Buddhist nuns conditions in Myanmar

Résumé du document

Introduction to Anthropology of Global Buddhism – Final Term Paper

Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, because a supreme being would not be able to relieve humans from suffering by giving up the attitudes that produce that specific suffering. « Its central teachings explains to its adherents the cause of and cure for human suffering, locating both within human attitudes towards life ».3 And the highest goal of Buddhism is the enlightenment and avoiding to reborn in the circle of rebirth : Samsara. Monks (bhikkhu) and nuns (bhikkhuni), try to do good actions in order to store merit. For men, becoming a monk is openly marked by communal celebrations and is praised. It implies honor and prestige for both the renuciant and his parents, adding social and moral values to them. But
what about women ? Being a Nun in Myanmar is not a normative custom and doesn't imply socially uplifting rewards. For a woman it is always a private affair, disparaged, seen as a disgression from traditional notion of feminity. But as history shows it, 250 C.E. Bhikkhunis at this time were very much present and as abundant as monks. In what way is it different today and why ? This leads us to question the extent to which becoming a Buddhist nun in Myanmar is a form of emancipation nowadays ?

Extraits

[...] We can consider that in both situations, women have no other choice than to become a nun : or because it's their only way to avoid a life of suffering caused by a patriarch society, or they are forced by their families C.E. Bhikkhunis at this time were still very much present and evidence exists that they were as abundant as monks. It is known that they provided gifts and received donations in return, which shows that the buddhist community supported the nuns. The third period of Buddhism came in after the third century C.E. [...]

[...] If there is a female kin, a young girl can be send to here and is supposed to provide emotional security and protection. Having a relative in a monastery or the loss of a close family member are reasons to go to the monastry. Some renunciate to realize the dhammas, giving them an understanding of impermanence which affects them directly. They may have difficulties to continue to have normal relationships and continuing of appreciaitng normal things taken from granted in life. [...]

[...] For men, becoming a monk is openly marked by communal celebrations and is praised. It implies honor and prestige for both the renuciant and his parents, adding social and moral values to them. But what about women ? Being a Nun in Myanmar is not a normative custom and doesn't imply socially uplifting rewards. For a woman it is always a private affair, disparaged, seen as a disgression from traditional notion of feminity. But as history shows it C.E. Bhikkhunis at this time were very much present and as abundant as monks. [...]

[...] But in comparaison, nuns that had been married before and experience the expectations the society have of a maried woman, do not listed marital problems as a direct motive for renunciation. But more the hard life caused by the sanitary, politic, conditions Society expect the daughters to keep looking after parents of old age. But they do not have much time left for the family in the monastery. Because when they are young, they sleep in dorms and don't have time a lot disrobe to return home to fulfill their filial obligations. [...]

[...] The community died out and only revived in 1597 in Myanmar.2 (Grisel d'Elena, 2016). Buddhism was an oral tradition until the Pali canon was written down 400 years after the Buddha's death by mens hand. Thus, they may not reflect the Buddha's thoughts word for word, but instead, rather the patriarchal society's interpretation. Feminist analyses of classical Buddhist thought and institutions still conclude that traditional Buddhism is relatively androcentric because of the people who formulated the tradition and wrote the texts with an androcentric vision. [...]