The Mirror of Wisdom by Ven. E.-Kh. Galshiev: Woman in Buddhist Contexts and Teachings

Introduction. The image of woman in Buryat literature had been created under the influence of Buddhist patriarchal views which led to discrimination against the former and humiliation of female nature in religious and social life. The article deals with the status of Buryat woman in The Mirror of Wisdom, a Buddhist composition authored by Ven. E.-Kh. Galshiev (1855–1915). It describes women’s spiritual paths in pre-revolutionary Buryat society and demonstrates how Buddhist values had been incorporated into their daily life to determine spiritual and social foundations. Goals. The study seeks to examine the impacts and role of women in religious and social life of Buryat society, identify the causes of prejudice against women and somewhat contradictory interpretation of female essence. Materials and methods. The work analyzes Lama Galshiev’s Mirror of Wisdom and fundamental treatises by outstanding Buddhist teachers. The main research methods are historical/philosophical and comparative analyses. The article proves topical enough due to the growing interest in gender studies as well as the need for a holistic understanding of the essence and role of woman not only in traditional but also in modern society. Results. Despite the influence of Buddhist teachings on interpretations of Buryat woman’s status is obvious, Lama Galshiev’s text contains no clear confirmation of discrimination against women or signs of oppression. There is a persistent opinion that Buryat women had been experiencing extremely difficult and rightless conditions in pre-revolutionary times, but Lama Galshiev tends to narrate a somewhat different image of woman — enjoying a certain degree of freedom and respectful enough. Conclusion. Though submissive in the Buddhist tradition, woman’s status was never questioned in traditional religious and family life. Actual conditions of a Buryat woman in pre-revolutionary society were rather determined by her personal spiritual level, marriage, childbearing functions, household keeping skills. In Buryat family not only woman sought to satisfy the needs of her husband but the latter also set himself a goal of meeting his wife’s wishes in accordance with her expectations and values.

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