Buddhism and women

I understand the depth of the complex feelings we have had for many years against “women,” and the distrust of the Buddhist world. It must be really painful to have this problem stinging like a thorn (thorn) in the mature phase of life in your 50s. As a monk, I will answer from the perspective of Buddhism.

First, let me clear up the misunderstanding, but the essence of Buddhism, especially our stance in the present day, is “respect for human beings,” and we do not set double standards for salvation or response depending on gender. This is because when viewed from the eyes of the Buddha (manako), men and women alike are nothing more than “beings who have worries and live lost.”

The consultant says “women defy the precepts,” but in Buddhism, precepts are not “laws for judging others,” but “a mirror for reflecting on oneself.” I want you to be aware that the heart that criticizes others, saying “that person doesn't keep the precepts” and “women are bad,” is actually the “arrogance” or “obsession” that Buddhism commands the most.

In Buddhism, there is a phrase called “all devotion (issai yushinzou).” The reason the world looks the way it is is not because the world is the way it is, but because my mind colors the world in that way. If all women seem like enemies or outrageous beings, it may be that the “prejudice against women” and “past scars” in the mind of the counselor himself are projected onto the outside world.

“If you're a man, Buddhist monks treat you strictly according to precepts”... there is no such thing. If a monk seemed kind to a woman, it was a sign of mercy that tried to be close to her suffering, not out of fear. Please stop looking at things on the opposite axis of “man versus woman,” and look at others as “humans with the same suffering.” When you stop judging others, you should be able to save yourself from that many years of suffering.

Worship
Engiji Temple Shakujo

Thank you for your question.
Speaking of precepts, according to some data, of the Five Commandments that Buddhists should strive to keep, it seems that men kill, have adultery, and drink alcohol more often, and women are more likely to steal and lie. So if anything, I think men are disobeying the precepts. Also, as a monk, I often go to parishioners' houses to pray, and I have the impression that there are many houses where women clean Buddhist altars and prepare offerings, etc. So it's not that women look down on Buddhism; I think they value it rather. Of course, there are individual differences, so it's just a statistical impression.
However, since monks are still immature people, it is quite difficult to control things programmed in DNA (for example, being wary of men or feeling antagonistic towards men, causing favorable feelings for women, etc.). Even so, I think there are many monks who work hard every day, so if you talk to a monk somewhere and they treat you coldly, don't meet that monk anymore and talk to other monks.

It was a very honest question, and I felt like it was a question I had been asked for a long time. First, I want to cherish the attitude of being asked questions over and over without treating that confusion or sense of incongruity itself as a “mistake.”

In conclusion, the essence of Buddhism is that there is no division between men and women.
What Buddhism sees is not “man or woman,” but whether the mind is caught up in ignorance (assumption). Worry, obsession, and self-centeredness are human conditions, not gender.

However, the “double standard” you feel is not Buddhism itself, but is often a distortion of the human society that operates Buddhism. Historically, monks have taken an unruly attitude towards specific classes in order to avoid friction with power and the world. Among them, it is true that excessive consideration for women and, conversely, formalization to take distance were mixed.

But it's not “because women are afraid” or “because women are special.”
People distort standards against entities that shake their positions.
It also happens to men, and it also happens to groups, voice loudness, and social pressure.

In terms of Buddhism, what is the original question
“Is that act intensifying or decreasing greed, and slutty?”
That's all. Gender doesn't matter.

Your suffering is born only because you have a strong “heart to try to be fair.”
That's why Buddhism is not an enemy.
Buddhism is not a tool for judging people; it is a mirror for seeing through moments when one's mind is distorted.

Now that you're confused, there's no need to rush to answer.
The fact that we continue to ask questions is already in Buddhism.

Gassho