Do you think it would have been easy for slaves to join the sangha? Give reasons for your answer.

The ease with which slaves could join the Sangha, the monastic community in Buddhism, would have been influenced by the socio-cultural context of the time. In ancient India, where the Buddha lived, social hierarchies and the caste system were prevalent. Slaves occupied a lower social stratum, facing discrimination and limited opportunities.

Joining the Sangha required renunciation of worldly possessions, implying a departure from societal roles and norms. This could have been particularly challenging for slaves, who often lacked material independence. The Sangha might not have readily accommodated individuals without personal resources, potentially hindering their ability to join.

On the other hand, Buddhism’s foundational principles emphasized spiritual equality and the importance of inner qualities over external status. The Sangha, in theory, welcomed people from diverse backgrounds. If monastic communities strictly adhered to these principles, slaves might have found a more inclusive space.

In practice, however, societal biases and prejudices could have posed obstacles. Social stigma and discrimination against slaves might have made it difficult for them to be accepted into the Sangha, despite the Buddha’s teachings advocating non-discrimination. Therefore, while the conceptual openness of the Sangha existed, the practical challenges of social inequality could have made it less easy for slaves to join the monastic community.