In the world of major religions, women are often portrayed as sources of problems, temptation, and spiritual weakness. From Zen Buddhism to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, there is a common stance that women are not spiritually or socially equal. In a Zen story, a monk carries a woman across a river, but another monk condemns him, saying “monks do not carry women” — a metaphor for the deeply rooted idea that women are obstacles to men’s spiritual progress.
In Christianity, the view of women as sources of sin and temptation traces back to biblical stories about Eve, who supposedly opened the gates of death, while Mary is presented as a rare exception, a symbol of life. Theologians like Tertullian and Jerome considered women spiritually weaker, and the church long forbade women from priestly roles. Similar views exist in Judaism, where women were long excluded from rabbinical functions, and in Islam, women are often called “the most dangerous fitna (temptation)”.
This deeply ingrained idea that women are a problem and men are spiritually superior is not just a historical relic. Recently, in Thailand, a scandal erupted when at least thirteen Buddhist monks sexually blackmailed a prostitute, sparking calls for criminal prosecution of the service providers, while the monks tried to defend themselves. This shows that even in modern religious communities, women are still treated as a problem, and men as victims or heroes.
Can we expect change? Who will be the next Dalai Lama? Maybe a woman? But until that happens, women will remain in the shadows, treated as sources of temptation rather than equal participants in spiritual life. If you think this is just a distant topic, remember that these views are still present in many religious communities worldwide, shaping the attitudes and lives of millions.
So, what do you think? Is it time to finally leave this outdated idea in the past? Or will we continue to endure this “holy discrimination”? Drop a comment, let’s see who’s for and who’s against — and remember, women are here to carry us across rivers, not to be obstacles!
