A female child may prove even a better offspring than a male.
Women's position in Buddhism is unique. The Buddha gave women full freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious teacher who had given this religious freedom to women. Before the Buddha, women's duty had been restricted to the kitchen; women were not even allowed to enter any temple or to recite anything religious. During the Buddha's time, women's position in society was very low. The Buddha was criticized very strongly by the prevailing establishment when he gave this freedom to women. His move to allow women to enter the holy order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity like men to attain the highest position in the religious way of living by attaining Arahanthood. Every woman in the world must be grateful to the Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for giving such freedom to them for the first time in world history.
A good illustration of the prevailing attitude towards women during the Buddha's time is found in these words of Mara:
"No woman, with the two-finger wisdom which is hers, could ever hope to reach those heights which are attained only by the sages."
Undoubtedly the Buddha was vehement in contradicting such attitudes. The nun to whom Mara addressed these words, gave the following reply:
"When one's mind is well concentrated and wisdom never fails, does the fact of being a woman make any difference?"
King Kosala was very much disappointed when he heard that his Queen had given birth to a baby girl. He had expected a boy. To console the sad King, the Buddha said:
"A female child, O Lord of men, may prove
Even a better offspring than a male.
For she may grow up wise and virtuous,
Her husband's mother reverencing, true wife,
The boy that she may bear may do great deeds,
And rule great realms, yes, such a son
Of noble wife becomes his country's guide."
On one such occasion, he admitted that man is not always the only wise one; woman is also wise.
Taken from "What Buddhists Believe"
Written by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda
Published by Buddhist Missionary Society