Eminent Buddhist Women

Karma Lekshe Tsomo is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. Her books include Into the Jaws of Yama, Lord of Death: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death; Buddhist Women and Social Justice: Ideals, Challenges, and Achievements; Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations; and Sisters in Solitude: Two Traditions of Buddhist Monastic Ethics for Women, all published by SUNY Press.

"Given the many centuries of male-dominated history, Tsomo's collection of essays by Buddhist practitioners sharing the experiences and accomplishments of Buddhist women is wonderfully welcome. This invaluable selection of narratives adds immeasurably to a nuanced understanding of Buddhism in all of its complexity." — Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual"… provide[s] a diversity of rarely documented female religious activity, enhancing understanding of marginalized, historically invisible people. Eminent Buddhist Women is thus an important contribution to the genre of literature on women in Buddhism, underscoring diversity in format, subject, and methodology." — Asian Highlands Perspectives"In her chapter 'What Is a Relevant Role Model?' Rita Gross describes the need for more stories about Buddhist women, particularly those whose feats are not so fabled as to seem out of reach for contemporary practitioners. This volume advances that objective, mapping the paths of numerous, often lesser-known women who have dedicated their lives to Buddhism and inspired their communities." — Buddhadharma"Educational and inspirational, this important collection will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike." — Hsiao-Lan Hu, author of This-Worldly Nibbāna: A Buddhist-Feminist Social Ethic for Peacemaking in the Global Community

• PrefaceIntroductionKarma Lekshe TsomoBuddhist Women in South Asian Traditions1. "My Sister’s Future Buddhahood": A Jātaka of the Buddha’s Lifetime as a WomanKaren Derris2. Two Generations of Eminent Nepalese NunsPunyawati GurumaBuddhist Women in Southeast Asian Traditions 3. Brave Daughters of the Buddha: The Feminisms of the Burmese Buddhist NunsCristina Bonnet-Acosta4. Pioneering Bhikkunīs in Contemporary Sri Lanka and ThailandTomomi Ito5. Bhikkuni Ta Tao: Paving the Way for Future GenerationsBhikkuni Dhammananda (Chatsumarn Kabilsingh)6. Eminent Nuns in Hue, VietnamElise Anne DeVido7. Bhikuī Như Thanh: A Polar Star among Vietnamese NunsThích Nữ Như Nguyệt8. Bhikuī Tri Hai: A Scented Lotus LifeThich Nu Huong NhuBuddhist Women in East Asian Traditions9. Bhikuī Hiuwen: Enlightening Society by Institutionalizing Buddhist EducationYu-chen Li10. Pongnyŏgwan: The Eminent Bhikuī of Cheju IslandHyangsoon Yi11. A Resolute Vision of the Future: Hyechun Sunim’s Founding of the National Bhikuī Association in KoreaEun-su Cho12. From Mountains to Metropolis: Sŏn Master Daehaeng’s Teachings on Contemporary Buddhist PracticeHyeseon Sunim (Kyunhee Lee)Buddhist Women in the Tibetan Cultural Region 13. The Importance of Jetsun Mingyur Paldron in the Development of Sikkimese BuddhismKalzang Dorjee Bhutia14. The Legacy of a Female Sikkimese Buddhist Teacher: The Lineage of Pelling Ani Wangdzin and Gendered Religious Experience in Modern SikkimAmy Holmes-Tagchungdarpa15. Kunzang Drolkar: A Delog in Eastern TibetAlyson Prude16. Courage as Eminence: Tibetan Nuns at Yarchen Monastery in KhamPadma‘tsho17. Nuns, Dākinīs, and Ordinary Women in the Revival of Mongolian BuddhismKarma Lekshe Tsomo18. Mummy-la: The Life and Accomplishments of Freda BediTenzin PalmoBuddhist Women in the West 19. Bhikuī Ruimiao: An Embodiment of Transcultural ValuesMalia Dominica Wong20. What Is a Relevant Role Model? The Example of an Ordinary Woman Who Achieved EnlightenmentRita M. GrossBibliographyContributorsIndex