Gender Roles In Buddhism

Very interesting post. Gender roles were of major importance in some regions and were very well defined in many religions. Women in Buddhism as it was practiced in Japan and China gave women some authority. Women often journeyed to Buddhist temples and gave public lectures, and led temple groups. Chinese Buddhism was at its height during the reign of Wu Zetian who promoted the religion and even justified her rule by claiming she was a reincarnation of a previous female Buddhist saint. During Wu’s reign, and throughout the early to mid-Tang period, women enjoyed relatively high status and freedom.
However, Confucianism became the most pervasive doctrine to promote the belief of a woman’s place in society and in that of her home. Confucius