Feminism and Anti-Feminism

Misogyny in Sri Lankan Literature

Published Oct 30, 2024 Updated Oct 30, 2024 Culture

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Misogyny in Sri Lankan Literature

Charitha Liyanage

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Is Lokopakaraya Misogynistic?

Lokopakaraya is a Sinhala religious classic written in the 18th century by a Buddhist monk named Ven. Ranasgalle Thero.

Considered one of the longest “Upadesha” poems, it ranks alongside other major advisory religious and literary texts in Sinhala literature such as Loveda Sangarawa, Subashithaya, and Sirith Maldama. This poetic genre flourished in Asian Pali and Sanskrit literature.

“Upadesha” means advice, teachings, or instructions in Sanskrit. The title Lokopakaraya combines “Loka” (world) and “Upakaraya” (benefit or guide), meaning “a guide to living in the world.” It contains valuable advice for everyday life, drawing heavily from Buddhist Jataka stories and folk tales and was once a primary resource in Sri Lanka’s early education

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Jackie H 5 months ago

Wow ! What a food for thought 😯

What you describe here about misogyny in Buddhist Sri Lanka resonates with some equally misogynistic or more broadly sexist features in Western culture - because yes, there is an amount of misandry in Western female spiritual circles. It is no coincidence that the Lokopakaraya was written by a *monk* who considered *celibate* life as the ultimate way to spirituality - and considered therefore sexuality (and founding a family) a threat to his spiritual life. Yet founding a family, having children and a descent was seen as essential for the future (and survival) of the group and of humankind as such... there was always this tension between two opposite yet equally vital goals. All this is combined of course with the proverbial uncertainty about fatherhood... Not just a comment and not just an article but a whole book should be written about this (even if many already have been)...

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Charitha Liyanage 5 months ago

Monks and priests were regarded as the supreme authorities of knowledge and the primary distributors of it. Their authority was rarely questioned, and as a result, the consequences of this dynamic are still felt today. Literature shape the way we think, male spiritual gurus hate women! If there is still negative image on women in general, it is exactly due to that.

Jackie H 5 months ago

I can even add as a Western woman that even when nuns - the female equivalent of monks - were also detainers and distributors of knowledge, they took far longer than monks to be acknowledged and recognized as such... Hildegard von Bingen and Teresa de Avila took centuries to be awarded the title of "Doctor of the Church". Yet there is a whole tradition of female spirituality in Christianity... which shows how powerfully male prejudice shaped society almost universally and often skewed things in disadvantage of women.

Surf Xi 5 months ago

Thanks for the demonstration!

I’m not trying to answer the last three questions since my brain refuses to answer closed- ended questions ;

yet, they give it something to grind 🙏