[Anonymous]

is this sutta about women true? is this really spoken words of the buddha ?

Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of a black snake. What five? It’s irritable, hostile, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous. These are the five dangers of a black snake.

In the same way there are five drawbacks of a female. What five? She’s irritable, hostile, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous. This is a female’s venom: usually she’s very lustful. This is a female’s forked tongue: usually she speaks divisively. This is a female’s treachery: usually she’s an adulteress. These are the five drawbacks of a female.”

[Lal]

Yes. The translation is correct. But it obviously DOES NOT refer to ALL females.
– There were many women who attained stages of magga phala, and many were Arahants.

The point here is that SOME women CAN HAVE such qualities.

In the same way, there are some prominent qualities reserved for SOME men.
– They CAN BE aggressive, for example.

In other words, while men tend to show hostility outwardly and spontaneously, women tend to keep anger inward for long times and make appropriate plans with a foul mindset.
– Those are general “gati” for men and women of BAD CHARACTER.

Furthermore, one’s gati (and correspondingly sex in future births) can and will change.
– In other words, just because one is a male in this life DOES NOT mean that he will stay a male forever. As gati change, female births WILL happen in the future.

There are many posts on gati on the website and can be found by a search. For example:
“9. Key to Ānapānasati – How to Change Habits and Character (Gati)“

[Anonymous]

awesome thank you lal!

[Christian]

Buddha was explaining here “halo effect”, many men get enamored with women and positive look-qualities not realizing mental qualities of that women or either ignoring bad, or even acting to appeal for that negative gathi because of liking to enjoy women’s company and look (sexual favors, women know they can act like this without this lifetime consequences because they are aware of using that poison for their own benefit, while not always as kammic consequences of such mindset can be triggered in this lifetime too). Especially those days we need suttas like that when women are perceived as “holy or innocent” in many movies and sociocultural aspects. (Do not bring “you hate women” argument as this got nothing to do with it but seeing things as they are, if somebody thought about that even for a second you are manipulated already and think that anybody can have status quo without responsibility for one’s actions). Even monks are speaking that “this sutta does not belong to Buddha” because not understanding it and to appeal to that sociocultural status quo which actually strengths negative traits and mindset in women.

If you look closely even your surprised tone in question springs from that manipulation and prejudice bias “is this sutta about women true? Is this really spoken words of the buddha?” – ignorance is the most scary thing in the world, that you are unable to realize things like this and it’s working behind your mind/brain like you are NPC that unable to see through things like that.

[Author]

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