Is Prostitution a Social Issue
History of Prostitution
Prostitution is considered to be the oldest profession in the world. According to Francoeur (2002), a number of Buddhist Jataka tales, whose oral sources go back to 500 B.C.E., concern sex workers. A 13th-century text on social conditions speaks of “vesya” (prostitutes). Women with extraordinarily beautiful could become socialized as prostitutes to serve the king. They would be trained in the “sixty-four womanly arts” and socialized to be cultured and provide sexual satisfaction to men of high rank. These women were treated as the ex-queens of the king and they were treated in a good manner provided with equal rights as all the other women sometimes more than the ordinary women. In villages sex workers had been involved on prostitution were only for fulfilling their basic needs.
In Buddhist literature there are many incidents which shows us that at that time the profession - prostitution had been happen. In the Lord Buddha Goutham’s era there had been prostitutes and we have heard about them in many therie gatha (Description of the life experiences of the arahant nuns). Sirima who had been a prostitute lived in that time and who had got the mercy of the Lord Buddha and at last attained to Nibbana. She was a prostitute who had been given her service to the princess and kings of that time. According to our understandings as to the Buddhist literature, we can understand that the sponsorship of the government had been given to the profession of prostitution. Prostitutes were treated well and they were given all the comfort to satisfy the sexual needs of the rich people
However, eventhough they were placed in a higher position still the social recognition of them was also same as to the present. People recognize the prostitute as a woman to be disgusted. According to the Buddhist history it can be understood through another prostitute who is “Sundaree”. She was used to insult the great Lord Buddha by the Brahmins. Ambapali, turned in to a
Prostitution is considered to be the oldest profession in the world. According to Francoeur (2002), a number of Buddhist Jataka tales, whose oral sources go back to 500 B.C.E., concern sex workers. A 13th-century text on social conditions speaks of “vesya” (prostitutes). Women with extraordinarily beautiful could become socialized as prostitutes to serve the king. They would be trained in the “sixty-four womanly arts” and socialized to be cultured and provide sexual satisfaction to men of high rank. These women were treated as the ex-queens of the king and they were treated in a good manner provided with equal rights as all the other women sometimes more than the ordinary women. In villages sex workers had been involved on prostitution were only for fulfilling their basic needs.
In Buddhist literature there are many incidents which shows us that at that time the profession - prostitution had been happen. In the Lord Buddha Goutham’s era there had been prostitutes and we have heard about them in many therie gatha (Description of the life experiences of the arahant nuns). Sirima who had been a prostitute lived in that time and who had got the mercy of the Lord Buddha and at last attained to Nibbana. She was a prostitute who had been given her service to the princess and kings of that time. According to our understandings as to the Buddhist literature, we can understand that the sponsorship of the government had been given to the profession of prostitution. Prostitutes were treated well and they were given all the comfort to satisfy the sexual needs of the rich people
However, eventhough they were placed in a higher position still the social recognition of them was also same as to the present. People recognize the prostitute as a woman to be disgusted. According to the Buddhist history it can be understood through another prostitute who is “Sundaree”. She was used to insult the great Lord Buddha by the Brahmins. Ambapali, turned in to a