Author: Ven. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh Ph.D.
Have you come across this question when you or your family member, or your friends go into a temple or religious house, then suddenly someone asked, "Are you cleaned or not?"(to the ladies). Then they will continue and say, "If not clean, don't enter ah..". What here mean are ladies is it having period.
I always told my family that this is so fallacious. What has it (menstruate) got to do when women or ladies having period cannot enter the temple? In Buddhism there is no such thing.
At the time when Buddha was preaching back at 2500 years ago, there are many bhikkhus (women monks) learning Dharmma under him. But the Buddha didn't chase them away or barred them as they are not cleaned or purify enough to heard what the Buddha's preaches. There is not such thing as "not clean" on any women. Whenever I heard this question, I will asked back those who asked the question with " Aren't you born by women?". "So you tell me you clean or not clean?".
If we want to labeled women or ladies are dirties, this is not only bias but is totally stupid perception. Not only ladies are but men too. We are all dirty. In term of the mind alone we have, it is so contaminated that nothing can wash, to clean or to clear away those dirties things we have in our mind unless with practicing the Dhamma. Human mind alone creates numerous suffering not only to them-self but to all living creatures in this world, such as animals and plants. Human are vicious, human are ignorance and worst still human creates so much destruction. What more dirtier than human? (both men and women).
So this week, I recommended this book as to cleared up those long and old perceptions on women or ladies roles they have in Buddhism. Ven. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh provides answers to questions often asked about women and the ordination issue and related topics. She responds to such questions as: In the Buddha's time what role did women play in Buddhism? Why cannot women become buddhas? What is the Buddhist attitude towards prostitution? What is an attitude of a Buddhist towards abortion?
Read the book for more info. You can download the book here
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