Here’s a reflective and carefully thought out essay on the position of women in early Buddhism. The author, Bhikkhu Cintita, does not try to avoid the apparent discrepancies, and chooses to interpret them through the overarching message of love and compassion that resonates through all the Buddha’s words.
Tag Archives: compassion
Charter for Compassion (4)
You may remember some previous posts on the Charter for Compassion initiative. I’m delighted that it is proceeding well, and has been adopted by many bodies internationally.
On Thursday June 24 at 12.30 pm, Australia became the first nation to formally adopt the Charter for Compassion. It was presented at Parliament House, with the chair of the meeting being Senator Ursula Stevens, a terrific welcome to country by Aunty Agnes. I had the honor of leading the group, including several MPs and senators, in a meditation on compassion.
The emotion of the event was palpable, and was heightened by the fact that, as the meeting was progressing, we were losing a prime Minister in extraordinary circumstances and gaining Australia’s first female prime Minister. The atmosphere at parliament was electric, with hundreds of visitors pouring in. We could see first hand the pain and struggle of the politicians as they kept about their civic duty under tremendous stress. Be as cynical as you like, but all i saw on that day was good human beings trying to do the right thing.
I hope that the everyday reminder of the Charter for Compassion will bring a little more kindness and gratitude into those halls of power.
Sujato’s Blog 