Bridging Worlds: Buddhist Women's Voices Across Generations (2025)

2017

The 15 th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women in Hong Kong celebrates thirty years of Sakyadhita' pioneering work to benefit Buddhist women everywhere. In 1987, the founding of Sakyadhita was a landmark in Buddhist history and a starting point for great changes for women in the diverse Buddhist traditions around the world. From that time on, women from around the globe have come together, uniting our wisdom, compassion, and talents, to create new pathways for women to fulfill their dreams, our dreams. These Sakyadhita gatherings represent a new era for women in Buddhism, for they create a fourm for shining light on the achievements of Buddhist women and energetically developing our potential to help relieve the sufferings of the world. The theme of the 15 th Sakyadhita Conference in Hong Kong, "Contemporary Buddhist Women: Contemplation, Cultural Exchange & Social Action," highlights our diversity and also the many choices that Buddhist women have today. Among us, there are many different ways that we may focus our energies, such as meditation practice, active social engagement, studies, teaching, parenting, artistic expression, and a range of other options. The beauty of Buddhist women is that we come from different countries and cultures, with different interests and diverse approaches to Buddhism, yet together we represent enormous power for good in the world. We are fortunate to be able to decide for ourselves what paths we wish to take, depending on our cultural backgrounds and personal interests. With pure intentions, we can transform ourselves and make great contributions to the transformation of society. The 15 th Sakyadhita Conference in Hong Kong set the stage for a fruitful exchange of ideas and experiences. The wide variety of perspectives presented offer glimpses of the history, values, and hopes Buddhist women share. The theme of cultural exchange encourages women to form alliances with women around the globe, to bridge youth culture and traditional culture, and to creatively convey Buddhist concepts in the visual arts, performing arts, literature, martial arts, and other forms of expression. The theme of contemplation gives us a chance to explore the benefits of meditation together and contemplate our responsibilities as Buddhist women. The theme of social action allows us to envision a kinder, more compassionate, more enlightened world and strenthen our resolve to actualize that vision. Human life is precious and fleeting. By awakening fully to each and every moment in a spirit of compassion and collaboration, Buddhist women undoubtedly have the power to transform the world. Sakyadhita is deeply grateful to the many people who offer their time, energy, and resources to make this goal possible.

Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women in the Global Community

Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women in the Global Community, 2019

This edited volume, based on the 8th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women held in Seoul, Korea, gathers papers on diverse topics of interest to Buddhist women and scholars of Buddhism, women, gender, and the international Buddhist diaspora.

Buddhist Women in a Global Multicultural Community

2008

This book is dedicated to the memory of Sramanerika Padma Chhokid. In the summer of 2006, Venerable Chhokid traveled to the 9 th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women in Kuala Lumpur where she became terminally ill. With great effort and the help of many friends she made the journey home to Spiti and passed away shortly thereafter at Yangchen Choling Monastery, high in the Indian Himalayas. Her life of kindness, courage, and selfless commitment to the Dharma continues to inspire everyone she knew.

AHP 40: REVIEW: EMINENT BUDDHIST WOMEN

Review of: Tsomo, Karma Lekshe (ed). 2014. Eminent Buddhist Women. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 278. Preface, introduction, index. ISBN: 978-1- 4384-5130 (paperback, 29.95USD). Eminent Buddhist Women edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo, is in part the product of the 2010 Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women convened in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The chapters feature narratives about exceptional Buddhist women, contributing to the growing genre of literature on female Buddhist figures. The stated aim of the collection is to make visible women's contributions to Buddhism within multiple traditions. The volume is organized geographically into five sections with twenty chapters. These chapters feature Buddhist women in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Tibetan cultural region, and the West. The essays vary from translations with commentaries, to first person narratives told in the style of Buddhist hagiographies, to ethnographic accounts and oral histories. The editor made a deliberate decision to present heterogeneous narrative forms in order to recount a variety of narratives: ...

Out of the shadows : socially engaged Buddhist women

2006

Buddhism in Kinnaur and in the Lives of Kinnauri Women 9 n the last few decades, Buddhist women have come out of the shadows and begun to take a visible role in their traditions and on the world stage. Since 1987, when the 1st Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women was held in Bodhgaya, India, Buddhist women have joined hands and sparked a transformation of consciousness in the Buddhist world toward greater inclusion and diversity regarding gender, ethnicity, religion, and social opportunity. Every two years, women and men, lay and ordained, from a rich variety of cultural backgrounds, academic disciplines, and religious traditions, meet together to discuss Buddhist women's history, values, and perspectives on contemporary issues. These gatherings uniquely incorporate scholarly presentations, sitting meditations, chanting practices, small group discussions, and cultural performances to understand the experiences of Buddhist women around the world. The 8th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women, held in Seoul, Korea, from June 27 to July 4, 2004, was a unique international gathering. Creating a dialogue that unites so many people, disciplines, and perspectives in an atmosphere of mutual respect is a significant contribution to human society. It is especially significant that this dialogue has been initiated by Buddhist women, a segment of society that until recently has been largely ignored. Since 1987, when Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women was formed, scholars, practitioners, artists, and activists from around the world have begun to unite at a grassroots level and assume leadership in working for the welfare of the world's Buddhist women. In a matter of years, working steadily and diligently, despite limited resources, the Buddhist women's movement gained strength and became recognized as a highly dynamic forum representing over 300 million women worldwide. This global movement, emerging from obscurity into the international spotlight as a force for social change, exemplifies how women from different Buddhist traditions can unite, work harmoniously together, and make significant progress toward global understanding. The chapters in Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women were selected from the conference papers presented at the 8th Sakyadhita Conference in Seoul by many unique individuals. Selected by many unique individuals, the theme "Socially Engaged Buddhist Women" was open to many approaches and interpretations, so each writer had the freedom to craft her contribution as she chose. For this reason, the chapters differ in tone, complexity, and length. The chapters are interconnected, but can be read independently as well. Each article opens a window on a different world, a new vantage point form which to consider women's spiritual, intellectual, social, and political potential. What is most heartwarming about the chapters is that they all evolved from the sincere motivation to benefit others. The challenges that Buddhist women face in the world today are formidable. Gender bias, poverty, illiteracy, human rights violations, environmental degradation, economic disparities, and political strife are Introduction | xi The Quiet Movement of Buddhist Women in Cambodia | 19 The Quiet Movement of Buddhist Women in Cambodia Peou Vanna G enerally, Cambodian nuns observe eight or ten Buddhist precepts. They shave their hair and eyebrows. They may wear white robes or dress in a white blouse and black skirt. Some nuns live in pagodas, while others live at their homes with support from their children. Typically, Cambodian nuns and laywomen think primarily of serving monks by cooking meals for them, cleaning the area around the pagoda, and so forth. In addition, they may take care of other duties, such as looking after the homes of their children, babysitting grandchildren, or doing other household chores that keep them busy far beyond a usual day of work. In spite of taking care of all these difficult tasks, women are often criticized for being unable to get away from the kitchen. It is a fact that nuns, as well as laywomen, are so busy serving the monks and other people in their entourage that they do not have much time to think of themselves in the same way that monks and men do when they practice or learn the Dharma. A new development or quiet movement came into existence in 1995 when a group of 107 Buddhist women from all over Cambodia gathered to push for the establishment of an association known as the Association of Nuns and Laywomen of Cambodia, which restricted its membership to Buddhist women. The association was born following a four-day regional conference, held from May 1 to 4, 1995, on the theme "Roles of Cambodian Nuns and Laywomen in National Reconciliation." This conference was held at the Cultural and Meditation Center at Prek Ho in Kandal province and attended by distinguished national and international guests from Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Germany. The Association of Nuns and Laywomen of Cambodia promotes the rights of Cambodian nuns and laywomen and encourages them to change their stance from cooking and cleaning pagodas and not daring to take part in society to becoming counselors and teachers of Dharma who take part in meditation, community development, conflict resolution, and conflict management among people in their communities, especially in remote areas where information networks do not exist. They can learn Dharma and practice meditation to attain a peaceful mind. Another religious activity of the Association of Nuns and Laywomen of Cambodia (ANLC) is to preserve and promote Buddhism by keeping the Buddha's prohibitions and permissions, by training Buddhist followers and helping them become well informed about both Buddhism and secular affairs. These activities constitute a quiet movement of Cambodian Buddhist women who have walked and are walking slowly towards equal rights and gender equity and promoting the equal rights of women within the realm of Buddhism as well as in the secular environment. Despite nearly a decade of effort put forth by the quiet movement of Cambodian Buddhist women, Cambodian nuns who observe the ten precepts have yet to be allowed to become samānerī (novice nuns) or bhikkhunī (fully ordained nuns). Currently ANLC has 10,825 members; of these, 65 percent are nuns and 35 percent are laywomen. Among the nuns, 90 percent are over 55 years of age, and 20 percent are from 30 to 50. Most of the laywomen do not live at a pagoda as nuns do; they live in their own homes. Of the laywomen, 75 percent are over 50 years of age, and 25 percent are from 29 to 50.

Women in Buddhism contemporary trends

RELI 385 WOMEN AND RELIGION: BUDDHISM

Concordia University

This course examines various positions, roles and activities of women and nuns within different traditions of Buddhism. We will begin the course with a brief survey of the historical origins of Buddhism considered in the social and religious context of ancient India as a whole. We will investigate images and situations of female figures in early Buddhism described in canonical scriptures and other contemporaneous texts. We will also examine epigraphic and artistic evidence offering insights into the lives and activities of early medieval Buddhist women in India. Bhikkhuni monastic codes and the order of nuns will be explored. Another topic we will deal with is the concept of gender as related to nirvana's achievement; one of the important themes for discussion here will be how, when and why the Indian male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was transformed into a Chinese female deity Kuan-Yin to become "a cult of half Asia." The spread of Buddhism outside of India during the early medieval period will be discussed through the examination of subsequent developments of Buddhist women's experiences in China, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. As such, in the later part of the course, we will explore the religious life of women in contemporary East and Southeast Asia where Buddhism has been adopted and has given rise to local variations and distinctive practices. We will end the class with a discussion of how Buddhism has been studied and reconstructed in the West. * I would like to acknowledge that Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands, particularly those of the Kanien'kehá:ka Nation, who are recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we are situated.

Dharma in Action: The Gift of Western Female Dharma Teachers

Teaching Dhamma in New Lands

Western female dharma teachers2 hold a particular ability to cultivate presence and mindfulness3 as a result of their unique life experiences. This paper follows examples from the lives of two first generation Western Buddhist nuns. These two women, Bhiksuni ...

Present The Voices and Activities of Theravada Buddhist Women

2011

Present is an independent publication and does not represent any particular lineage, monastic, or teacher. The journal is produced for and supported by the Theravada fourfold sangha, and as such reflects the interests of that community. Present publishes essays, non-fiction, scholarly articles, news, and reviews about-and relevant tobhikkhunis and the fourfold sangha. We welcome unsolicited articles, essays, scholarly investigations, photographs, artwork and illustrations. We do not accept unsolicited book reviews.

Matching Concepts, Transgressing Boundaries: Buddhist Transmission Strategies in the International Buddhist Women\u27s Movement

2020

One of the most striking features of the contemporary revitalization, transmission, and transformation of Buddhism is the prominent roles that women are playing, both locally and globally. Since 1987, Buddhist women from around the world have been uniting on a grassroots level and taking more active roles in working not only for the welfare of women, but for the welfare of human society writ large. Today, the Buddhist women’s movement has become a highly dynamic forum representing the interests of somewhere between 300 and 600 million women, depending on who is compiling the statistics. This movement is transgressive by its very nature, breaking through social, cultural, and conceptual boundaries and barriers in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. Emerging from the margins to which women have historically been relegated and into the global spotlight, Buddhist women have become a powerful force for social change. Against all odds, Buddhist women have demonstrated how ...