Buddhist Women Across Cultures

Each of the essays in Tsomo's highly readable anthology of the diverse history of women in Buddhism asks the question: ""In what ways is Buddhism a constraint for women and in what ways is it liberative?"" The women writers of these essays reclaim early Buddhist stories about women as foundational to the liberating power of Buddhism. They also recover for our notice the story of Mahaprajapati, who walked several hundred miles to implore Sakyamuni Buddha for an ""order of women mendicants."" On the basis of her work, the Buddha agreed that the spiritual potential of women and men is equal, and he recognized the right of women to wear the garb of a mendicant. Each of these essays traces the history of women in Buddhism in a particular culture. For example, Lorna Dewaraja examines ""Buddhist Women in India and Precolonial Sri Lanka"" while Paula K.R. Arai explores ""Japanese Buddhist Nuns: Innovators for the Sake of Tradition."" Other essays investigate the roles and status of women in Buddhism as it evolved in Korea, China and Tibet. The authors point out that the recognition of women by their predominantly Buddhist culture depends drastically upon the particular culture. As these essays demonstrate, Buddhist women are continuing to gain new respect for their religious practice in calling societies to change their attitudes about the role of women in religion. Tsomo's book is a powerful and richly diverse collection of women's voices, narrating the dynamic experience of women confronting the constraints and liberties of practicing Buddhism in their native lands. (May)