Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo on Buddhism and Gender: April 25, 2010 at IBA
societies. To understand this paradox, it is useful to explore the notion of gender identity from both philosophical and sociological perspectives. What does it mean for women that the image of human perfection is male? If Buddha Sakyamuni clearly affirmed women’s equal spiritual potential, why are women marginalized in Buddhist cultures around the world? We know the names of emininent Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha, so how did the tradition become male dominated? This talk will examine these questions historically and the consequences for contemporary Buddhist women."
Karma Lekshe Tsomo is an associate professor in the Department of Theology and Religous Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches Buddhism, World Religions, and Comparative Religious Ethics. She studied Buddhism in Dharamsala, India, for 15 years and received a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Hawai`i, with research on death and identity in China and Tibet. She is a founder and past president of Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women (www.sakyadhita.org ) and director of Jamyang Foundation (www.jamyang.org ), an innovative education project for women in developing countries. Her most recent book is Into the Jaws of Yama, Lord of Death: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death.Download talk... |
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