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* In a spiritual ladder, a man can progress up to the end stage but a woman can reach only
up to the fourth stage i.e. samyaktva.13
* Treachery, crookedness and deceitfulness is inherent in a woman." * Though cruelty is naturally inherited in a woman, yet she does not cross the upper limit of
cruelty. Hence she never dwells in the seventh hellish region."
* As a corollary, she cannot attain the extreme state of bliss that is mokşa.
Thus the Digambara granthās have succeeded in proving the assumption that a woman is far inferior to a man. Commentator Gunaratna in his book sat-darśana-sammuccya has elaborated the long going debate of man-woman-equality. He has proved that a woman is not inferior to man in all respects, at all levels and times.
1] Man-Woman-Equality in Yapanīya Tantra
According to the views of the eminent Jaina historians, Yāpanīya Samgha tried to reconcile
the views of Svetāmbaras and Digambaras right from the 6-7th century. Concerned persons may go through the history books written on Yapaniyas. 17
Haribhadra quotes in Lalitavistarā -
यथोक्तं यापनीयतन्त्रे - ‘णो खलु इत्थी अजीवो, ण यावि अभव्वा, ण यावि दंसणविरोहिणी, णो अमाणुसा, णो अणारिउप्पत्ती, णो असंखेज्जाउया, णो अईकूरमई, णो ण उवसन्तमोहा, णो ण सुद्धाचारा, णो असुद्धबोंदी, णो ववसायवज्जिया, णो अपुव्वकरणविरोहिणी, णो णवगुणठाणरहिया, णो अजोग्गा लद्धीए, णो अकल्लाणभायणं ति कहं न उत्तमधम्मसाहिय' त्ति ।18
The meaning is - "A woman is not a non-living being, not incapable to attain liberation (abhavya), not devoid of right faith, not a non-human, not a non-Aryan, not having life-span of infinite years, not having extreme cruelty, not having insatiable passions like moha, not unable to observe right conduct, not having bodily impurity, not without efforts to attain other worldly merits, not unable to attain the last nine stages of the ladder, not possesses non-eligibility to acquire mystical powers and ultimate good, then how can one think about a woman to deprive her from the supreme goal of human life ?"
Thus the Yāpaniyas establish the man-woman-equality in sixteen points. They start from the lowest category and the further five points are really beyond debate and suspicion. These points are derived from the philosophical framework provided by Jainaism which are agreeable to all sects. The further points throw light on woman's mental, moral, intellectual and spiritual capacities.
The points of having complete aparigrahi, nudity and physical stature are not dealt with in the above-mentioned passage. It is a creditable effort to point out man-woman- equality without being partial and biased on sector.
[2] Haribhadra's Exposition of Yapaniya Views: (As documented in the commentary
'Lalita-vistarā')
A verse of Caitya-vandana-sūtra runs like this -
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