比丘尼 八敬法에 대한 考察

A Study on Bhikkhunī's Aṭṭha garudhammā

&nbsp;&nbsp;This paper aims at a close examination of the following issues: What was the historical background of the enactment of bhikkhun？"s a？？ha garudhamm？?; What significance did it have in its own historical context: and how shall we deal with it in the present age?<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Bhikkhun？"s a？？ha garudhamm？ seems to have been enacted by the Buddha himself on the condition that women should be permitted to enter the Buddhist Sa？gha. A？？ha garudhamm？ was clearly stated in p？cittiy？ of bhikkhun？-s？la as well as in the Vinaya-pi？aka and the Sutta-pi？aka of each the Buddhist sects. This means that a？？ha garudhamm？ had already taken effect before the sectarian division of the Buddhist Order. Extant a？？ha garudhamm？ however is not believed to be the same as the one first enacted by the Buddha. The contents of A？？ha garudhamm？ in the Vinaya-pi？akas of various Buddhist sects do not completely correspond to each other and some passages are thought to have been inserted in later periods.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Buddha thought that women also could reach the arahatta-phala through meditation practice (bh？van？). On the other hand, he could not but take into consideration some problems that might accompany his decision to allow women to join Sa？gha. He therefore prepared such a regulation as a？？ha garudhamm？.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Social systems and regulations of a religious group, as well as those of other social groups, cannot but be designed on the basis of worldly concerns in many respects. One of the concerns is the difference of gender. Although gender difference has nothing to do with the religious truth and ideal of Buddhism, the Buddhist Sa？gha could not disregard it in designing its regulations. A？？ha garudhamm？ was based upon the social and cultural background of India at that time, not upon the ultimate Buddhist truth and ideal. In short, a？？ha garudhamm？ was the product of the particular period.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The status of women in India was fluctuated with the passage of time. In general, the feminine status was enhanced when Buddhism thrived. When Brahmanism gained power, however, it declined. It cannot be denied that the standing of bhikkhun？ in the Buddhist Sa？gha also was greatly affected by the social customs and conventions of each period. Bhikkhun？"s a？？ha garudhamm？ certainly had some raison d’？tre under the conditions of the particular period of its establishment. The situation today is completely different in many respects from those days, especially in regard to public security.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Bhikkhun？"s a？？ha garudhamm？, however, cannot be simply repealed right now. As a？？ha garudhamm？ was clearly expressed in p？cittiy？ of bhikkhun？-s？la and originated in the ubhato-sa？gha system, a？？ha garudhamm？ will still hold good as far as the ubhato-sa？gha system exists in the Buddhist Sa？gha. We should not disregard the fact that a？？ha garudhamm？ was established because Bhikkhun？ Sa？gha could not survive in itself.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally, in order to overcome such a cultural practice of sexual discrimination against women as a？？ha garudhamm？, social recognition of women should be improved first of all, for even Buddhist monks and nuns cannot but be influenced by it. If the status of women in the larger society is improved and their roles expand, their status and role in the Buddhist Sa？gha will also be naturally elevated. Premature measures regarding the status of Bhikkhun？s in Sa？gha may lead to conflicts between Bhikkhu and Bhikkhun？, and it will never contribute to the development of Buddhism. It goes without saying that Bhikkhu and Bhikkhun？ Sa？ghas should maintain a relationship of mutual cooperation.