The Emptiness of Gender in Madhyamika Buddhism

3083 Words13 Pages
The Ultimate Importance of Emptiness and Existence: Applying Tsong Kha Pa’s Two Truths to Gender Issues in Buddhism Gender dynamics and social practices in Buddhist societies has become a highlighted problematic issue in contemporary times. Many feminists looking to Buddhism for empowering perspectives on gender issues have found many gender issues to critique in the traditional practices of Buddhism. These practices include, on the one hand, a lack of importance for the human body and thus gender differences, and on the other, rigid gender paradigms that confine gender expectations, normalize male superiority, and discriminate against women and other gender minorities. Many Buddhists, however, have argued against feminist critiques by using the idea of ultimate truth – that gender lacks intrinsic existence – to show the egalitarian nature of Buddhism, and dismiss the importance of these critiques. This understanding, however, denies any significance conventional reality. I believe that a number of Madhyamika practitioners would critique this understanding, most notably the fourteenth century Tibetan sage Tsong Kha Pa. I will argue the issues of disvaluing the body, normalizing male dominance, and maintaining rigid gender paradigms are reinforced by this understanding of ultimate truth, and that Tsong Kha Pa’s articulation of the two truths critiques this understanding and can be used to empower feminist critiques and solutions to these issues on Buddhist philosophical grounds. Because gender is only a conventional reality, many Buddhists dismiss the significance of gender issues because ultimately, gender does not exist. In Virtuous Bodies, author Mrozik writes that many use the idea of ultimate truth to show that Buddhism promotes an egalitarian gender policy. This is done by showing that both male and female genders are understood to be the same because they
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