Conference: Gender Asymmetry in the Different Buddhist Traditions Through the Prism of Nuns

From 16 to 17 May in Perugia (Piazza Morlacchi 30), the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation of International Scholarly Exchange supported a conference titled, “Gender Asymmetry in the Different Buddhist Traditions Through the Prism of Nuns.” This conference examines the perennially sensitive and sociologically complex topic of women in the monastic traditions of Buddhism. This has been […]

Women-led Buddha-dharma, from Brazil to Breda

Despite having been excluded from the upper echelons of religious leadership in many traditions, women play a core part in religious communities. Women tend to attend religious rituals more regularly than men, and bring their male relations and spouses to these events. In more traditional societies, women facilitate community cohesion and assist the integration of […]

Soka Gakkai in Latin America: New Frontiers for Women

The worldwide organization of Soka Gakkai is classed as a “new religious movement,” which is characterized by lay leaders and pastors, a vibrant and proactive missionary philosophy, and a core message that is easily replicable and attractive. In Soka Gakkai’s hermeneutic, the Lotus Sutra is the core scripture that contains the essence of the Buddha’s […]

Building Community: Local Concerns for Local Buddhist Women

BDE’s special issue on women, Mujeres y budismo en los países de habla hispana, is a unique project. Since it tells the story of Buddhist women in Spanish-speaking countries, it highlights problems specific to these women that might have been overlooked in English-language media. In Anglophone Buddhist feminist circles, including the broader Sakyadhita community, discourse […]