498 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
“ That the Buddha was forever exhorting meant to beware of women ”, is one of those half-truths, which misled those who have not taken the trouble to read the Buddha’s words in their context.
The Buddha did not exhort “men” in this case, but monks who had taken the vow of chastity in conformance with the ancient Indian sanyasi rule, accepted by Buddhist and Hindus alike. Nuns were equally exhorted to beware of men. The exhortation of the Buddha was therefore not due to a prejudice against women, but due to the knowledge of human weakness—in men and women alike.
Buddhist women were the first in India who made a substantial and independent contribution to the religious literature and who were recognized as equals to the best authors of their time. This is shown by the fact that the songs of the Buddhist Sisters (under the title “Therigatha”) were given the honoured position of Canonical Scriptures and thus placed beside the words of the Buddha and His most prominent disciples.
Both Hinduism and Buddhism have produced great women, and instead of trying to find fault with the customs and teachings of the past and the sages, who proclaimed them in accordance with the needs of their time and the capacity of understanding of their hearers, we should strive to emulate those great souls among Indian women whose names have survived many a mighty empire, whose thoughts were higher than statecraft and whose hearts greater than the power of monarchs. The figure of Savitri, whose profound love and wisdom vanquished even the King of Death, will ever stand out as a symbol of the noblest qualities of womanhood. The voice of Maitreyi and Gargi are forever heard in the immortal dialogues of the Upanishads, and the songs of the saintly Buddhist Sisters will live in the hearts of Indian women like the devotional songs of Mirabai and the heroism of Padmini.” [1]
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1 : Appendix to the booklet published under title ‘ The Rise and Fall of the Hindu woman ; who was Responsible for it’ ?