According to the teachings of the Buddha there exists no practical difference between the sexes Man and woman are equal in their dependence upon each other and in their clinging which must be overcome Angutara-Nikaya I 1 Man and woman are equal in the rights and duties of their partnership as the Buddha described it for lay followers in the famous sermon to Singalako Digha-nikayaNo 31 In particular adultery is as unwholesome for men as it is for women The third precept sila is the same whether one is a man or a women By Dr Hellmuth Hecker