1

WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND

THE EIGHT GARUDHARMAS IN BUDDHISM

by
Bhikkhuni Do Le Anh Thi

Subject: Buddhism and Modern Sciences

Lecturer: Prof.Dr. Frank Hoffman
Asst. Prof.Dr. Sanu Mahatthanadull
(Buddhist Studies)

International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC)

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Phra Nakorn Si Ayutthaya, Thailand
C.E. 2018
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Contents
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3
2. The rights of women in modern times .......................................................................... 5
3. Women’s rights and the Eight Garudhammas in Buddhism .......................................... 6
4. The New Gurudharmas for monks of Plum Village tradition ......................................... 8
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 11
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Abstract
Women have a sacred function naturally that is motherhood and
wifehood. They are sensitive, tolerant, altruistic ... compassion easily
arose in the heart of women. It is not by chance that Avalokiteshvara, the
Bodhisattva of compassion, manifests in the form of women, the
Vietnamese often call Him with a dearly affectionate name "Mother
Avalokitesvara." The image of the woman in Buddhist literature is
beautiful, gentle and also full of wisdom. Female Buddhism plays an
important role in the formation of a Buddhist Sangha: bhikkhus,
bhikkhunis, laymen, laywomen. Each gender plays a separate role,
complementing each other. The nature of man and woman has different
qualities, so there must be some difference in the practice of precepts, as
well as in ritualistic rituals. However, some scholars nowadays in the
world, such as Diana Y. Paul, Susan Murcott, point out that some of the
points in the Lotus Sutra and the Asta Garudharma are discrimination in
Buddhism, unrespected women1.

1. Introduction

When Mahà Pajapati Gotami asked permission to ordain, the

Buddha has refused three times, but she still has a steadfast heart to
overcome hundreds of miles from Kapilavatthu to Vesali, image Maha
Gotami with five hundred women shook their beautiful hair and their feet
were bloodied and swollen because of walking hundreds of miles.

1
D. Amarasiri Weeratne, the eight strict rules for buddhist nuns (aṣṭa garu
dharma ), Buddhist Himalaya Journal, retrieved on 8 March 2018,
http://nibs.com.np/pdf/buddhist-himalaya/VOL-XI/eight_strict_rules.pdf
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Finally, The Buddha opened a door for the women can practice and
liberation, that door is the Eight Garudharmas.

With great vision and comprehension, the Blessed One can see the
dangers and inevitable shortcomings in running parallel two Sangha
simultaneously. Thus, he issued Eight Garudharmas to the Bhikkhunī
Sangha to preserve and protect the future of both Orders. The Buddha
taught Ananda that: “Ananda, if Mahapajapati Gotami accepts eight vows
of respect, that will be her full ordination (upasampada)”.

1. A bhikkhuni who has been fully ordained even for more than a century
must bow down, rise up from her seat, salute with hands palm-to-palm
over her heart, and perform the duties of respect to a bhikkhu even if he
has been fully ordained only a day. This rule is to be honored,
respected, revered, venerated, never to be transgressed as long as she
lives."
2. A bhikkhuni must not spend the rains in a residence where there is no
bhikkhu...
3. Every half-month a bhikkhuni should request two things from the
Bhikkhu Sangha: she should ask for the date of the uposatha day and
come for an exhortation...
4. At the end of the Rains-residence, a bhikkhuni should invite (criticism
both from) the Bhikkhu Sangha and the Bhikkhuni Sangha on any of
three grounds: what they have seen, what they have heard, what they
have suspected...
5. A bhikkhuni who has broken any of the vows of respect must undergo
penance for half a month under both Sanghas...
6. Only after a probationer has trained in the six precepts for two years
should she request ordination from both Sanghas...
7. A bhikkhu must not in any way be insulted or reviled by a bhikkhuni...
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8. From this day forward, the admonition of a bhikkhu by a bhikkhuni is

forbidden, but the admonition of a bhikkhuni by a bhikkhu is not
forbidden. This rule, too, is to be honored, respected, revered,
venerated, never to be transgressed as long as she lives.2

Venerable Ananda transmitted the Eight Garudharmas to Maha

Pajapati Gotami. She was overjoyed, happy to recieve and vow to train
the whole life not violated. After the establishment of the Bhikkhunī
Sangha under the leadership of Gotami, all levels of society came to join
the Order. With their effort to reach the goal of full liberation of women,
they have saved glorious pages in the Buddhist literature with the
triumphs, Therigatha - the Verses of Elder Nuns.

The issue of scholars argue that: Buddhism is equanimity,

regardless of class, are there discrimination against women through the
Eight Garudharmas? In the present era, do the Eight Garudharmas violate
the rights of women?

2. The rights of women in modern times

Modern women influence the idea of "gender equality," which

requires men and women to have the same rights, demand to liberate
women. In women, there are also machos, heroes but after all, there are
not many great women as men. The world celebrates "men and women
are equal", ensuring rights for women but the effect is not clear. Of the
160-170 countries around the world today there are women who have
become heads of state. In recent decades, there have been Mayer, Israeli
Prime Minister, Gandhi in India, former Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher nicknamed the steel lady in England, Aquino in the Philippines,
2
A.8.51 (Anguttara Nikaya - Atthaka Nipata - Gotami Vaggo)
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Sri Lanka also had a female president. One of the famous female priests,
Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. We know that the proportion of male and
female in the world is approximately equal. Why is the number of famous
women compared to men less? Today, although the female constantly
effort to increase the number of successful women in every field, the
proportion of successful women is still lower than that of men. The
problem is that because of the tradition of women is taking care of family,
they become the heroes behind the scenes, which is also good because the
male and female physiological psychologies are different, men are strong
and decisive Women are sensitive, flexible, they have to support together,
complementary defects each other.

In a recent interview with Larry King on Ora TV’s PoliticKing, the

Dalai Lama, the face of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the planet’s most
recognized spiritual leaders, said that the world is in need of more women
as leaders: “ According to scientists, women have more sensitivity than
men. Sometimes I really feel that more women should take responsibility
in the leadership of our planet. It would mean less violence” his Holiness
Tenzin Gyatso,the 14th Dalai.3

3. Women’s rights and the Eight Garudhammas in Buddhism

We should not emphasize the absolute equality between men and

women in Buddhism, but to absorb the teachings of the Buddha. The so-
called "dharmasthiti and dharmaniyāmata" means that each has its own
position, each of which has its own part, each of which carries out its

3
Worldreligionnews, Dalailama says more women as leaders might lead to less violent
world, retrieved on 8 March 2018, https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-
news/buddhism/dalai-lama-says-more-women-as-leaders-might-lead-to-less-violent-world
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responsibility, this, the one that respects one another. , help each other. If
there are 4 Orders (ie laymen, laywomen, bhikkhus, and bhikkhunis) in
the same meeting should consider the nature of the meeting to arrange
seats, for women Delegates and important positions should arrange them
to sit on equal with men, if the meeting is a common ritual, male and
female should distinguish which sit.

On the surface of appearance, we feel a little bit unfair to women,

they have to suffer more disadvantage than men, male dependence.
However, we have to consider the physiological nature of women, they
are weak, vulnerable and fragile need to be protected, so the Buddha
introduced the Eight Garudhammas to protect women against the
temptation, the danger they may encounter. The Eight garudhammas help
women more humble, to eradicate the original habit energy as
motherhood and wifehood, as the queen of family, transform their
arrogant mind. If we look at the precepts and the rules of the law with a
positive view, we see that the precepts prescribed by the Buddha are not
inhibition, lost free, but the morality is a hedge, which has limited the
evils that affect the path of liberation enlightenment. Being in the
precepts will be peaceful and easy to advance in meditation and wisdom.

The Buddha once asserted to Ananda that a woman can practice

and attain holiness according to the Gotami vagga in the Anguttara
Nikaya. Ananda asked:

“Now, Lord, are women, having gone forth from home into homelessness in
the dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, able to realise the
fruit of stream-attainment or the fruit of once-returning or the fruit of non-
returning or perfection?”
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“Women, Ānanda, having gone forth from home into homelessness in

the dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, able to realise the
fruit of stream-attainment or the fruit of once-returning or the fruit of non-
returning or perfection.”4

Gender equality in Buddhism is evident at the point where women

are studied to practice liberally as men and attain the same attainment.
Regarding the forms, the difference between men and women, heavy and
light but nature is the same, the women who practice the teachings of the
Buddha are gradually transforming their muliebrity. They will have many
characteristics of the male, not meticulous, not jealous selfish, they will
be strong solid in the female form. Most of the women who change the
world are very masculine in them. There are many men who are
femininity, they are meticulous, careful, narrow vision, they have little
success in life. So the question is not whether the gender of the physical
body is male or female, but the mind is important. "Mind leads all."

4. The New Gurudharmas for monks of Plum Village tradition

The Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh taught to his monastic disciples
in Plum village The Eight Practices of respect- Gurudharmas (For a
bhikkhu to practice with regard to a bhikkhuni) 5

1. A bhikshu should join his palms in greeting when he sees

a bhikshuni join her palms to him, even though that bhikshuni has
only been ordained as bhikshuni for a short time. A bhikshuni, no

4
Theravāda vinayapiṭaka - khandhaka (cūḷavagga), Nuns (Bhikkhunī) First
recitation section, The story of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī translated by IB. Horner, Bhikkhu
Brahmali
5
Thich Nhat Hanh, The eight practies of respect for monks , retrieved on 8 march
2018 http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2015/02/the-eight-practices-of-respect-
gurudharmas
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matter how long she has been ordained, represents the whole
bhikshuni Sangha, which has been a partner of the bhikshu Sangha
from the time it began to exist and will continue to be so in the future.

2. A bhikshu does not think or say that the karmic

retribution of a nun is less favourable than that of a monk and for that
reason a bhikshuni’s studies, practice, realizations and service to
the Buddhadharma cannot equal that of the bhikshu. A bhikshu is
aware that the reason why the Pratimoksha for bhikshunis has more
precepts than that for bhikshus is not because bhikshunis have a l ess
favourable karmic retribution: it is because the nuns themselves
established more precepts for self-protection and the protection of
monks and laymen.

3. When a bhikshu sees a bhikshuni he should be aware of

whether she is of the same age as his mother, elder sister, younger
sister, or daughter might be. He should feel respect for and want to
protect and assist in the practice any bhikshuni who is older than him
as he would feel respect for and want to protect his mother and elder
sister. If the bhikshuni is younger than him he should feel care and
concern for her and want to protect and assist her in the practice as
he would feel concern for his younger sister or daughter.

4. A bhikshu never maligns a bhikshuni, even in a

roundabout way. He never hits a bhikshuni even with a flower. It is
courteous of a bhikshu of the twenty-first century to offer a cup of tea
to a bhikshuni. A bhikshu knows that just as the bodhisattva
Samantabhadra is found in the person of the true bhikshu, so the
bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is found in the person of the true
bhikshuni. This knowledge fosters mutual respect.
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5. When organizing the three-month Rains’ Retreat,

bhikshus should make sure that it is in a place where there is a
bhikshuni Sangha, so that the bhikshus have an opportunity to be near
to, offer teaching to, and receive the support of the bhikshuni Sangha,
because the bhikshuni Sangha always has and will be a partner of the
bhikshu Sangha.

6. When the bhikshus hear about a bhikshuni who is learned

in the Dharma, is skilled in sharing the Dharma, and practices well
the precepts and all other aspects of the path, they can contact the
bhikshuni Sangha and invite that bhikshuni to come and give
teachings and share her understanding and experience of the practice
with them.

7. When bhikshunis volunteer to come to the bhikshu

monastery in order to help cook and lay out a celebratory meal at a
memorial service or other important ceremony, the bhikshus should
find ways to help out and work alongside the bhikshunis, especially in
lifting heavy items.

8. When bhikshus hear that a bhikshuni is in ill-health or

has had an accident they should express feelings of sympathy and they
can delegate bhikshus to visit her, ask after her health and find other
ways to offer support.

According to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that is the majestic

beauty that men also need to train with women to avoid looking at one
side " to value men above women".
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Conclusion
In short, the Eight Garudharmas of the Buddha prescribed for the
Bhikkhuni does not come from the discriminating mind for women as
Western scholars acknowledge, but come from his insights and
compassion. A bhikkhuni is humble, courtesy, majesty, she will be maken
people around the more respectful. Thus, the Eight Garudharmas only
honors the beauty of the woman in the Sangha of the Buddha.

References

1. Anguttara Nikaya - Atthaka Nipata - Gotami Vaggo

2. IB. Horner, Bhikkhu Brahmali (trs.) Theravāda vinayapiṭaka -

khandhaka (cūḷavagga), Nuns (Bhikkhunī) First recitation section,
The story of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, London: PTS, 1983-1952
3. D. Amarasiri Weeratne, the eight strict rules for buddhist nuns
(aṣṭa garu dharma ), Buddhist Himalaya Journal, retrieved on 8
March 2018, http://nibs.com.np/pdf/buddhist-himalaya/VOL-
XI/eight_strict_rules.pdf
4. Worldreligionnews, Dalailama says more women as leaders
might lead to less violent world, retrieved on 8 March 2018,
https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/buddhism/dalai-
lama-says-more-women-as-leaders-might-lead-to-less-violent-world
5. Thich Nhat Hanh, The eight practies of respect for monks ,
retrieved on 8 March 2018
http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2015/02/the-eight-practices-
of-respect-gurudharmas