Gender Confusion in Buddhism
Female qualities are usually associated with gentleness, nurturing and motherly qualities while male qualities are most often related with a heroic stance in the face of difficulties. The complexity of culture is clearly seen when it assign s qualities and behaviors to males and females while strictly monitoring the distinctions. In an educated world this causes gender conflicts, strong feelings of disrespect and rebellion against the perceived oppression. So, in 37 practices of a Bodhisattva, where it states “The Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way” this is really about Heroes of the Buddhas, the active bodhisattvas. In our modern world we can easily see that gender-specific identities are not the norm anymore, no matter what culture still says. Active men’s groups emphasize and learn to possess more traditional feminine qualities such as nurturing, love and openness. On the other hand, there are many women with strong male characteristics such as heroic determination. The