Can women attain arahatship?
Pajapati had proved that arahatship could be attained by men as well as by women folks; without gender barrier; as long as both follow the Sila-Samadhi-Panna – practice diligently. This was the time when it will be just too much for men to see a woman to acquire the six supernatural power of an arahat, as unthinkable. Buddha knowing that there are such ignorant men; asked Pajapati Gotami to display her supernatural power to prove to the world, once and for all, that women are as capable as men to attain the highest spiritual level – arahatship. This is such a woman – “The woman who dare”, the Maha Pajapati Gotami.
The Bhikkhuni sasana established by Pajapati Gotami prospered to the time of king Asoka in India. Then, it flourished and reached its peak when King Asoka’s daughter Sanghamitta Theri went to the island of Sri Lanka to establish the Bhikkhuni Sasana.
In 429 AD, the Sri Lanka Bhikkhuni group had established a Bhikkhuni sasana in Nan King, China and that lineage continued on without interruption until today as Mahayana Bhikkhuni Sasana.
However, in Theravada countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, the Bhikkhuni Sasana had died out for over a lapse of 1,000 years. The Theravadins in those countries, until today, women were not given the opportunity to receive ordination as Bhikkhuni; thus, no woman folk could strive for an arahatship like men. Women folks were and are hidden in the dark ages to this day because there is no woman leader to reclaim the women’s right to enter the noble order. No learned Bhikkhu will dare admit that according to the Pali Canon, “Mahaparinibbana sutta”, we should have Bhikkhuni order to spread and progress to the natural life span of Gotama Dispensation (5,000 year BE). Buddhism stands tall today, was due to the diligent effort of the Mahayanists who had maintained Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni, Upasaka & Upasika; for that period the Theravadins had been without Bhikkhuni sasana. Theravadins in the past had seen female Arahats appearing in mid air; the modern Theravadins do not like to see woman flying in mid-air, today.
The Buddha established the Order of Nuns (Bhikkhuni Sasana) for the first time in history of men; to allow women to enter the Sangha Order where women could lead a celibate life of renunciation. With Maha Pajapati Leading the way, women from all walks of life joined the Order. She had shown to the world the five hundred of Sakyan ladies who also had attained their arahatship and displayed their supernatural power to the world of the unbelievers “Women too could attain the highest spiritual holiness, just like men could.
Women should read again and again, the Psalms of the Sisters' (Theri- gatha) given in the Pali Canon. Ledi Panditta Saya U Maung Gyi had written four volumes of the Therigatha with the glorious scholarly rendition in Myanmar..
Bhikkhuni’s display Six Supernatural Power
When Pajapati Gotami Theri went up the sky and displays her supernatural power, and again with the five hundred Sakyan Bhikkhuni Theri’s display their supernatural power, the sky was like the galaxy of the twinkling stars in the firmament, it had proven once and for a all that “women also could attain the Ariyas –holiness – the arahatship, like all men. (See Pali Canon – Theri Gatha)
Devas and Brahmas came to revere Their’s at their Parinibbana
The Buddha saw to it that the Devas and Brahmas came down and Sakka, the king of the Devas of thirty-three Heaven. Participate in the grand funeral procession
Devas from Tavatimsa Heaven, with their supernatural power constructed the funeral coffins and cremation pyres and decorated them in heavenly way for Maha Pajapati Gotami and her five hundred Sakyan Arahat Theris.
Thus showing to the world that both male and female Arahats are equally worthy of worship by both devas, Brahmas and men. After the lapse of a thousand years without seeing Bhikkhuni Theri’s in the sky, many thought that women are debased and are not capable and worthy of staying equal or above the level of men.
There are people learned in Dhamma, not withstanding of the Dhamma they have learned that every one of us is an aggregate of Nama and Rupa and no one can claim superiority over the other, some still think and declared to the world to this day that:
Because of bad past kamma, one is born a women
An ordained Bhikkhuni is the arch enemy of the Sangha order
This Theri Gatha is in the Pali Canon for all Bhikkhu’s and scholars to read and accept the inevitable that women are as equal to men in spiritual development – said the Lord Buddha.
