Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Karma Lekshe Tsomo Buddhist Women in South Asian Traditions 1. "My Sister's Future Buddhahood": A Jataka of the Buddha's Lifetime as a Woman Karen Derris 2. Two Generations of Eminent Nepalese Nuns Punyawati Guruma Buddhist Women in Southeast Asian Traditions 3. Brave Daughters of the Buddha: The Feminisms of the Burmese Buddhist Nuns Cristina Bonnet-Acosta 4. Pioneering Bhikkunis in Contemporary Sri Lanka and Thailand Tomomi Ito 5. Bhikkuni Ta Tao: Paving the Way for Future Generations Bhikkuni Dhammananda (Chatsumarn Kabilsingh) 6. Eminent Nuns in Hue, Vietnam Elise Anne DeVido 7. Bhikui Nhu Thanh: A Polar Star among Vietnamese Nuns Thich Nu Nhu Nguyet 8. Bhikui Tri Hai: A Scented Lotus Life Thich Nu Huong Nhu Buddhist Women in East Asian Traditions 9. Bhikui Hiuwen: Enlightening Society by Institutionalizing Buddhist Education Yu-chen Li 10. Pongnyogwan: The Eminent Bhikui of Cheju Island Hyangsoon Yi 11. A Resolute Vision of the Future: Hyechun Sunim's Founding of the National Bhikui Association in Korea Eun-su Cho 12. From Mountains to Metropolis: Son Master Daehaeng's Teachings on Contemporary Buddhist Practice Hyeseon Sunim (Kyunhee Lee) Buddhist Women in the Tibetan Cultural Region 13. The Importance of Jetsun Mingyur Paldron in the Development of Sikkimese Buddhism Kalzang Dorjee Bhutia 14. The Legacy of a Female Sikkimese Buddhist Teacher: The Lineage of Pelling Ani Wangdzin and Gendered Religious Experience in Modern Sikkim Amy Holmes-Tagchungdarpa 15. Kunzang Drolkar: A Delog in Eastern Tibet Alyson Prude 16. Courage as Eminence: Tibetan Nuns at Yarchen Monastery in Kham Padma'tsho 17. Nuns, Dakinis, and Ordinary Women in the Revival of Mongolian Buddhism Karma Lekshe Tsomo 18. Mummy-la: The Life and Accomplishments of Freda Bedi Tenzin Palmo Buddhist Women in the West 19. Bhikui Ruimiao: An Embodiment of Transcultural Values Malia Dominica Wong 20. What Is a Relevant Role Model? The Example of an Ordinary Woman Who Achieved Enlightenment Rita M. Gross Bibliography Contributors Index

About the Author

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.

Reviews

"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 Nibbana: A Buddhist-Feminist Social Ethic for Peacemaking in the Global Community