimate
constituents. All relative concepts such as man, mountain, etc. are reduced to
their ultimate elements which are then precisely defined, classified and
systematically arranged.
Thus in Abhidhamma everything is
expressed in terms of khandhas, five aggregates of existence; aeyatanas,
five sensory organs and mind, and their respective sense objects; dhaetu,
elements; indriya, faculties; sacca, fundamental truths; and so
on. Relative conceptual objects such as man, woman, etc. are resolved into
ultimate components of khandhas, aeyatanas, etc. and viewed as an
impersonal psycho-physical phenomenon, which is conditioned by various factors
and is impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and is without a
permanent entity (anatta).
Don’t commit adultery (Du, Sa, Na, So)
Buddha does not allow adultery
services. Buddha does not accept sexual misconduct services. Long is the
night to one who is wakeful; long is (the journey of) one yojana(Yuzana)
to the traveler who is tired; long is samsara (round of rebirths) to the
fool, who is ignorant of the true Dhamma (the Teaching of the Buddha).
Morality in Buddhism serves the
practical purpose of leading people to the final goal of ultimate happiness. On the Buddhist
path to Emancipation, each individual is considered responsible for his or her
own fortunes and misfortunes. Each individual is expected to work out
deliverance through understanding and effort. Buddhist salvation is the result
of one's own moral development and can neither be imposed nor granted to one by
some external agent.
King Pasenadi was also known as king
of Kosala,
which was north of Magadha ruled by King Bimbisara. The capital of the kingdom
of Kosala was called Savatthi. One of King Pasenadi's sisters was
the chief queen of King Bimbisara, which made him the brother-in-law of King Bimbisara.
One day King Pasenadi Kosala, while going out in the city, happened to see a beautiful young woman standing at the window of her house and he instantly fell in love with her. So the king tried to find ways and means of getting her. Finding that she was a married woman, he sent for her husband and made him serve at the palace. Later, the husband was sent on an impossible errand by the king.
The young man was to go to a place, a yojana
(a Yojana is a Vedic measure of distance
that was used in ancient India. It is equivalent to
about 13 km or 8 mile for terrestrial use and 6400 km for
cosmological distances as per modern measures of distance) away from Savatthi,
bring back some Kumuda lotus flowers and some red earth called
'arunavati' from the land of the dragons (nagas) and arrive back at
Savatthi the same evening, in time for the king's bath. The king's intention
was to kill the husband if he failed to arrive back in time, and to take the
wife for himself.
Hurriedly taking a
food packet from his wife, the young man set out on his errand. On the way, he
shared his food with a traveler. He also threw some rice into the water and
said loudly, "O guardian spirits and dragons inhabiting this river! King
Pasenadi has commanded me to get some Kumuda lotus flowers and
arunavati red earth for him. I have today shared my food with a traveler; I
have also fed the fish in the river; I now share with you the benefits of the
good deeds I have done today. Please get the Kumuda lotus and arunavati
red earth for me."
The king of the
dragons, hearing him, took the appearance of an old man and brought the lotus
and the red earth.
On that evening, King Pasenadi, fearing that the young husband might arrive back in time, had the city-gates closed early. The young man, finding the city-gates closed, placed the red earth on the city-wall and stuck the flowers on the earth. Then he declared loudly,
"O citizens! Be my witnesses! I have today accomplished my errand in time as instructed by the king. King Pasenadi Kosala, without any justification, plans to kill me." After that, the young man left for the Jetavana monastery to take shelter and find solace in the peaceful atmosphere of the monastery.
On that evening, King Pasenadi, fearing that the young husband might arrive back in time, had the city-gates closed early. The young man, finding the city-gates closed, placed the red earth on the city-wall and stuck the flowers on the earth. Then he declared loudly,
"O citizens! Be my witnesses! I have today accomplished my errand in time as instructed by the king. King Pasenadi Kosala, without any justification, plans to kill me." After that, the young man left for the Jetavana monastery to take shelter and find solace in the peaceful atmosphere of the monastery.
Meanwhile, King Pasenadi Kosala,
obsessed with sexual desire, could not sleep, and kept thinking out how he
would get rid of the husband in the morning and take his wife. At about
midnight, he heard some eerie sounds; actually, these were the doleful voices
of four persons suffering in Lohakumbhi Niraya .
Hearing those weird
voices, the king was terrified. Early in the morning, he went to the Buddha, as
advised by Queen Mallika. When the Buddha was told about the four voices
(Du,
Sa, Na, So) the king heard in the night, he explained to the king
that those were the voices of four beings, who were the sons of rich men during
the time of Kassapa Buddha, and that now they were suffering in Lohakumbhi
Niraya because they had committed adultery (sexual misconduct with
other people's wives).
Each
one wanted to speak a verse, but because of the gravity of the deed, could not
get past the first syllable. Not even in sights could they voice their
suffering, because they had long lost the gift of speech. The four verses that
the four men would like to speak started in Pali with "Du",
"Sa", "Na" and "So".
These
four words were the ones heard by King Kosala.
The four verses explained by Buddha that they wanted to speak were as follows:
(1) DU…."Dujjiivitamajiivimha , ye sante na dadamhase;
Vijjamaanesu bhogesu, diipa.m naakamha attano."
[Although we had great wealth we did not give anything to other people. We did not do meritorious deeds (adultery) that would have been our island of refuge. Instead, we had lived an evil live.]
(2) SA…."Sa.t.thivassasahassaani, paripu.n.naani sabbaso;
Niraye paccamaanaana.m, kadaa anto bhavissati."
[We have been suffering in this hell for sixty thousand years. Without respite we had suffered. When will we finish our suffering?]
(3) NA…."Natthi anto kuto anto, na anto pa.tidissati;
Tadaa hi pakata.m papa.m, mama tuyha~nca maarisaa."
[O friends, for the evil things we had done, the sufferings have no end for you and me. When will it end? There is no end in sight for us.]
(4) SO.."Soha.m nuuna ito gantvaa, yoni.m laddhaana maanusi.m;
Vada~n~nuu siilasampanno, kaahaami kusala.m bahu.m."
[When I am released from this hell and if I were to be reborn as a human being, I will listen to the wise people, and observe SILA (morality, moral discipline), and will do a lot of meritorious deeds.]
The four verses explained by Buddha that they wanted to speak were as follows:
(1) DU…."Dujjiivitamajiivimha , ye sante na dadamhase;
Vijjamaanesu bhogesu, diipa.m naakamha attano."
[Although we had great wealth we did not give anything to other people. We did not do meritorious deeds (adultery) that would have been our island of refuge. Instead, we had lived an evil live.]
(2) SA…."Sa.t.thivassasahassaani, paripu.n.naani sabbaso;
Niraye paccamaanaana.m, kadaa anto bhavissati."
[We have been suffering in this hell for sixty thousand years. Without respite we had suffered. When will we finish our suffering?]
(3) NA…."Natthi anto kuto anto, na anto pa.tidissati;
Tadaa hi pakata.m papa.m, mama tuyha~nca maarisaa."
[O friends, for the evil things we had done, the sufferings have no end for you and me. When will it end? There is no end in sight for us.]
(4) SO.."Soha.m nuuna ito gantvaa, yoni.m laddhaana maanusi.m;
Vada~n~nuu siilasampanno, kaahaami kusala.m bahu.m."
[When I am released from this hell and if I were to be reborn as a human being, I will listen to the wise people, and observe SILA (morality, moral discipline), and will do a lot of meritorious deeds.]
After
the King Pasenadi Kosala had heard these explanations, he became
responsive to the request of the compassionate Queen and granted freedom to the
imprisoned men and animals. He ordered the sacrificial altar to be destroyed.
(J 77 & 314)
The
King, who had become a devoted lay disciple of the Buddha, visited him one day
again and met a wise and well-learned layman there.
(In a previous existence, tradition says,
they had been princes in Shravasti city, and had been guilty of adultery. After
sexually misconduct themselves with their neighbors' wives, however carefully
guarded they might be, and indulging their amorous propensities, their evil
life had been cut short by the Wheel of Death, near Shravasti city.
They came to life again in Four Iron
Cauldrons. After being tortured for sixty thousand years they had come up to
the top, and on seeing the edge of the Cauldron's mouth they thought to
themselves, "When shall we escape from this misery?" And then they
all four uttered a loud cry the one after another.)
Then, the king came
to realize the depravity of the deed and the severity of the punishment. So, he
decided then and there that he would no longer covet another man's wife.
"After all, it was on account of my intense desire for another man's wife (adultery)
that I was tormented and could not sleep the whole of last night," he
reflected.
Then King Pasenadi Kosala
said to the Buddha, "Venerable
Buddha, now I know how long the night is for one who cannot sleep."
The young man who was
close at hand also said, "Venerable Buddha, because I had travelled the
full distance of a yojana yesterday, I, too know how long the journey of a
yojana is to one who is weary."
The king saluted the Buddha and sitting on
one side asked him if it were true that he knew the origin of these noises.
"Yes, your majesty" Buddha said. "In a former existence of these
men were guilty of adultery misconduct with the carefully guarded wives of
their neighbors near Benares (Varanasi India), and therefore were re-born in Four
Iron Cauldrons” (a cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot (kettle) for cooking and/or
boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped
hanger)…..
“Where after being tortured for 30,000
thirty thousand years in a thick corrosive liquid heated to boiling point, they
would at one time sink till they struck the bottom of the cauldron, and at
another time rise to the top like a foam bubble, but after those years they
found the mouth of the cauldron, and looking over the edge they all four
desired to give utterance to four complete stanzas, but failed to do so. And
after getting out just one syllable each, they sank again in the iron cauldrons”.
Combing their two statements, the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
“Long is the night to one who is wakeful; long is (the journey of) one yojana to the traveler who is tired; long is Samsara (round of rebirths) to the fool, who is ignorant of the true Dhamma (the Teaching of the Buddha)”.
Combing their two statements, the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
“Long is the night to one who is wakeful; long is (the journey of) one yojana to the traveler who is tired; long is Samsara (round of rebirths) to the fool, who is ignorant of the true Dhamma (the Teaching of the Buddha)”.
At the end of the
discourse, the young man attained Sotapatti Fruition.
Buddhist ethics also recognizes the
objectivity of moral values. The morality found in all the precepts can be
summarized in three simple principles.
When a person understand the law of Karma and
realizes that bad deeds bring bad results, he or she will then practice
Right Understanding and avoid performing all EVIL actions (all Evil Deeds).
We also have to know how to practice in order
to fit in with the nature of things in Buddhism. There is summarized teaching
of the Buddha, known as the Chief of all Teachings in the world and universe.
It consists of three brief points: "To avoid evil, to
cultivate good and purify the mind!" This is the principle of
the practice. (The DHAMMAPADA 183)
Polygamy
and world
The legal status of polygamy (also known as
bigamy where forbidden) varies from country to country. A majority of the
world's countries and nearly all of the world's developed nations do not permit
polygamy, and there have been growing calls for the abolition of polygamy in many developing
countries. In the countries which do not permit polygamy, a person who marries
a person while still being lawfully married to another commits bigamy. Polygamous
marriages
are recognized civilly in nearly fifty countries.
Polygamy is where a man has two or more than
two wives. Not essentially, all wives may or may not live in the same house.
There is another term that is similar to polygamy called bigamy which refers to
a man having two wives.
Not in US, Canada, UK or other
countries where even bigamy is not legal.
In North America polygamy has never
been a culturally normative or legally recognized institution since it was
colonized by Europeans.
However, there are many countries where
polygamy is considered legal by law and by civil society. In some instances,
like India, polygamy is illegal by law, but it is still practiced by the civil
society.
Polygamy is a phenomenon since the essence of
time but after Adam and Eve. It is one of the ancient practices that is
spreading today.
We real Buddhists do not accept
polygamy system. We do reject to practice polygamy system. However, in recent
days many people in the United States have concluded that polygamy is an
acceptable marital lifestyle.
Legalizing polygamy would provide more
protection than decriminalizing polygamy, yet only if laws were in place
beforehand to protect women and children. Legalizing polygamy would allow
immigrants to bring their polygamous culture into the U.S. because 90% of the
world practices polygamy. Besides
immigration laws, we would have to consider inheritance rights, divorce and
child-custody issues, social security, how to identify abuses within polygamy,
and produce extra welfare and government subsidies to support polygamy.
Legalizing polygamy would encourage gender inequality, and gender
imbalance.
Most polygamists want decriminalization, not
legalization, so they do not have to take responsibility for their over-sized
families. We believe polygamy is illegal for numerous reasons; part of this
website is to serve as comprehensive list of reasons why polygamy should
continue to be illegal.
“Polygamy” is the most commonly used term for
a man or woman who has more than one spouse. In countries where polygamy is illegal,
someone who marries a person while lawfully married to another commits the
crime of bigamy.
The Supreme Court of the
United States
has ruled that religion, or culture, is no excuse for abuse—the laws of the
land supersede harmful practices.
We only need to read about women and children
all over the world, in male-dominated religious cultures, whose human rights
are being violated; such as female mutilation, incest, polygamy,
forced-marriage, sex-trafficking, domestic slavery, lack of education, etc.
In the United States polygamy is
against the law, regardless, of religious belief. Today polygamy is more
widespread in the world.
To prevent domestic abuse and social
disintegrations, each member of the Society must have an interest for the
welfare of women and children. The suffering of neglected wives and children
should be everyone’s concern. If authorities do not concern themselves with the
family welfare, the society becomes weaker, for the status of families has a
profound impact on the strength or the weakness of society. Ultimately, when
Women and children suffer, society suffers and pays the price as a whole.
In the world polygamy appears to be a
solution for women increasingly worried about lonely spinsterhood which is seen
as associated with a “shortage” of men.
About women’s freedom in Buddhism
Each of every religion has been strongly the
good teaching. But Buddhism is the best religion for people and women since
BC 588 in the world.
According to the Buddha, marriage is the
beginning step in the mutuality between partners in their life together. It is
the meeting point of two individuals who love one another, who jointly make
effort in building their own family, their happiness and their marriage. If
this mutuality can be highly reciprocated, their matrimonial happiness will
become more solid and long lasting.
The Buddha not only sees marriage as a
union based on cause and effect between people in connection with love and
happiness, but it is also the opportunity for the individuals (both the husband
and the wife) to be righteous themselves and perfect their lives.
At this beginning of making a vow to each
other, they promise to journey together in love; to practice together their
dharma, not only during this one lifetime, but in many karmic lives to follow,
until both reach the utmost essence, which is enlightenment itself – this is
according to the teachings of the Buddha found in the canons.
Let's say both of these Buddhist partners are
very generous in open up their hearts and contribute to charitable causes;
let's say they know how to develop and improve their knowledge and enlightened
wisdom... that could be because they already possess the prior conditions to
connect with each other in marriage from many, many previous lives that are
inseparable.
Therefore, according to the Buddha's
teaching, marriage is the connected love toward righteousness. In it, the human
mind will become more brightened, pure, gentle and kind; and human dignity is
at its highest and most brilliant.
To have this happiness in marriage and in the
family life, both husband and wife have to love one another; they have to
possess mutual qualities in order to be deemed "fitted for each
other" as in the Buddhist spirits.
If both husband and wife are of the same
religion, equal virtues, and comparable intellectual and generosity, then they
are more compatible in their life together as a family - now in this lifetime
as well as if they want to reincarnate and meet again in their next life, they
can as well do so.
According to the Buddhist teachings
the husband has five responsibilities toward his wife and vice versa. Thusly, it is
essential for both husband and wife to fulfill their obligations and
responsibilities for each other in order to sustain and preserve their
matrimonial relation in a most happy and peaceful way. And that is exactly what
every couple wants and needs in their every day's family and married life.
Then parental responsibilities for children
and the children's duties toward parents are also clearly mentioned in the Sutta
of Buddha as useful guidelines for the attainment of a happy home.
In Buddhism, one can find all the necessary
advice which can help one to lead a happy married life. One should not neglect
the advice given by the Enlightened Teacher if one really wants to lead a happy
married life. In His discourses, the Buddha gave various kinds of advice for
married couples and for those who are contemplating marriage.
The Buddha (BC 623-BC 543) has said,
"If a man can find a suitable and understanding wife and a woman can find
a suitable and understanding husband, both are fortunate indeed."
Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom,
corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh , is a state located in northern India.. How miserable
the father felt at the birth of a daughter is seen from the event connected
with King Pasenadi of Kosala. When this King was informed that his queen
gave birth to a daughter he came to the Buddha and lamented.
The Buddha had to pacify him saying
that good daughters are as good as good sons. Buddhism does not consider women
as being inferior to men. Buddhism, while accepting the biological and physical
differences between the two sexes, does consider men and women to be equally
useful to the society.
The Buddha's advice to the King Pasenadi of
Kosala (6th century BC), who was a close devotee of his, clearly shows that
Buddhism does not consider the birth of a daughter as a cause for worry and
despair.
In examining the Buddhism religion, particularly
the role of women in Buddhism, it was quite clear that the religion of Buddhism
is practiced very different from other countries.
The Buddha (BC 623-BC 543) emphasizes the
fruitful role the women can play and should play as a wife, a good mother in
making the family life a success. In the family both husbands and wives are
expected to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties with equal
dedication.
The husband is admonished to consider the
wife a friend, a companion, a partner. In family affairs the wife was expected
to be a substitute for the husband when the husband happened to be indisposed.
In fact, a wife was expected even to acquaint herself with the trade, business
or industries in which the husband engaged, so that she would be in a position
to manage his affairs in his absence. This shows that in the Buddhist society
the wife occupied an equal position with the husband.
Buddhism does not restrict either the
educational opportunities of women or their religious freedom. The Buddha
unhesitatingly accepted that women are capable of realizing the Truth, just as
men are. This is why he permitted the admission of women into the Order, though
he was not in favor of it at the beginning because he thought their admission
would create problems in the Sasana.
Once women proved their capability of
managing their affairs in the Order, the Buddha recognized their abilities and
talents, and gave them responsible positions in the Bhikkhuni Sangha. A
Bhikkhunī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monk. Male Buddhist monk
is called Bhikkhus.
The Buddha condemned the caste system, which
he considered unjust. He pointed out that there existed wicked and cruel people
as well as virtuous and kind people in every caste system. Any person who had
committed a crime would be punished accordingly by his karma no matter what
caste he belonged to. Buddha said a person may be considered to have come from
a high or low caste according to his good and bad deeds. Therefore, according
to the Buddha it is the good and bad actions of a person and not his birth that
should determine his caste.
The Buddha introduced the idea of placing a
higher value on morality and the equality of people instead of on which family
or caste a person is born into. This was also the first attempt to abolish
discrimination and slavery in the history of mankind.
'Bhikkhu' is the name which denotes a
fully ordained Buddhist monk. The term literally means one who depends
on alms. Correspondingly, a 'Bhikkhuni' is a fully ordained Buddhist
nun. During his lifetime, the Buddha established thriving communities of both
bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.
The Buddhist texts record of eminent saintly
Bhikkhunis, who were very learned and who were experts in preaching the Dhamma.
Dhammadinna was one such Bhikkhuni, Khema and Uppalavanna are two others.
Dhammadinna was one of the Dhamma
expositor.
Such was the Buddha's high regard for her as
the Dhamma expositor (a person that explains complicated ideas or theories) and
she was ranked as the most competent Dhamma teacher amongst all the other
Bhikkhunis.
Khema was one of the two
chief female disciples of Buddha (the other being Uppalavanna). Khema nun belonged
to the royal family of Magadha and was one of the
chief queens of King Bimbisara.
Uppalavanna was one of the two chief female disciples of Buddha (the other being Khema). Buddha declared
them to be the foremost in supernormal
powers
among the nuns (Bhikkhunis).
Women in Buddhism are a topic that can be
approached from varied perspectives including those of theology, history, anthropology and feminism. Topical interests
include the theological status of women, the treatment of women in Buddhist
societies at home and in public, the history of women in Buddhism, and a
comparison of the experiences of women across different forms of Buddhism. As
in other religions, the experiences of Buddhist women have varied
considerably.
Buddha taught human that wives should
respect their husbands and husbands should respect their wives.
Almost pure Buddhists in the world shall
never accept polygamy, bigamy and dishonesty. Today, monogamy is the only
legally accepted form of marriage in all Buddhist countries.
Buddhist married Women kept their
maiden names legally and no need to change her husband's surname. Buddhist women
already received women rights and freedom in Myanmar completely. The
Buddha
gave women
full freedom to participate in a religious life.
The Buddha (623 BC-543 BC) was the first
religious greatest teacher in the world. Who gave this religious freedom to
women? Before the Buddha, women's duties had been restricted to the kitchen;
women were not even allowed to enter any temple or to recite any religious
scripture. During the Buddha's time, women's position in society was very low.
The Buddha was criticized by the prevailing
establishment when He gave this freedom to women. His move to allow women to
enter the Holy Order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha
allowed women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity
like men to attain the highest position in the religious way of life by
attaining Arahanta-hood.
Every woman in the world must be grateful to
the Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for giving
such freedom to them for the first time in world history.
The family is our source of strength and
happiness. Yet at times a diversity of religion and faith can exist within the
family circle. The spirit of Buddhism advocates a freedom of choice, tolerance
and mutual respect, for what good is there if there is religious homogeneity
but a stark absence of happiness and bliss in the family? The key is practicing
the code of family ethics, compassion and loving-kindness and even if through
these, others are not persuaded to the realm of Buddhism.
Happiness and bliss, after all, is what all
humanity seeks.
They were expected to honor and respect their
spouse's relatives and friends, thus creating a agreeable and happy atmosphere
in their new homes. At the same time, certain good qualities such as patience
and understanding which we learned through religion are important assets to
help us to lead a peaceful married life.
Normally, it is due to a lack of
mutual understanding that many married couples lead miserable lives. The result of this
is that their innocent children also have to suffer. It is better to know how
to handle your problems in order to lead a happy married life. Religion can
help you to do this.
You must have is appreciation. According to
Buddhist philosophy, among all the various kinds of human relationships, the
partnership of husband and wife is the most important. You must keep love
after marriage is to have sympathy for each other forever. Both should melt oneself into the other as
one person, or as one looks at oneself in the glass.
It is said that one must be like a
mirror image to the other. When one smile, the other in the mirror must also be
happy, when one is sad, the other must also share the sorrow. When one laughs,
the other will smile. Always treat your spouse as like his or her mirror image
and think of yourselves as one person, not two people. One must always feel
sympathy for the other. In this way, one can keep the opposite one in love
until life is gone. In Buddhism, one can find all the necessary advice which
can help one to lead a happy married life.
·
Loving
kindness
·
Family
obligations
·
Faithfulness
·
Child-care
·
Mutual
understanding
·
The
provision of meals
·
To
calm him/her down when he/she is upset
·
Sweetness
in everything
·
Polite
talk
·
Kindness
·
Courtesy
·
Sociability
·
Security
·
Fairness
·
Loyalty
·
Honesty
·
Good
companionship
·
Moral
support
Apart from these
emotional and sensual aspects, the couple will have to take care of day-to-day
living conditions, family budget and social duty. Thus, mutual consultations
between the husband and wife on all family problems would help to create an
atmosphere of trust and understanding in deciding whatever issues that may
arise.
The Buddha, in
reply to a householder as to how a husband should minister to his wife declared
that the husband should always honor and respect his wife, by being faithful to
her, by giving her the requisite authority to manage domestic affairs and by
giving her befitting ornaments. This advice, given over twenty six centuries
(2600 years) ago, still stands good for today.
We have always retained (continue to have
(something); keep possession of.) our legal and economic rights. A woman keeps
her own name after marriage.
During the days of the Burmese kings, women
were frequently appointed to high office and became leaders of a village,
chieftainess, and even ruled as queen. All these fields of administration,
government service, law, medicine or business are always open to any Burmese
woman who wishes to enter them.
In most of Asia women have had to fight for
equality with men primarily on three matters: marriage, divorce, and
inheritance. In Burma we have been singularly fortunate in possessing this
equality even before we knew it was a problem. The "arranged
marriage," customary in so large a part of Asia, is still to be found in
some segments of our society, but with this essential distinction: that the
parents cannot choose a partner for their daughter without offering her the
right of refusal.
Most of our young people now marry for love —
or at least choose their own partners — and a girl can insist that her parents
accept her betrothal to the man she prefers. Even after her marriage a girl can
decide, if she wants, to remain in her own family for a while. The marriage
itself continues this principle of independence and equality. The wedding is
not a religious ceremony but a civil contract — in fact no ceremony is
necessary at all; a man and woman can simply make known their decision to
"eat and live together."
Almost Buddhists practice monogamy in
Burma
Buddha always taught his lay disciples how to
keep their right love in three right ways: first of all, a husband should pay
respect to his wife with right manners, feed his wife with right food, and
comfort his wife with right treatment. It is written in the sutra titled
"The 'Good Born' Young Man Sutra."
According to Theravada Buddhist
tradition applies to both men and women must be honest and faithful. It includes strict
abstinence from sexual relations before marriage and complete honesty and
loyalty to one’s spouse after marriage. They shall not commit adultery, bigamy
and polygamy.
The Buddhism, Sigalovada Sutta presupposes
a monogamous system. Marriage is merely a social construct, a social construct
which is indistinguishable from other forms of relationships in terms of what
each values. All
most Burmese Buddhists do actually practice monogamy.
Monogamy is a form of
relationship in which an individual has only one spouse during their lifetime.
(Marriage once in a lifetime and marriage with only one person at his/her
lifetime, in contrast to bigamy or polygamy or polyandry)
Be aware that polygamy does not necessarily
mean being married to several women or having several wives. It could also
refer to a woman who is married to several men or who has a multitude of
husbands; also known as polyandry.
Polygamy, or plural marriage, refers to the
practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. It can take the form
of a man having more than one wife concurrently (Polygamy) or a woman
having more than one husband concurrently (Polyandry).
Almost Burmese Buddhists maintain a happy and
harmonious marriage along with monogamy system. Faithfulness and monogamy was
encouraged. Monogamy is a form of relationship in which an
individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Almost Burmese
Buddhists
abstain from fornication system, adultery system, bigamy
system, polyandry
system
and polygamy system.
Myanmar is the lowest
divorce rates
country
Divorce is stressful
for everybody in the family, especially for children. Almost married couples in
Myanmar (formerly Burma) who abstained from divorce and the risk of divorce.
Virtually everyone has heard that the
Burmese divorce ratio or percentage rate is 0.001% (or)
1:1000 couples for all first marriages couples because we love so much our
children and spouse.
Then they love and obey
teaching of Buddha. Almost historians believe that Myanmar is the lowest
divorce rates country in the world.
Burma (also known as
Myanmar) is predominantly of the Theravada Buddhist tradition,
practiced by 90% of the country's population.
They don't just give up on everything
like western countries. All Buddhists don't surrender about their family
problem and worry.
The Myanmar culture is much different from
the other world culture.
Most of the Burmese have one spouse only during their lives. If even one spouse dies, most of remain spouse do not marry again others because of giving priority to look after their children.
Most of the Burmese have one spouse only during their lives. If even one spouse dies, most of remain spouse do not marry again others because of giving priority to look after their children.
Children very often think that they have done
something wrong which is the cause of parental divorce. They may be told that
almost always children blame themselves for their parents’ divorce, but that by
no means children can be guilty.
Children are often worried that parents will
stop loving them because they have stopped loving each other. Parents should
emphasize that, although adults sometimes stop loving each other and get
divorced, they never stop loving their children. It is also important to talk
about their future life and to offer them an opportunity to ask all the
questions they want to ask.
It is of utmost importance not to ask children
with whom they want to live, because it pressures them to choose between
parents they equally love and need. Such a decision is too difficult for a
child.
Women's suffrage in the world
The years of WW1, also known
as the First World
War, saw a great remarkable spread of women’s
rights and female suffrage all over the world as well as in Canada. Female
suffrage is the right of women to vote. Women at this time were treated
differently from men, at least in voting rights. Especially, back then, women
were considered to be inferior to men, but after many years of hard work and
protest, women finally gained the same equality as men. Women’s rights in
Canada were differentiated by three different periods of time, which are
women’s rights before the war, during the war, and after the war.
Before the war started, the husband or the
father indirectly owned women and children. The laws made by Great Britain are
the reason for these laws. Women did not have any property rights except for
her own land, and once she was married, she could no longer own her own land,
and she couldn’t keep the money she earned by herself. But the men got to do
everything that women were not allowed to do. For example, a man could sell
their family’s farm, take all the money for himself and leave his children and
wife with nothing. The other thing is if the man died without writing or
leaving a will, then his wife was not able to inherit anything. This includes
all the money she had earned herself, and the land she owned before the
marriage.
Women's suffrage in the United States was
achieved gradually, at state and local levels during the late 19th century and
early 20th century, culminating in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment
to the United States Constitution, which provided: "The right of citizens
of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State on account of sex." On June 1848, the Liberty
Party,
composed entirely of men, made women's suffrage a plank in their
presidential campaign.
Women's suffrage (also known as woman
suffrage) is the right
of women
to vote and to stand for electoral office. Limited voting rights were gained by
women in Sweden, Finland and some western
U.S. states
in the late 19th century. National and international organizations
formed to coordinate efforts to gain voting rights, especially the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (1904), and also
worked for equal civil rights for women. In 1893, New Zealand, then a
self-governing British colony, granted adult women the right to vote and the
self-governing British colony of South Australia did the same in
1895, the latter also permitting women to stand for office. Australia federated
in 1901, and women acquired the right to vote and stand in federal elections
from 1902, but discriminatory restrictions against Aboriginal women (and men)
voting in national elections were not completely removed until 1962.
In ancient Athenian
democracy,
often cited as the birthplace of democracy, only men were permitted to vote.
Through subsequent centuries, Europe was generally ruled by monarchs, though
various forms of Parliament arose at different times. The high rank ascribed to
abbesses within the Catholic Church permitted some women
the right to sit and vote at national assemblies - as with various high-ranking
abbesses in Medieval Germany, who were ranked among the independent princes of
the empire.
Their Protestant successors enjoyed the same
privilege almost into modern times. Anglo-Saxon kings, as well as Henry III and
Edward I, deliberated with influential English abbesses in their respective
Witenagemot Councils and Parliament in a fashion similar to the medieval
Germans. In 1362, during the 35th year of Edward III of England's reign,
numerous British and Irish peeresses were summoned to vote in Parliament by
proxy.
Marie Guyart, a French nun who worked with
the First
Nations
peoples of Canada during the seventeenth century, wrote in 1654 regarding the
suffrage practices of Iroquois women, "These
female chieftains are women of standing amongst the savages, and they have a
deciding vote in the councils. They make decisions there like the men, and it
is they who even delegated the first ambassadors to discuss peace." The
Iroquois, like many First Nations peoples in North America, had a matrilineal kinship system. Property and
descent were passed through the female line. Women elders voted on hereditary
male chiefs and could depose them.
The
Buddha preached tolerance and non-violence
The enlightenment of the Buddha 2600 years
ago, a greatest teacher of human and Gods who preached non-violence,
tolerance, understanding and self realization, should be celebrated by the
United Nations. This organization was created on the smouldering (burn slowly)
embers of global war and the resulting death, destruction and massive
displacement, to maintain international peace and security, to achieve
international cooperation in solving international problems and to develop
friendly relations among nations based on mutual respect.
Lord Buddha attained
Enlightenment and became Buddha at the age of 35 (BC 588). According to
historical records, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon (Yangon) was built since
588 BC (over 2602 years old). Shwedagon
in Burma is the first oldest pagoda in the whole World. Buddha was born 623 BC.
The
Buddha and his disciples travelled vast areas (on foot) throughout India to
expound the Dhamma, helping lots of suffering people along the way. His
relentless effort lasted for 45 years.
The Buddha passed into Parinibbana (or
passed away in simplified layman's term) at the ripe old age of 80 in 543 BC. In Buddhism, the term
parinirvana (parinibbana) is commonly used to refer
to nirvana-after-death, which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has
attained nirvana during their
lifetime.
Knowing the
psychology of the man who tends to consider himself as superior, the Buddha
made a remarkable change and uplifted the status of a woman by a simple suggestion
that a husband should honor and respect his wife. A husband should be faithful
to his wife, which means that a husband should fulfill and maintain his marital
obligations to his wife thus sustaining the confidence in the marital
relationship in every sense of the word.
The husband,
being a bread-winner, would invariably stay away from home, hence he should
entrust the domestic or household duties to the wife who should be considered
as the keeper and the distributor of the property and the home economic-administrator.
The provision of
befitting ornaments to the wife should be symbolic of the husband's love, care
and attention showered on the wife. This symbolic practice has been carried out
from time immemorial in Buddhist communities. Unfortunately it is in danger of
dying out because of the influence of modern civilization.
In advising women
about their role in married life, the Buddha appreciated that the peace and
harmony of a home rested largely on a woman. His advice was realistic and practical
when he explained a good number of day-to-day characteristics which a woman
should or should not cultivate.
On diverse
occasions, the Buddha counseled that a wife should:
a) Not harbor evil
thoughts against her husband;
b) Not be cruel,
harsh or domineering;
c) Not be
spendthrift but should be economical and live within her means;
d) Guard and save
her husband's hard-earned earnings and property;
e) Always be
attentive and chaste in mind and action;
f) Be faithful and
harbor no thought of any adulterous acts;
g) Be refined in
speech and polite in action;
h) Be kind,
industrious and hardworking;
i) be thoughtful
and compassionate towards her husband, and her attitude should equate that of a
mother's love and concern for the protection of her only son;
j) Be modest and
respectful;
k) Be cool, calm
and understanding — serving not only as a wife but also as a friend and advisor
when the need arises.
I believe, as
parents, with regards to their children’s marriages, the primary concerns are
the relationship between the two parties and how to guide their children in
deciding their lifetime partners. Religion and faith are important factors; it
is their happiness after the marriage that matters most of all.
It would be useful
for parents to counsel their children about the code of family ethics, such as
the role and responsibilities of a husband and wife, and how to be good parents
themselves. If they do not know how to live harmoniously and fulfil their
responsibilities as husband and wife,(or) to be good parents, even if both of
them believe in Buddhism.
A newly married couple may live with the
parents of one partner (often the parents of the wife) but soon establish their
own household. The nuclear family (a family group that
consists only of father, mother, and children) is the primary domestic
unit, but it may include extended family members such as unmarried siblings,
widowed parents, or more distant unmarried or widowed relatives. The husband is
nominally the head of the household, but the wife has considerable
authority. The wife is nominally the acting head of the household. Women
are responsible for most domestic chores.
In the days of the
Buddha, other religious teachers also spoke on the duties and obligations of a
wife towards her husband — stressing particularly on the duty of a wife bearing
an off-spring for the husband, rendering faithful service and providing
conjugal happiness. There is no one who is without fault or sin.
We, just as all
sentient beings, have been in transmigration for countless life times. A
married couple has loved and hated each other through many lifetimes of
marriage. Unless and until we are able to free ourselves altogether from
transmigration, we must bear the pain that arises from each other. If we try to
appreciate each other and have sympathy for each other but find we are still
unable to stop the thought of divorce, the only way to cure this is forgiveness.
We need to be
helping hands each other. In order to forgive, we first have to arrive at a
place where our personal peace and happiness is more important to us than the
desire to be "right" and make someone else "wrong".
Our Buddha
loves us so much so we must love each other.
Our Buddha
forgives us so much so we must forgive each other.
Gautama Buddha first ordained
women
as nuns five years after his
enlightenment and five years after first ordaining men into the sangha.
The first Buddhist nun was his aunt and
foster mother Mahapajapati
Gotami. Mahapajapati Gotami was the first
woman to request ordination from the Buddha and to join the Saṅgha.
The founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, permitted women to
join his monastic community and fully
participate in it.
The status of motherhood in Buddhism has also
traditionally reflected the Buddhist perspective that dukkha, or suffering, is a
major characteristic of human existence.
The Therigatha, often translated as
Verses of the Elder Nuns (Pali: theri elder (feminine) + gatha verse), is a
Buddhist scripture, a collection of short poems supposedly recited by early
members of the Buddhist sangha in India around 588
BC. In the Pali
Canon
of Theravada Buddhism, the
Therigatha is classified as part of the Khuddaka Nikaya, the collection of
short books in the Sutta
Pitaka.
It consists of 73 poems, organized into 16 chapters. It is the earliest known
collection of women's literature.
However, motherhood in Early Buddhism could also be a
valued activity in its own right. Queen Maya, the mother of Gautama Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism, had a certain following, especially in Lumbini Nepal, where she
gave birth to him. Since Queen Maya died some days after his birth, Gautama
Buddha was brought up by a foster mother, his mother's sister Mahapajapati Gotami, who also had two children of her own.
She became the first Buddhist nun. Both of her children, her son Nanda and her daughter Sundari
Nanda
joined the Buddhist SANGHA of monastics. She
became an Arhat "foremost in
wisdom" renowned for her teaching and is depicted in the Theravada tradition as one of
the most important female disciples of the Buddha.
Yasodhara was the wife of
Shakya prince Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism. She later entered
the order of Buddhist
nuns
and is considered an Arahant (Arhat). Some time
after her son Rāhula became a novice monk, Yasodhara also entered the Order of
Monks and Nuns and within time attained Arahantship. She was ordained as
Bhikkhuni included among the
five hundred ladies following Mahapajapati
Gotami
to establish Bhikkhuni. Mahapajapati Gotami died at the age of 120.
Buddhist practice is generally
gender-neutral. This practice is contained in the “Noble Eightfold Path”, which
is usually divided into three groups – PANNA (wisdom), SILA
(morality), and BHAVANA (mental development).
The Buddha gave women full freedom to
participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious supreme
teacher who gave this religious freedom to women.
Women role in the world can't allowed leading
preach at their religious ceremonies. Buddhist women role in the world can
allowed leading preach Buddhist religious ceremonies.
They have considerable authority in the home
— they usually handle the family finances, for instance —and in many ways more
freedom than Western women. Because of our family system, there are nearly
always cousins or sisters or aunts or other relatives who live in the
household.
This means that there is always someone in
the family to take care of the children and the mother is free to have a job or
profession outside the home. The girls, meanwhile, are taught at an early age
to help in the house and in their mother's work outside.
Both men and women do agricultural work, but
individual tasks are often gender-specific. Men prepare the land for planting
and sow seeds, and women transplant rice seedlings. Harvesting is done by both
men and women. Men thresh the rice. Most domestic work is done by women. During
ceremonies, however, men are involved in food preparation.
A variety of traditional handicrafts are made
within the household or by specialists. Items of metal, wood, or stone
generally are made by men, and weaving usually is done by women. Pottery,
basketry, plaiting, making lacquer-ware, and making umbrellas can be done by
men or women. Small-scale market selling and itinerant trading are conducted by
both sexes. Transportation of goods or people by animal, carts, boat, or motor
vehicle is done mainly by men.
The Status of women in the Union of Myanmar
is unique. Traditionally, women have enjoyed equal rights with men in all job
areas such as education, health, employment, social and political activities.
As women represent more than half the population of the nation, the active
participation of the womenfolk is vital in the State's endeavors to build a
developed nation. Therefore, the national policies and programs for the
advancement of women both in urban and rural areas, especially in the border
areas have been given priority to enable the State to utilize the full strength
of women.
Shin Sawbu was the Queen of Hanthawaddy, Burma from 1454 to
1471. Mon Queen Shin Sawbu (Shin Saw Pu) and Queen Jamadevi (Camadevi) of Haripunjaya are the two most
famous Buddhist Queens among the small number of Queens who ruled in mainland Southeast Asia Haripunjaya
(Hariphunchai) was a Mon kingdom in the north
of present Thailand in the centuries
before the Thais moved into the area. Its capital was at Lamphun, which at the time
was also called Hariphunchai. In 1292 the city was besieged and captured by the
Thai kingdom of Lanna. Today, Queen Shin
Saw Pu and Queen Jamadevi would be tremendously proud of Asia women and all
women of Burma (Myanmar).
The highest achievement of Buddhism,
supreme enlightenment, is available to both men and women. There is a
categorical affirmative answer to the question put to him whether women could
reach enlightenment. This was stated well before there were any female
Arahants (i.e. persons who have reached full enlightenment).
In Theravada Buddhism, an Arhat (Pali: Arahant;
"one who is worthy) is a "perfected person" who has attained nirvana. In other Buddhist traditions the term has
also been used for people far advanced along the path of Enlightenment, but who may not have reached full Buddha-hood.
Arhatship is
the highest rank attained by Savakas. In Theravada Buddhism, savaka or savika is
a disciple who accepts: An Arhat is a Buddhist saint who has attained
liberation from the cycle of Birth and Death, generally through living a
monastic life in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings.
The Buddha opened the gates for the full
participation of women in the field of religion by making them eligible for
admission to what was known as the Bhikkhuni Sangha - the Order of Nuns
– that truly opened to women new avenues of culture and social service and
ample opportunities for public life. This brought to women recognition of their
importance to society, and greatly enhanced their social status.
We
should respect to women rights.
All
people need to appreciate on woman (female).
All
living things depend on each other.
Don't
oppress women… Don't insult women …Don't ignore women … Don't bully women …
Please appreciate women …
Please respect women …
Please protect women …
Please help women …
(Don't forget and neglect them)
We
suggest:
Women should be treated like human.
Women should be judged by their character and actions like all human beings.
Women should have to give respect to earn it, rights it.
Women should put equal effort into a relationship that the man does.
Women should be treated like human.
Women should be judged by their character and actions like all human beings.
Women should have to give respect to earn it, rights it.
Women should put equal effort into a relationship that the man does.
PEACE shall be attained in
all community sectors in the world when women’s voices are heard and men listen
to the message. EQUALITY is reached when men and women share the pain
and share the gain.
References
http://www.modernghana.com/news/252599/1/polygamy-is-major-cause-of-sexually-transmitted-di.html
http://www.buddhistedu.org/en/culture/interesting-article/336-matrimony-according-to-buddha-
https://sites.google.com/site/2011hivaidsperiod2/home-1/article-2-colin
http://www.china-un.ch/eng/rqrd/jblc/t210715.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights
http://www.buddhanet.net/twotruth.htm
http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/generally-say-men-women-position-social-context-according-buddha-s-instruction-notice-comm-q1419592
http://www.burmalibrary.org/TinKyi/archives/2002-12/msg00003.html
http://fairfamilylaw.info/spip.php?article411
http://www.polygamy.org/about/f-a-q/
http://www.lifespurpose.info/buddha/causeandeffect/lawofcauseandeffect03.html
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/position.htm
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