Beyond Patriarchal Spirituality: Toward a Holistic and Evidence-Based Approach

It would be fair to say that the world’s mainstream spiritual traditions — whether Jewish, Christian, or Buddhist — are deeply influenced by patriarchal values. These traditions arose during a time when patriarchy was becoming a dominant global system, shaping not only societal structures but also spiritual ideologies. While these spiritualities have brought wisdom and guidance, they often carry an inherent bias that prioritizes traits like discipline, strength, and self-denial — qualities traditionally associated with masculinity — while sidelining the equally important qualities of compassion, intuition, and connectedness.

The Dhammapada, a revered Buddhist text, exemplifies this patriarchal tendency in its teachings on desire. It states:

That is not a strong fetter, the wise say, which is made of iron, wood, or hemp. But the infatuation and longing for jewels and ornaments, children and wives — that, they say, is a far stronger fetter, which pulls one downward and, though seemingly loose, is hard to remove. This, too, the wise cut off. Giving up sensual pleasure, and without any longing, they renounce the world. (Dhammapada, verses 345–346)

Similarly, verse 90 declares that the most excellent of men “vomits all desires.” Here, desires are presented as…