Women in Buddhism
© Yeshe Chodon
It is high time to devote a column to the topic of women and Buddhism. There is enough information on the Internet to justify several articles on the subject. Most of this article exists just to direct the reader to a few of the excellent websites available. Any errors are strictly mine.
An outstanding collection of articles and information is at http://www.crosswinds.net/~campross/wome... Women in Buddhism: Past, Present and Future It would take weeks to follow all the links from this website, and one would have a master's degree in the subject after doing so.
The inspiration for this topic came through an email from Patti whose website is http://prajnamahavajra.org
In her words: "Primarily this is an homage site dedicated to four great feminine symbols of Buddhist Wisdom and Compassion; Sitatara (White Tara), Kuan Yin, Ushnashavijaya, and Prajnaparamita. The title of the site, Prajnamahavajra, to the best of my knowledge, is not an official term in the canon of Buddhist literature. It came to me during meditation upon these wonderful symbols of Wisdom and Compassion, and my intended meaning is "Diamonds of Great Wisdom".
The site is of great value and I encourage you to visit there.
Patti had written me in response to an earlier column of mine in which I bravely, unimpeded by the thought process, took on the concept of Shunyata: emptiness. She shared with me one of the meditations from her website:
-- A Meditation on Emptiness --Sitting quietly, letting the mind come to rest in the same way as a pool of water comes to rest after having a pebble thrown into it, think upon this....
There are oxygen molecules in the air. There are oxygen molecules in your body. As you breathe in and out, follow the air and find the place where the oxygen molecules become you.
Is it in your nose? In your throat? Your lungs? Your blood? Or was it always you...even in the air?
Thus, being inspired, and visiting her site, I decided to write what might be one of several columns about women in Buddhism. This topic can be regarded from two aspects: first traditional Buddhist female deities, then contemporary women in Buddhism.
Also at http://www.crosswinds.net/~campross/womy... is a section called Women in Buddhism Mythical & Mystical. Here is voluminous and authoritative information and links about Tara, sometimes referred to as the female embodiment of Buddha, or as Tara Mother of the Buddhas. She is known primarily in India, Tibet (where she is called Drolma), and Mongolia. Here also are links for background on Avalokitesvara, also known as Kwan Yin, sometimes spelled Kanzeon in Japan and China, also known to other Asian cultures, the embodiment of compassion, always represented as a female. She is Chenrezig in Tibetan.
