Critical Reading Assignment (CRA)

Introduction

In this Critical Reading assignment, we will assess three literary sources on a single topic to see how well the writers have expressed their thoughts and shared in their thoughts. We will take three articles from a journal or book that will direct our entire assignment, leading to an evaluation of the each of the literary source. For the sake of this assignment, we will concentrate on the topic, “How and Why did women in Ancient India become Buddhist Nuns?”. Buddhism is a popular religion, and we need to assess the articles based on the conversion of women into Buddhism. In addition to summarizing and evaluating each source's claim on the topic, we will assess its relation to the original source together with restatement for each source. We will define in detail, how well the works have contributed towards developing an understanding about the topic and how you are better able to critique the argument in the CRA source.

Summary of Each Scholar's Arguments/Claims

Arvind Sharma of Queens land University is the writer of this article, “How and Why Did the Women in Ancient India Become Buddhist Nuns?”. The journal concentrates on the reasons of women of India becoming nuns from the initial Buddhism or is it there any motivation through monastery. The sociologists of religion are more anxious to know what motivates people to form new sect and monasticism. The influence from sociology and psychology take people towards monasticism or relative deprivation can also be the reason. The author is focusing on this relative deprivation approach to the available material about why women in India became a nun in first few centuries when Buddhism start spreading. The author tries to communicate that women in India started becoming a nun since the initial spreading of Buddhism movement. The source of material and its analysis will give direction and description of women converting to nun (Sharma, p. 239-251 ).

The Buddhist Samngha, founded by the Buddha in 6th century BC. At that time, he was at his missionary career. His missionary consists of order for monks and nuns. This order seems to be the motive of women to become a nun. Many religious poetry and text preserve the existence of nuns these include Theravada tradition as the Therigatha which included in Khuddaka Nikaya. The article summarizes that the verses are present in various sources in Therigatha from 3rd to 6th century the writing committed to the Pali canon in 1st century. In 5th & 6th century A.D Dhammapala of Kancipuram comment on three books about nun. Dhammapala told the story that includes their life history (Sharma, p. 239-251 ). These verses and stories revels the circumstances why psalmist become nun. The journal point on the situation that does she want to become a nun because, she is going to Buddhism, Or she wants to go towards Buddhism because, she wants to get away from something that she do not like. The paper enlightens the situations according to ...