I'm sorry but this is the Buddha we are talking about here. If you have a problem with grasping he is Sammasambuddha then you just don't get it. He is no longer a mere human. What rules he laid down are for the benefit of mankind and the gods for a long long time. Not for political correctness which is a product of worldly knowledge. Lord Buddha is supramundane and you either believe that or you don't.
A Buddha is incapable of offending any sentient being for ill purposes. It therefore follows that the rules he laid down in the Vinaya are indeed just what is claimed-for the BENEFIT of all..

For the benefit of all sentient beings, which last time I looked includes women.
Pete Tomlinson





________________________________
From: Bankei <bankei@...>
To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, March 1, 2010 7:26:07 AM
Subject: Re: [Pali] Gender bias in Buddhism?


Hi Yong Peng

I think this has to be a case of gender bias, as it is making one gender sub
ordinate to the other gender. These rules on apply to women who already had
many vinaya rules more than the men.

But, on the other hand it was a radical development to even have female
monastics in ancient India.

Bankei

2010/3/2 Ong Yong Peng <palismith@... com>

>
>
> Dear friends,
>
> it is well established that Buddhism was the first to have a "female
> leadership" in its clergy, the Sangha. By this, I refer to the bhikkhunis
> who are equals to bhikkhus in many ways, primarily,
>
> 1. in their capacity to attain arahatship and nibbana, and the recognition
> of this capacity.
> 2. receive alms and veneration from lay-followers, just like the bhikkhus.
> 3. provide guidance and conduct teachings of the Buddha.
>
> By allowing female disciples to be ordained as bhikkhunis, the Buddha was
> far ahead of his times.
>
> Subsequently, we have the Therigatha attributed to the prominent
> bhikkhunis. In China, there are also multiple records of bhikkhunis' lives
> and works in the form of bi-qiu-ni-zhuan (姣斾笜灏间紶).
>
> However, we are also aware of the eight garudhamma rules, which somehow
> place the bhikkhunis on a "lower tier" than their male counterparts. Is this
> a special case of a gender bias?
>
> metta,
> Yong Peng.
>
>

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