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Buddhism was better than Confucianism for the Daily Lives of Women
Introduction
Buddhism is a religion comprising a variety of traditions, beliefs, and practices attributed to the teachings of Buddha and later interpretations of these instructions by philosophers. Although the doctrine originated from India, it later on, spread to East Asia in the countries that are now known as China, Korea, and Japan. Despite the widespread of Buddhism in these countries, the times they arrived in each of this region were different. All the three areas received Buddhism in various ways since there was a religion in place before the arrival of Buddhism. During the period of Han Dynasty in China, Confucianism and Daoism were the main religions that were used to govern the Chinese people. On the other hand, Koreans then believed in Shamanism, a ritual in which an individual could interact with the spirit world. However, when Buddhism was finally integrated into the culture of these countries, there were advancements in these countries. Buddhism first entered China and then later spread to the three kingdoms of Korea. In Korea, Koguryu was the first kingdom to embrace Buddhism perhaps due to its geographical location from China. Paekche was the second kingdom to receive the Buddhism and Silla were the last territories to accept the religion. In the case of Japan, the two Japanese monks were the ones who brought the two schools of Buddhism during the Heian period towards the end of the eighth century. Unlike the religions that were present in China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism held different perspectives of life. The traditions and beliefs introduced by Buddhism in the three countries helped improve the status and the lives of women in these three countries.
Buddhism and Confucianism in China
Tang Dynasty
Buddhism first entered China during the Han Dynasty around the sixth century. At the time, it faced a lot of opposition from the elites, and its values were strongly discouraged. The benefits of the religion were spread by the Buddhist worshippers who had come from India. The believers of Confucianism and Daoism offered high resistance to the spread of Buddhism across China. It was not until the period of the Tang Dynasty at the beginning of the seventh century when the Buddhist beliefs came to be fully recognized in China. It was finally considered one of the three major religions in China. However, despite the acceptance, some traditions were still found to be absurd by the conservatives. For instance, they could not understand why an individual had to shave the head since according to Confucian values the body was a gift from one’s parents and harming it meant disrespecting them (de Bary 423). According to them, shaving of the head said harming an individual who was wrong. These problems were however overcome, and the Chinese came to terms with the Buddhist beliefs and traditions.
The works of Maozi marked the turning point of these oppositions, a Chinese author who reckoned that it was possible to practice both the Buddhism and the Chinese traditions at the same time. According to Maozi, the preaching of both Confucianism and Buddhism were similar only that they were being preached in different languages (de Bary 422). While this view was somehow right, there were many other aspects which were very different between the two religions. One such issue was about women. The Confucian values promoted the oppression of women and treating them as the possession of their husbands (Kim 396). Even though the abuse towards women existed long before Confucianism came to being, Confucian values turned marriage systems as a prison to women (Sungmoon 372).
Since Confucianism was a dominant school of thought in China, its ideology was fundamental. Due to this, the values that promoted the oppression of women were accepted as something right. Women were always viewed as subordinate to the men held unimportant roles in the society (Sungmoon 378). The view that women were supposed to sit at home and attend to children and other domestic chore was widely practiced by the believers of the Confucian values. Roles that involved governance were solely given to men due to the belief that men were capable of leadership (Sungmoon 376). Women, on the other hand, were viewed as people who could only be ruled since they were incapable of leadership.
Also, a husband was supposed to regard his wife as a friend and a companion as opposed to a slave as viewed by Confucianism. While Buddhism recognized the role of the men as the head of family affairs, Buddha points out that the wife should be the substitute when it comes to the family affairs. He encourages the wife to be acquainted with the matters of trade, industries, and other businesses that men are involved. According to him, by doing so, they would be in a position to controls these affairs during the times that the husbands are absent. By placing the women in the same position of leadership as the men, the message of equality was being preached. The woman is not presented as weak but rather as a strong member of the society whose input is as important as that of the men. In the values of Confucianism, the position of the women is not elevated but instead diminished by the many rules (Sungmoon 374). Buddha also accepted the admission of women into the order of nuns, and hence women are seen capable of comprehending the religious knowledge the same way the men understood. This in effect raised the status of women and could be able to be teachers of the religion.
Chinese People’s Party
In the nineteenth century, Chinese People’s Party (CPP) rose to power (Sungmoon 373). Buddhism was suppressed, and many monasteries were closed. The monks and nuns returned to their previous lives with the teachings of Buddhism being abolished across China. Women lost power and as a result of their previous status (Sungmoon 377). The view that women are men possession quickly became the norm in China, and there was great bias against women. Hence the power of women diminished with the abolishment of Buddhism in China with the revival of Confucian values.
Buddhism and Confucianism in Korea
Koryo Dynasty
Towards the end of the seventh century, the three kingdoms in Korea United and were ruled by the rulers of Silla (Vermeersch 67). Under their royal patronage, Buddhism flourished and spread to more people in Korea. During this Dynasty, incredible works of art were made, and many monasteries were built. However, it was not until the tenth century during the Koryo Dynasty that Buddhism reached to the utmost importance (Vermeersch 73). Just like during the rule of Silla leaders, there was royal support from the Dynasty that enhanced the creation of great works of art and construction of more monasteries. During the Koryo Dynasty, the position of women in the society was very important due to the influence of Buddhist values. Before Buddhism became widespread in Korea, Shamanism was the main ideology in Korea. Under this religion, a practitioner would enter the spirit world and communicate with the spirits. There were many rituals conducted during such times (Vermeersch 76). These roles were usually carried out by men as women were not considered fit to conduct the rituals.
Despite the knowledge of women in the field of medicine, the culture did not support their involvement in such matters. Leadership was also considered to be the responsibility of men and women were only fit to the domestic roles (Sungmoon 386). Confucian values were deeply rooted in the Korean people. From an early age, women were expected to practice subordination which would have helped them during the future life as wives (Kim 394). They were forbidden to participate in communal activities and only expected to support their husbands. Just like in China the role of a woman was unimportant, and oppression was rampant (Kim 392). For instance, during the colonial rule by Japan, Korean women were forced into prostitution to please their colonizers. Hence, the position and status of the women in Korea had always been at the bottom. With the introduction of Buddhism in the three kingdoms of Korea, women started becoming recognized in the society as an important member.
The teaching of Buddhism was in many ways similar to the one in China despite the difference in the times in which they were administered. As mentioned earlier, after the values of Buddhism had spread across China, they entered Korea from one kingdom to the other. These teachings were spread by the Buddhist monks from China hence they could not be very different from those taught in China. For instance, the concept of equality was emphasized by the teachers. Women were also not restricted from attending schools to gain knowledge (Vermeersch 77). This raised the status of women as they could use the knowledge to fight against the oppression they had been subjected to for centuries. Women that could not get married were not criticized, and in fact, such acts were not seen as strange. The field of medicine that had for a long time been male-dominated was now accessible to women. As a result, the position of women became elevated, and they could now undertake important roles in the society.
The Rise of Yi Dynasty
The collapse of Koryo Dynasty at the end of the 14th century meant the rise of Yi Dynasty. This Dynasty reigned supreme until the beginning of the 20th century (Wickman 22). During the Yi Dynasty, Confucianism was revived and became the sole religion throughout the Dynasty. The values that had faded over time started becoming upheld by the rulers. There were stringent measures to suppress Buddhism across the Dynasty due to fear that their teachings would spark a revolt. Monks and nuns were not allowed in the capital, and most of the land owned by monks were confiscated (Wickman 22). Monasteries were closed, and the rituals associated with Buddhism were abolished. These developments meant that women could not enjoy the empowerment they had enjoyed during the Koryo Dynasty. With Confucianism as the only religion, women lost power and oppression against them became rampant again (Kim 394). The position of power was again shifted toward men, and unimportant roles were given to women. Women were once more confined to homes as homemakers. Even though their resistant groups that fought for women rights, they did not have much success (Kim 393). With Confucianism at the heart of Korean culture, any opposition was easily defeated. Hence, the loss of power by women was triggered by the rise of Yi Dynasty and abolishment of Buddhism in Korea.
Conclusion
Confucian values oppressed women in the communities of both China and Korea. Buddhism came to liberate women from values that confined women to bottom status in the community. While Confucianism advocated for gender inequality in the community, Buddhism promoted equality between men and women. According to Confucian values, the role of women was to do the domestic tasks while men conducted managerial duties. For instance, in China, women were expected to support their husbands. On the other hand, Korean women were supposed to train to bear the pressure from their future husbands. Buddhism came to dispute such beliefs and in its place put Buddhist values. The roles performed by both men and women were considered important, with both expected to discharge their duties with commitment. Through Buddhism, women gained power and influence in society, and their status rose. However, the collapse of both Tang and Koryo Dynasties in China and Korea led to the loss of power by women. The rise of CPP in China and Yi Dynasty in Korea resulted in the demolition of monasteries and the abolition of Buddhism. Hence, women lost the influence they had gained during the period Buddhism was the influential religion due to the abolition of this religion in both China and Korea.
Works Cited
Kim, Sungmoon. Confucian Constitutionalism: Mencius and Xunzi on Virtue, Ritual, and Royal Transmission. The Review of Politics, 73(3):371-399.Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Michael, Wickman. Korean Chests Treasures of the Yi Dynasty. Soul International Tourist Publishing Co, January 1, 2011.
Sem, Vermeersch. The Power of the Buddhas: The Politics of Buddhism during the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392). Harvard University Asia Center,September 30, 2008.
William, de Bary T.The Buddhist Tradition in India, China, and Japan. Vintage Publishers, February 12, 1992.
Youngmin, Kim. The Politics of Historical Vision: Use of the Past in the Analects. European Journal of Political Theory, vol. 16 Issue 4, 2017, p 392-410.
