Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women -- Tradition, Revision, Renewal [Paperback]

Ellison Banks Findly (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2000

Throughout Buddhism's history, women have been hindered in their efforts to actualize the fullness of their spiritual lives: they face more obstacles to reaching full ordination, have fewer opportunities to cultivate advanced practice, and receive diminished recognition for their spiritual accomplishments. Here, a diverse array of scholars, activists, and practitioners explore how women have always managed to sustain a vital place for themselves within the tradition and continue to bring about change in the forms, practices, and institutions of Buddhism. In essays ranging from the scholarly to the personal, Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women describes how women have significantly shaped Buddhism to meet their own needs and the demands of contemporary life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In 1998, Trinity College provided the venue for Buddhist nuns to bring to the West the meditative art of making sand mandalas and the sacred techniques of painting thangkas. Both arts have long been the exclusive domains of monks. The project closed with a conference that generated this excellent, thematically arranged collection of essays that tests the hypothesis that "women are playing a significant and even decisive role in the...way Buddhism is changing to meet the needs and demands of life" today. Ranging from the scholarly to the intensely personal, these illuminating papers explore history, ethnography, artistic expression, healing and medical practices, and even the decision to bear children. The coverage is worldwide, with an emphasis on southern Asia. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries supporting collections on Buddhism or women's studies.DJames R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Asheville
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This is the book that every course on Buddhism and gender needs: it's a well-balanced blend of historical studies with contemporary pieces on modern women's contributions to the changing face of Buddhism. No other book offer such a rich mix of Buddhist practitioners from such diverse Buddhist traditions speaking such a wide range of topics. Especially interesting are topics seldom covered elsewhere, such as the selections on art and health issues." -- Karen Lang, University of Virginia

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications (June 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861711653
• ISBN-13: 978-0861711659
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,148,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Women changing Buddhism in the world--very fine, March 28, 2005

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women -- Tradition, Revision, Renewal (Paperback)

This is a collection of over 30 pieces by and about Buddhist women. It is based on papers from "Women Changing Contemporary Buddhism" Conference. Some are scholarly, some biographical (noted with symbol in the Table of Contents). Many of the latter were interviews by Martine Batchelor (author of "Walking on Lotus Flowers"). It includes pieces on many countries both Eastern and Western, providing an eye-opening breadth of view. It includes considerable material on ordination and the relationships among different categories of nuns, monks, and lay practitioners. Some of the contributors are well known in the West (e.g. Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, Martine Batchelor, and Jan Willis). The topics also have large scope: teachers/teachings, political & social change, the arts, and health. Some of the articles were outstanding, though each reader will have differing favorites. I particularly liked Amy Schmidt's piece on Dipa Ma, Melissa Kerin's on Tibetan nuns now creating sand mandalas and thangkas and visiting the West, Kate Wheeler's sensitive piece on motherhood, and the last piece about famed Tibetan female doctor Kandro Yangkar. But my favorite of all was Hi-ah Park's fascinating piece on how she became a Buddhist Shaman. There's a wealth of material here-something for everyone interested in Buddhist women. I think it makes much headway towards (p. 5): The hypothesis of this book: "that, in the contemporary setting, women are playing a significant and even decisive role in the way forms, practices, and institutions of Buddhism are changing to meet the needs and demands of life in late 20th and early 21st century culture." Supporting the editor's contention that we (p. 6): "need new and more efficacious forms of Buddhist practices in the contemporary setting," contributors have made some profound and potentially far-reaching conclusions concerning adaptation of Buddhism to the West:
p. 98: Rotraut Wurst: "Many Western women don't normally retain many Asian elements in their Buddhist practice."
p. 330: Melissa Kerin quoting Alan Spoonberg: "Buddhist attitudes towards women were shaped, in part at least, in reference to the social circumstances of the day."
p. 339: Judy Dworkin quoting the Dalai Lama in "Freedom in Exile": "It is not sufficient for religious people to be involved with prayer. Rather they are morally obliged to contribute all they can in solving the world's problems...For what is religion? As far a I am concerned, any deed done with good motivation is a religious act. On the other hand, a gathering of people I a temple or church who do not have good motivation are not performing a religious act when they pray together."
p. 419: Kate Lila Wheeler: "...'the take it or leave it' part of the doctrine. Even the Buddha emphasized in one of his sermons that his followers should test his theories, take what they needed, and leave the rest."
p. 431: Theanvy Kuoch: "Children are disrespectful of parents who no longer teach them right from wrong and who do not have the energy to correct them."
This is an important and valuable book for world-wide Buddhists and feminists alike.