Being a woman makes no difference

Being a woman makes no difference when the mind’s well-centered, when knowledge is progressing, seeing clearly, rightly, into the Dhamma.

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Māra the Evil One, wanting to arouse fear, horripilation, & terror in her [Somā the nun], wanting to make her fall away from concentration, approached her & addressed her in verse:
“That
which is
to be attained by seers
—the place so very hard to reach—
women
can’t
—with their two-inch discernment—
attain.”
Then the thought occurred to Somā the nun: “Now who has recited this verse—a human being or a non-human one?” Then it occurred to her: “This is Māra the Evil One who has recited this verse wanting to arouse fear, horripilation, & terror in me, wanting to make me fall away from concentration.”
Then, having understood that “This is Māra the Evil One,” she replied to him in verses:
“What
difference
does being a woman make
when the mind’s well-centered,
when knowledge is progressing,
seeing clearly, rightly,
into the Dhamma.
Anyone who thinks
‘I’m a woman’
or ‘a man’
or ‘Am I anything at all?’—
that’s who Māra’s
fit to address.”
Then Māra the Evil One—sad & dejected at realizing, “Somā the nun knows me”—vanished right there.

Sister Somā
Somā Sutta (SN 5:2)

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