In Infinite Life Sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha talked about the 48 vows of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara, before he became Amitabha. Here below is one of them:
If, when I attain Buddhahood, women in the immeasurable and inconceivable Buddha-lands of the ten quarters who, having heard my Name, rejoice in faith, awaken aspiration for the Enlightenment and wish to renounce womanhood, should after death be reborn again as women, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
I think the teachings is based on the relatively lower social status in ancient India. Even today, we often hear horrible hardships on women in India. However, if we go to any Buddhist centers in US, you can see a relatively larger number of female practitioners. The wishes to be reborn as a man should not be as strong as those whom are under hardships in an environment without much equal rights. So, I guess we need to absorb the teachings and determine those that are suitable in our environment.
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