Empowerment and Equality in Buddhist Tantric Traditions: A Feminist Theological Inquiry

Abstract

Most of the religious scriptures are often accused of containing various types of prejudices against women. However, such allegations cannot be made against Buddhist Tantras, which do not exhibit the slightest doubt about the intellectual and spiritual capabilities of women. The women mentioned in Tantras are highly intelligent, powerful, and dominant. They are yoginīs, scholars, and gurus. Tantras do not support gender discrimination on any basis. Thus, keeping in mind the concepts of ‘gender equality’ and ‘women empowerment’, this paper analyses the status of women in Buddhist Tantras.