Q.Why do you think women and men joined the sangha?

The Buddha's Sangha was open to all, regardless of caste, class, or gender, because it offered a path to liberation from suffering that was not tied to one's birth or social status. For many, joining the Sangha meant escaping the rigid hierarchies and domestic burdens of household life.

Men and women joined for several key reasons:

• Spiritual liberation: The Sangha provided a direct, disciplined path to nirvana (enlightenment), which was the ultimate goal.
• Escape from social constraints: For women especially, the Sangha offered an alternative to the duties of marriage and child-rearing, granting them a respected, autonomous role as nuns (bhikkhunis).
• Material security: In a time of economic change, the Sangha offered food, shelter, and clothing to its members, providing a stable life for those who were poor or without family support. …

The sangha, the monastic order founded by the Buddha, was not just a religious institution — it was a radical social experiment in ancient India. To understand why people joined, you have to look at the world they were leaving behind. The 6th century BCE was a time of great change: cities were growing, trade was expanding, and the old Vedic social order, with its rigid caste hierarchies and elaborate sacrificial rituals, was being questioned. The Buddha offered a path that was open to all, regardless of birth, and that promised an end to suffering (dukkha) through personal effort and ethical living.

For many, the appeal was deeply spiritual. The Buddha taught that life was marked by impermanence, suffering, and the absence of a permanent self. The sangha offered a way to break free from the endless cycle of rebirth by following the Eightfold Path — a life of right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Joining the sangha meant dedicating oneself fully to this path, away from the distractions and entanglements of household life. It was a chance to pursue nirvana, the ultimate liberation, with the support of like-minded monks and nuns.

But there were also very practical, worldly reasons. The sangha provided food, shelter, clothing, and medicine — a secure life for those who had none. For the poor, the destitute, or those burdened by debt or family obligations, it was a refuge. The NCERT textbook specifically mentions that slaves, debtors, and soldiers were not allowed to join without permission from their masters or creditors, which tells us that many who sought entry were trying to escape those very bonds. The sangha was a place where you could start over, free from your past.

For women, the decision was especially significant. The Buddha initially hesitated to admit women, but was persuaded by his disciple Ananda and his foster mother Mahaprajapati Gautami. Once the order of nuns (bhikkhuni sangha) was established, it gave women an alternative to the narrow roles of wife and mother. In a patriarchal society, the sangha offered women independence, education, and a respected spiritual identity. They could study, teach, and lead — things largely denied to them in household life. Many women from royal families, like Princess Yasodhara (the Buddha’s wife) and Queen Mahaprajapati, joined, as did women from humbler backgrounds. …