The quest for parity | Bangkok Post: feature

The quest for parity

07/02/2012 : Being born female is the result of bad karma. Women are innately inferior to men in wisdom and other spiritual qualities. The male form is the better vehicle for spiritual progress. These are the traditional _ deeply rooted and arguably still widely held _ views found in many Buddhist countries, Thailand included, despite there being no dispute of the Buddha's own unequivocal confirmation that women are also capable of being enlightened.

IN SPIRIT Thai buddhism in the next decade

07/02/2012 : Ten years ago, some observers were voicing doubts about whether the increasing popularity of meditation retreats among the middle class would just be a passing fad. What we are witnessing today has shown that the meditation retreats are still growing and steadily expanding into all sectors of the middle class.

Cultural Heritage

06/02/2012 : Stepping inside Bang Luang Mosque in Bangkok's Thon Buri district, a group of visitors was overwhelmed by its tranquility, happy to leave behind the bustling traffic noise from the nearby street.

IN SIGHT

The two doors

24/01/2012 : Sometimes, amazingly, a few words is all it takes to get us back on the right track. A friend of mine recently forwarded me the text of a short dharma lesson given by the Venerable W. Vajiramedhi, entitled "The Two Doors".

IN SPIRIT

Lotus pondering leads to life change

24/01/2012 : In the Youth Justice Centre, 17-year-old Somsak Chuchuy-kham sat idly by a small lotus pond; the images of the lotus conjured words of the Buddha on the four types of people in his mind.

Thon Buri Mosque Tour

02/01/2012 : The Siam Society is organising a trip to three remarkable mosques in Thon Buri on Jan 21.