How Did Buddhism Affect The Role Of Women In Han China

Before Buddhism’s rise to popularity, Han China focused on distinctive practices, such as the Confucian way. This raises the question, how did Buddhism affect the role of women in China after the popularity of the Confucian practices in the Han Dynasty? Ban Zhao’s Lessons for a Woman explain how based on the Confucian doctrines, a woman’s fundamental duty was to serve others by putting others before herself, and this is observed even from their birth, all the way to their duties as a wife. In contrast, Buddhism, would change women’s role positively because they were regarded as equals to men, and they had agency, as illustrated in the Buddhist Doctrines and Practices by Wei Shou et al. However, some scholars may argue that Buddhism did not

Buddhism was appealing to women because of the view that they were equal to men. In detail, Wei Shou’s “Summary of Buddhist Doctrine” in the Buddhist Doctrines and Practices explains “Women who enter the path are called nuns...if they can comprehend the rewards for good and bad acts they can gradually climb to the level of sages...” (83). This review is important because it recognizes both men and women as equals who can both accomplish salvation. Furthermore, in the “Lives of Eminent Monks”, Tiaohua writes to Seng Du, who she was previously engaged to, for leaving her and the ancestral rites and teachings of Confucian society to become a monk. Seng Du responds to her, saying “Men and women of the world, however, should adapt themselves to the times...you should pursue what you desire and admire. Do not keep this man who is committed to Buddhism in your mind and thereby lose the best years of your life” (85). This is significant because it reveals how views have drastically changed with the introduction of Buddhism— Du not only refers to both men and women as equals who should become Buddhists, but also advises Tiaohua to forget about him and seek what she wishes for. In particular, she had a choice; if she wanted to continue with the ancestral traditions or to become a nun, it is her decision. This vastly contrasted with the previous misogynistic Confucian ideals

In fact, in the third “Dedicatory Colophons” of the Buddhist Doctrines and Practices, it states “...nun Daorong—because her conduct in her previous life was not correct—came to be born in her present form, a woman, vile and unclean” (85). Evidently, the Buddhist ideals do not accept females as the standard form for reaching salvation, going as far as to describe a nun as “vile and unclean” merely because she was female. This also claims that being born a female is a punishment for her unacceptable deeds from her previous life. These pieces of evidence demonstrates that women were still recognized as having a lower status as opposed to men, which is similar to the Confucian precept of “let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character in order to serve her husband” (Ban 95). The woman is lower in status than the man, her husband; she was to be righteous and virtuous as she attended to her husband’s every needs. Nevertheless, it is more accurate that Buddhism improved women’s role in Chinese society because this ‘lower status’ was only temporary, and that both sexes could be considered as “vile and unclean”. In detail, the same passage states that “...[Daorong] reverently has had the Nirvana sutra copied...she prays that those who read it carefully will be exalted in mind to