Women in the True Dhamma
To an enlightened person, there will be no more gender, no morefemininity or masculinity. Some candidates often contemplate the white skeleton. They see themselves and other people as just a group of dry bones walking, standing, sitting and lying.
That the notion of femininity and masculinity disappears is stated in the Soma Female Arahant Suttā (Samyutta Nikāya), when the female arahant Soma answers Lord Mara with a verse:
"Femininity does not make any difference, when the mind is calm and the knowlwedge is constantly revealing the righteous view of the Dharma. To someone who can start with ‘I'm a female’ or ‘I'm a male’ or ‘I'm whatever gender’ – it's only fitting for Mara to speak.”[1]
At this point, we repeat the question from ancient times: Can a woman become a Buddha?
Mahāyāna commentators declared that a woman can become a Buddha. However, the Pali Suttā Pitaka states that a woman cannot become a Buddha, namely in the Majjhima Nikāya, the Bahudhātuka Sutta, No. 115. The Vietnamese version is the Multidisciplinary Suttā translated by Venerable Thich Minh Châu.[2]
Master Anālayo discussed that question in the article, “The Bahudhātuka Suttā and its Parallels.” On Women's Inabilities” [3] by comparing the Majjhima Nikāy, No. 115 (Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha) of Pali Sutta Tripiṭaka with the Chinese equivalent of the Āgama (Mādhyamāgama), No. 181. In the Chinese version, we can read the Vietnamese translation of the Multidisciplinary Suttā[4] which belongs to the Mādhyamāgama by the Venerable Tuệ Sỹ and we are surprised that Buddha have never said anything about women or men in the Mādhyamāgama, No. 181.
Master Anālayo also compared some other sutrās in both terms and meanings, then realized that the Mādhyamāgama, No. 181 was closer to the Buddha's words, and he believed that the Majjhima Nikāya, No. 115 in the Pali Suttās was inserted by later monks as a result of discrimination. That is, the woman still has the ability to become a Buddha.
Also in Anālayo's analysis, in the commentary (pages 184 and 185) cited a number of other scholars who questioned that discrimination against men and women was later inserted into the Suttā of the Majjhima Nikāya, No. 115.
In it, scholar Joaquín Pérez Remón analyzes the literature and circuitry. In particular, Professor Yuichi Kajiyama made the remark that the addition of discrimination against men and women (only men can become Buddhas) appeared after the Sangha split up into many sects, and “the affirmation that a woman does not the capacity to be a Buddha appeared in the first century B.C.” and some time later, this thought was inserted into Suttā 115 of the Majjhima Nikāya.
Many scholars have raised a debate about the puppet script, which later monks introduced into the Pali Suttā Tripiṭaka. For example, the Vietnamese-language version translated by the Most Venerable Thích Minh Châu is the Black Snake Suttā[5] which compasd black snakes to women as below:
“Bhikkhus, there are five dangers in the black snake. What are five? Wrath, hate, venom, tongue splits, and harming you. Bhikkhus, there are five dangers in the black snake.
“Also, Bhikkhus, there are five dangers in women. What are five? Wrath, hate, venom, tongue splits, and harming you. Here, the female's venom is as follows: Hey female celebrities or greed. Here, Bhikkhus, the poisons of women are as follows: almost of them are craving. Here, Bhikkhus, the tongue splits as follows: most females often speak two tongues. Here, Bhikkhus, women harm you as follows: most female adultery!”
The scholar Bhikkhu Sujato, chief editor of the Sutta Central website, said that he did not believe this suttā was given by the Buddha.
Ajahn Sujato provided statistics showing that men are more violent than women, men are more adulterous than women, men are more lustful than women and so on. Mr. Sujato's analysis is in the link to the Black Snake Suttā.[6]
At this point, we are talking about a Zen project involving a Japanese female Zen master.
Her name is Kakuzan Shido (1252–1306). She was the founder of Tokeiji Temple where she was willing to welcome and take care of women who have experienced violence. It was called the first shelter for abused women in the world.
The Zen history narrated that in 1304, Zen Master Tōkei (whose name was Peach Tree Valley) gave the “inka” seal of the Linji lineage to Venerable Bhikkhunī Shido, the founder of Tōkeiji Temple. The chief monk disapproved of granting the seal to her, and wanted to test her with a question. He explained that according to the tradition, the person receiving the seal must give a lecture, so could Venerable Bhikkhunī Shido deliver a Dharma talk?
Venerable Bhikkhunī Shido walked in front of the monk, took from her pocket a 10-inch dagger – the kind of dagger that the Japanese samurai class often have with them. She raised her dagger high, “It is certain that a Zen master in the patriarchal tradition should start from a high chair and talk about books. But I'm a warrior woman and so I should lecture when I face the sword. What more books do I need?”
The chief monk asked, "Before your parents were born, how could you speak the Dharma?"
She closed her eyes for a moment. Then she said, “Do you understand?”
The monk praised her with a nice verse, “A gourd of wine is erected in the Valley of Peach Trees – the intoxicating eyes can see the flowers from thousands of miles.”
The question is asked by the chief monk based on a common story in Zen Buddhism in China.
Hương Nghiêm Trí Nhàn (C: Xiāngyán Zhìxián; J: Kyōgen Chi-kan) attended class under Zen Master Bách Trượng Hoài Hải (Bǎizhàng Huái Hǎi, 百丈懷海, ja. Hyakujō Ekai). Hương Nghiêm Trí Nhàn was talented, with a broad understanding of many classics. He could debate without limit but he was not enlightened. After Patriarch Bách Trượng passed away, he came to Zen Master Guishan Lingyou as his Dharma brother. Guishan Lingyou asked him, “Please say a word before the parents are born.”
He asked Quy Sơn to tell him but Quy Sơn refused. Hương Nghiêm complained and then burned all the books and said goodbye to Quy Sơn. He went to Nanyang Mountain, focused on farming and spiritual practice. One day, he was hoeing the soil, picked up a stone and threw it towards a big bamboo tree. Suddenly, Hương Nghiêm woke up laughing. Hương Nghiêm returned to burn the incense aiming for Quy Sơn to pay homage and thank him for the teaching.
“What happenedd before your parents were born?” That question should be put in a simpler way, “Please say a word before the world formed?”
In the Pali Tripiṭaka, there is the Samyutta Nikāya which contains Suttā 35.23(also known as The All Suttā), the Buddha teaches that all this world consists of the six internal sense bases[7] and the six external sense bases.[8] This world manifests itself like that, besides Buddha rejects it all.
In this suttā, the Buddha taught, "What is everything? It is only the eyes and the seen, the ears and the hearing, the nose and the smell, the tongue and the taste, the body and the touch, the mind and the measured. That is called everything. Monks, if anyone says, 'I will reject all this and will describe all else.' They will have no basis for such a thing, because it is a discourse, not a p roof . . . Why? Because that is beyond their realm.”[9]
This suttā is important because it can help us guess and understand the Quy Sơn's koan (Dharma awaken) as well as the reason why Hương Nghiêm got an instant realization after he heard the sound of pebbles hitting the bamboo tree. How can we fully understand the meaning of Zen Buddhism by just hearing a sound?
Venerable Bhikkhunī Shido answered in silence. That means, she pointed to the chief monk on the hearing of silence. And that is when the world has not yet formed and when the hearing has not yet manifested.
We can all cultivate by the koan method. The monks often say, if you do not understand then keep suspecting. But there is a need to state that the word “suspicion” can be confusing, because it implies “what is it.” If we replace the word “suspect” with the words “mind does not know,” then we can look into the unknown mind. We will all approach libration, because awareness has left the ignorance and is awakening in the unknown mind which has left greed and hatred.
In other words, looking at the “unknown mind” is looking very closely at the source when the world has not arisen and the awakening state in the unknown mind has left the five aggregates[10] three times,[11] having nothing to do with the five aggregates in the past, future or present. It is also listening to the source when what is heard has not yet manifested.
Nun Shido answered in silence. That means, the nun pointed to the chief monk on silent hearing. And that is when the world has not formed, when the hearing has not yet manifested.
You can try hearing that. Try listening to the source when the “all” has not yet arisen. There is no need to meditate, just listen to the source and do not get involved in anything. When you practice like that, it's the most natural thing. Because in hearing is equal, as it is. You cannot force hearing to listen to this or only to hear that. When what is heard is only what is heard, and merely what is heard without any choice, you will find yourself no longer involved in greed, hate and ignorance.
California, November 20, 2019
Nguyên Giác
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[1] Soma Female Arahant Suttā, No. 5.2. Samyutta Nikāya (The Book of the Kindred Sayings), translated into English by Bodhi, https://Suttācentral.net/sn5.2/en/bodhi.
[2] Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha). No.115. Translated in English by HT Minh Châu: https://Suttācentral.net/mn115/vi/minh_chau
[3] “The Bahudhātuka-Suttā and its Parallels on Women’s Inabilities” by Bhikkhu Anālayo, based on the Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha), No.115, https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/bahudhatuka.pdf
[4] Multidisciplinary Suttā. MA 181, translated into English by Thầy Tuệ Sỹ, https://Suttācentral.net/ma181/vi/tue_sy
[5] The Black Snake Suttā, Aṅguttara Nikāya, The Book of the Gradual Sayings, No. 5, p. 230.
Translated into Vietnamese by the Most Venerable Minh Châu, https://Suttācentral.net/an5.230/vi/minh_chau.
Translated into English by Bhikkhunī Giới Hương.
[6] The Back Snake Suttā (Simile of the Snake), tTranslated into English by Ajahn Sujato, https://suttacentral.net/mn22/en/sujato
[7] The six internal sense bases are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body & mind.
[8] The six external sense bases are visible forms, sound, odor, flavors, touch & mental objects.
[9] The All Suttā is from the Samyutta Nikāya (The Book of the Kindred Sayings), No. 35, 23.
Translated into English by the Most Venerable Minh Châu, https://Suttācentral.net/sn35.23/vi/minh_chau
Translated into English by Venerable Bodhi, https://Suttācentral.net/sn35.23/en/bodhi
Translated into English by Ajahn Sujato: https,//Suttācentral.net/sn35.23/en/sujato
[10] The five aggregates or heaps are: form (or material image, impression; rupa), sensations (or feelings, received from form) (vedana), perceptions (samjna), mental activity or formations (sankhara), and consciousness (vijnana).
[11] Three times: the past, future or present.
