
Buddhist Women

Scholar Vanessa R. Sasson tells the story of the first female Buddhist renunciates.

A New Kind of Missionary
Ananda Jennings, the first Western woman to sit an intensive Chan retreat, was a remarkable teacher who was all but forgotten by her home country.

The Woman Who Married the Buddha
Scholar Vanessa R. Sasson tells the often overlooked story of Yasodhara

Through Grief to Freedom: The Story of Krsha Gautami
The staggering losses of a nun whose tale appears in the Kshudrakavastu illuminates the power of shared suffering.

A Garland of Flowers
The story of Mahaprajapati, the Buddha’s stepmother and the first nun

A New Weekly Series on Epigraphy Explores the Lives of Ancient Buddhist Women
The community-oriented group meets on Fridays to “interpret a bunch of old stones and think about how women lived in history.”

Dr. Paula Arai, the First Eshinni and Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies, Wants to Help the Field of Buddhist Studies Heal
The new position aims to recognize the central role that women have played in the development of Buddhist thought and practice.

Uncovering the Hidden World of Tibetan Female Lamas
In her new book, scholar Elisabeth Benard presents the first scholarly account of the Sakya Khon family’s jetsunmas

The International Women’s Meditation Center Foundation Honors Outstanding Women in Buddhism
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the award recognizes 20 Buddhist women, including Martine Batchelor and Pamela Ayo Yetunde.

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