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Originally Posted by tore
Actually, I saw this in a documentary about buddhists in Norway. It seemed like a pretty central part of their dogma. Anyways, checking Wikipedia, I can find the following stuff :
After a google search, this book on Burmese buddhism was the first to come up. It says that in Burma and their flavour of buddhism, women are seen as morally inferior to men and that the biggest reason for this is because their libidos are thought to be insatiable. To attain englightenment, you have to release yourself fro your libido. That's something women are not able to and so their relentless sex drive makes attaining nirvana impossible and is also a danger to men who seek transcendence as they may be tempted and corrupted by women.
Source : Misogyny: the male malady - Google Bøker |
Well, that's a certain sect of Buddhism. True Buddhism I believe doesn't even have Buddhas, or deities at all. I think Buddhism has largely suffered from the same problem as Christianity as in that it's been twisted to create bureaucratic hierarchies. Which are just as, if not more, corrupt, and twisted against the original point as Christian sects.
This of course stands against nearly everything Buddha himself was trying to say. I think to truly be Buddhist, and this is my personal opinion, you have to avoid seeking advice from others, and find your own answers through meditation.
Now as for the criticism of the caste system. To me, that's just western world ego. Same people who spew phrases like "communism doesn't work", and hold the concept of 100% free enterprise as a solid statute, and the belief in the "American Dream"(I use simply as a metaphor seeing as this applies to most of the first world) of everyone can get rich if they try hard enough.
It's not truth, and it's not the way karma is supposed to work. I don't think the caste system is flawed, I just believe it's different. Just because you were born a sheep herder, it doesn't mean you can't be a painter, or a musician, or anything.
Now, personally, I've only been flirting with Buddhism(Atheist Buddhist, I don't believe in magic forces ruling the universe) since I believe it's anti-materialistic values tend to level one person, and lead for a less stressful way of living, and thinking. I mean, what's the difference between a casio, and a rolex if they both succeed in their function of telling time.
Buddhism teaches you that most of your wants, and desires are psychosomatic, and gives an avenue to focus on what really matters. The reason why the caste system is such a small thing is because Buddhism teaches you money does not equal value.