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Article: Mahapajapati in the Lotus Sutra: by admitting women into the Sangha as nuns, the teaching that all are equal won out, but the reality of the monk's sexual desire and of consequent disrespect for women did not go away.
- Article from:
- Yasodhara-Newsletter on International Buddhist Women's Activities
- Article date:
- January 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 NIBWA-Newsletter on International Buddhist Women. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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According to legends not found in the Lotus Sutra, the mother of Shakyamuni, Maya (or Mahamaya), died shortly after giving birth to the future Buddha, Gautama, Maya's younger sister, called Gautami, was responsible for raising Gautama, subsequently married his father, King Shuddhodana, and thus become Gautama's stepmother.
Some years later, one source says it was five years after the beginning of the Sangha, the community of Buddhist monks, and following the death of her husband, Gautami along with others requested permission from the Buddha to become a nun (bhikshuni). At first the Buddha was very reluctant to admit women to the growing society of monks, but ...