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Feminine Ground: Essays on Women and Tibet

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This is a set of 7 high quality essays by 6 well-known writers on women in Buddhism; it sheds light on specific sociological/spiritual aspects of Tibet & Vajrayana Buddhism. Authors/Topics are: Rita M. Gross on Yeshe Tsogyel, Janet Gyatso on the Tibetan Demoness, Miranda Shaw on Laksminkara, Janice Willis on Dakinis & on Tibetan nuns, Barbara Aziz on Tibetan sociology, & Karma Tsomo on nuns/nunneries in Tibet. Thus, some of the topics are narrower in scope than others. Particularly interesting was Gross' attempt to integrate enlightenment with enlightened relationships in the life of Yeshe Tsogyel, saying on p. 26, "Tsogyel provides a provocative challenging & untypical model." Shaw presents a lucid, instructive view of Dohas & their authors: pp. 54-6 "Tantric Buddhism was primarily a lay movement that worked outside the boundaries of the powerful monasteries," Dohas "were sung at moments of heightened awareness in an attempt to poetically express experiences that do not lend themselves to didactic expression...Such a song might induce in a receptive listener a glimpse of the nondual state," & "Laksminkara's ecstatic song celebrates the magical quality of the nondual level of awareness...This song...seeks...to convey the state of `crazy wisdom' to her listeners." On p. 62: Janice Willis provides meaning to Dakinis: (quoting Herbert Guenther) ""The Dakini is therefore an understanding of no-thing-ness" & (quoting James Robinson) "The Dakini is the `woman who understands emptiness,' that is to say, the feminine embodiment of wisdom." Balancing the hagiographical data on Yeshe Tsogyel herein & prior works (e.g. Allione's "Women of Wisdom" hagiography & Diana Paul's "Women in Buddhism" historical view), Willis & Tsomo present modern biographical data on both nuns & nunneries. This book is a worthy addition to the literature on Tibetan sociology, Women & Buddhism, & other genres. Its authors provide some discerning insights into the women & Buddhism of Tibet demonstrating how intertwined these subjects can be.