At times there has to be a raising of consciousness, as has been the case, for instance, with regard to ecological problems. For a long time the environment has just been exploited, but nowadays many people are conscious of this, are more careful, more considerate and concerned about the welfare of the future generations. I think this is wonderful; the same can be said for becoming conscious of the oppression of women through men. When something is going too far somebody has to stand up and say something, otherwise everybody will just follow the crowd so that nothing changes. In this way, so many people will suffer, which is not only unnecessary but negative. The Buddhist view of this is very clear. There are so many female Buddhas and the Buddha has pointed out unmistakably that every sentient being is equal to the Buddha. In certain texts, though, one may find some statements that seem to indicate the opposite, but I think these could be due to concepts popular at the time.
Tai Situ Rinpoche
from the book The Third Karmapa´s Mahamudra Prayer
Read a random quote or see all quotes by Tai Situ Rinpoche.