These days, people everywhere talk about mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhism as the ultimate way to find inner peace. But if we dig into the actual historical roots we find a complicated truth. Take the case of the Therigatha, a collection of ancient Buddhist poems written over 2000 years ago. 

The poems feature women from all walks of life, from overworked housewives to royal courtesans. Take Sumangalamata, a housewife trapped in a brutal domestic life. In her poem, she joyfully sings about being free from her endless chores, shouting that she is finally rid of her kitchen pestle and mortar, her abusive husband, and her cooking pots. For women like her, running away to join the early Buddhist nunhood was a daring escape from the trap of traditional marriage and forced domestic labor.