Buddha's Foster Mother
(Bouddha mère adoptive)
Buddha's mother died seven days after his birth.
Since then Buddha was nursed and raised by his mother's younger sister.
When Buddha left his royal family for the quest for enlightenment, his foster mother, namely his aunt, was left in the kingdom of their clan.
After Buddha obtained enlightenment, many people came to him to be admitted as his followers and perform the ascetic practices under his guidance.
But, Buddha would not allow any woman to follow him.
When Buddha came to preach in a region near the kingdom of his clan, the king, namely Buddha's father, died. And so many men in the kingdom joined the group of followers of Buddha; and then women in the kingdom thought they had to also join the group as they were now being left alone.
Yet, Buddha would not allow any woman to follow him.
One day even his aunt, already very old, came to him to be admitted as his follower, which was rejected by Buddha. She came to him again only to be rejected. However she tried for the third time only to be rejected.
Ananda, one of the most enlightened followers of Buddha, at last respectfully asked Buddha whether or not a woman could obtain enlightenment if she sternly performed the ascetic practices under guidance of Buddha.
Buddha replied: "Yes, she could."
Observing the grief of the old woman, Ananda with unusual enthusiasm tried to persuade Buddha to admit her into a band of his followers practicing asceticism to achieve enlightenment.
Finally, Buddha conceded. But, Buddha ordered that a female trainee monk must strictly adhere to 348 religious precepts, while a male trainee monk was ordered to strictly adhere to 250 religious precepts.
Anyway, Buddha's aunt, namely his foster mother, became the first female follower so admitted by Buddha in this way.
Since then, many women were allowed to join the religious band guided by Buddha.
* * *
You may easily understand why a woman must 1.4 times more strictly adhere to religious precepts than a man must.
If a nun is living an ascetic life and performing a religious training, a devil in a shape of a man would easily come to take advantage of her so as to physically, emotionally, and spiritually attack her.
* * *
Jesus Christ did not call a woman to follow Him, either, though He called fishermen and other poor men to follow Him, leaving everything behind.
Jesus Christ did not order men and women to strictly perform religious trainings in a special organization.
What Jesus Christ ordered is to love God and love one's own neighbors without any other additional and situational conditions for the exercise of love.
* * *
In my interpretation, the God must have wanted to see how a man could be enlightened for himself without direct help and interference from Him.
The only one who has ever achieved the enlightenment by his own effort was Buddha.
The God sent His son from outside the human world. But, Buddha could reach part of God's realm from inside the human world.
Israelites, Christians, and Muslims should not laugh at Buddha, saying that what he had achieved is not a religion but just a mere philosophy.
If ancestors of Israelites, Christians, and Muslims could have obtained enough enlightenment just like Buddha did unaided, the God or Allah must not have been bothered to send His Spirit, His Son, and His Angel to Abraham, Moses, poor Israelites in the first century, and one blessed Arab.
* * *
Finally, modern men must also respect a woman who makes 1.4 times more efforts than a man if she is not his aunt or a foster mother.
Modern women must also understand that a woman's making 1.4 times more efforts than a man is not what a decent man can bear to observe even if she is not his aunt or a foster mother.
If you do not like this Buddhist analysis, you had better follow Jesus Christ who is so benevolent to women.
(I suppose that it is not recommended to reject any woman's request three consecutive times.
But, what is more important is to have somebody like Ananda.
How do you think, good girls, if you are not a Buddha's follower at all?)
"...Jesus sternly ordered the evil spirits not to tell anyone who he was..."
(Aber Jesus verbot ihnen nachdrucklich, das bekannt zu machen.)