Women under Primitive Buddhism

B. horner’s work in probably the earliest and the most comprehensive account presenting the position of the laywomen and of the almswomen in historical focus. The author painstakingly gathered the material for the book from a host of authoritative sources which was, at the time it was published, highly commended by none other than C.A.F. Rhys Davids. The materia for the study of the laywomen has been gathered from the canonical literature, and also form the commentaries, the Jataka books and the Milindapanha. Most of the material; for the account of the almswomen is to be found in the Vinaya-Pitak, on eof the oldest Budbhist books in existence, and particularly in those portion sof it known as the Bhikkhuni- Khandaka and the Bhikkhuni-Vibhanga. These prescribe teh rules and discipline for the outward life of the members of the order. Material has also extensively been drawn form the collection of verses known as the Theragatha, and the Commentaries on them.