Garudhamma 8, What did the Lord Buddha Establish? (1)

Abstract

This paper deals with the Buddhist outlook on gender issues. Contemporary feminists have extrapolated modern ideas of gender equality to make conclusions about the gender values of early Buddhism. The centre of the heated gender equality debate for scholars and laypeople has been the validity of the eight garudhamma – with a movement started on April 1, 2001 for their abolition, under the premise that they are not believed to be the authentic teachings of the Buddha.
Therefore, this paper will first consider whether the eight garudhamma are the authentic teachings of the Buddha, then consider them in terms of gender equality. According to the limit of the paper I discuss the first four of the eight garudhamma.
In each item of the eight garudhamma, I will discuss the evidence that supports the idea that they are not authentic teachings of the Buddha considering also from sutta, vinaya and commentaries of the Pāli canon. Finally, whether they are the authentic teachings of the Buddha are considered.
According to my research, I found that the above idea was based on some improper interpretations of the definition and translation of some items in the eight garudhamma, a misunderstanding about how the Buddha applied non-Buddhist norms with the Buddhist community, and  a misplaced doubt about the rule that a nun must be given advice (ovāda) and pointed out her bad behaviors (pavāraṇā) by a monk. Based on the evidence in the Pāli canon, I make a clearer definition and objection of each item in garudhamma, and also explain a practice and view of the Buddha regarding how to hold an assembly for pāṭimokkha and pavāraṇā.
The paper concludes that according to the texts, the eight garudhamma were laid down as norms for the sacred conduct of Buddhist nuns rather than merely customs, and therefore are rules that deserve to transcend
feminist standards (which would be more appropriately applied to social customs). Discussion is also made of the likely reasons for the growth of the contemporary movement for Buddhist gender equality despite lack
of scriptural support – with citation of the Buddha’s Ovādapāṭimokkha teaching to put gender issues in the broader perspective of the true goals of Buddhist practice.