#Women in Buddhism

[shakir2]

A Critical Analysis of Buddhism  

About two and a half thousand years ago, a Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama [AKA–Buddha Shakyamuni, 589 BC, the founder of Buddhism] was born in the north of India, leading a happy and indulgent childhood, protected from the harsh realities of life. At age 29, he walked out of his comfort zone and witnessed the harsh realities of life. Moved by all the suffering he saw, he vowed to search…

[planetdharma]

Empowering Women: The Impact of Their Contribution in Buddhism

Interest in the role of women in Buddhism is experiencing a renaissance. And while there may be frustration, grief, and rage about historical gender inequity in Buddhism, we can use Buddhist methodologies to transform these challenging emotions into greater compassion and wisdom.

Learn about the empowering journey of women in Buddhism and their valuable contributions - as told through the personal experiences of Catherine Pawasarat Sensei.

Know More about Women and Buddhism:- https://www.planetdharma.com/insights-for-women-in-buddhism/

[buddhabeings]

Mahaprajapati Gotami - The Step Mother of Lord Buddha

Did you know that Lord Buddha had a stepmother named Mahaprajapati Gotami who became the first Buddhist Nun and played an important role in the spread of Buddhism. She received initiation from The Blessed One Himself and was also His maternal aunt (mother's sister).

The Blessed One's name "Gautam" as in Gautam Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama, also comes from Mahaprajapati Gotami's name.

[jareckiworld]

Irene Chou (Zhou Lüyun, 1924-2011)— Sunset in Autumn [ink, colours, on rice paper, hanging scroll, ca. 1989]

[bey0utifulsoul]

[city-of-ladies]

Kōmyō (701-760), born Asukabehime, was Empress Consort of Japan. A highly influential figure, she played a key role in the spread of Buddhism and undertook numerous philanthropic projects.

The Empress Consort

Kōmyō was the daughter of the powerful courtier Fujiwara no Fuhito. In 716, she married the future Emperor Shōmu, who would later succeed his aunt, Empress Regnant Genshō.

Kōmyō was not only a skilled calligrapher but also a devout Buddhist. Both her father and grandfather were instrumental in making Buddhism the religion of the Fujiwara clan. Her mother, Tachibana no Michiyo, also took religious vows.

In 718, Kōmyō gave birth to a daughter, Princess Abe (718-770), who would later reign as Empress Kōken/Shōtoku. In 727, she had a son, but he died shortly after birth. The Fujiwara family used this loss to accuse their political rival, Prince Nagaya, of having used black magic to curse the child. This led to Nagaya's suicide.

In 729, Kōmyō was elevated to the title of Empress Consort, or kōgō, securing her position as Shōmu’s principal wife and ensuring her daughter’s place as first in line for the throne.

By 738, Abe was officially named Crown Princess—the only instance in Japanese history of a woman receiving this title. Kōmyō likely played a significant role in securing this appointment, using Buddhist teachings to bolster Abe’s legitimacy.

Kōmyō had her own Palace Agency, with a staff as large as those of other major government offices, allowing her to use these resources in support of her causes.

Empress Kōmyō's calligraphy and signature

Protector and patron

Kōmyō was likely a key figure in the establishment of Nara’s Todai-ji temple. She established with her husband a network of government-sponsored temples for monks and nuns. Her household employed craftsmen to build temples, sculpt religious images, and scribes to copy sacred texts. Among these texts was the Lotus Sutra, a scripture highly valued by women, as it could be interpreted to suggest that women too could achieve enlightenment.

Kōmyō also cared for orphans, lepers, the poor, and those affected by war. She established a hospital that provided free medicine to those who couldn't afford it.

She transformed her father’s residence into a convent for nuns, known as Hokke-ji. She encouraged the women there to practice ikebana, or flower arranging, and the Hokke-ji Goryū school of Ikebana still exists today.

After her husband's abdication in 749, Kōmyō took the tonsure and became a nun, witnessing her daughter ascend the throne. She passed away in 760.

Kōmyō became a popular subject in art, with many legends surrounding her. In one famous tale, she washes a leper, who is later revealed to be the Buddha himself. She has since been venerated as an embodiment of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Today, the nuns of Hokke-ji continue her legacy by creating Braille texts for the blind and making amulets for pregnant women.

Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi. I'm about to launch my own business so your support would be much appreciated in these trying times!

Further reading: 

Ambros Barbara, Women in Japanese religions

Lowe Bryan, Ritualized Writing: Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan

Kane Robinson Arai Paula, Women Living Zen Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns

Ooms Herman, Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan The Tenmu Dynasty

Schireson Grace, Zen Women Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho Masters

[meirimerens]

the pathologic Kin is largely fictionalized with a created language that takes from multiple sources to be its own, a cosmogony & spirituality that does not correlate to the faiths (mostly Tengrist & Buddhist) practiced by the peoples it takes inspirations from, has customs, mores and roles invented for the purposes of the game, and even just a style of dress that does not resemble any of these peoples', but it is fascinating looking into specifically to me the sigils and see where they come from... watch this:

P2 Layers glyphs take from the mongolian script:

while the in-game words for Blood, Bones and Nerves are mongolian directly, it is interesting to note that their glyphs do not have a phonetic affiliation to the words (ex. the "Yas" layer of Bones having for glyph the equivalent of the letter F, the "Medrel" layer of Nerves having a glyph the equivalent of the letter È,...)

the leatherworks on the Kayura models', with their uses of angles and extending lines, remind me of the Phags Pa Script (used for Tibetan, Mongolian, Chineses, Uyghur language, and others)

some of the sigils also look either in part or fully inspired by Phags Pa script letters...

some look closer to the mongolian or vagindra (buryat) script

looking at the Herb Brides & their concept art, we can see bodypainting that looks like vertical buryat or mongolian script (oh hi (crossed out: Mark) Phags Pa script):

shaped and reshaped...

[divinum-pacis]

Central to the nuns’ identity is their proficiency in martial arts. Jigme Rupa (all nuns’ names are prefixed with Jigme) uses a sword to practise her skills outside the main temple. Among the eight ‘mystical’ weapons that can be used in martial arts, Rupa says her favourite is a sword.

Photograph by Skanda Gautam

[onetruefool]

A young man approached Buddha, seeking relief from his sorrows

After much discussion Buddha offered him a potion

Buddha explained "drink this and you will turn into a woman"

The young man drank the potion, and was disappointed when nothing happened

"This is just water!" He cried, "it did not work!"

Buddha calmly answered, "it was indeed just water. But it did work."

The young woman was stunned.

[misspjsuperior]

🪷 Guan Yin is “the one who sees all sounds in the world”, perceiving and honoring all human lamentation and celebration. She is also a Trans goddess. How?

Previously known as the male bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara or Padmapani from India, once reverence of this Buddhist “lotus bearer” settled in China, he transformed into a sort of Goddess of Mercy, the ever-compassionate Guan Yin we know of today who is also widely revered in Korea and Japan as well, often known by her name “Kannon” in many temples. So that makes Guan Yin not only an honestly international Goddess, but a Trans Goddess as well.

In the name of Guan Yin, divinity of ultimate compassion, blessed International Day Trans of Visibility to all Trans folks- even those not yet safe to be visible. 🏳️‍⚧️

More vulvarobed goddesses available for the bold to bear on their bodies (t shirts) at MissPJsuperior.etsy.com

Altar prints returning there soon too.

Thank you for your support of independent queer femme artists! 🙏

[watermelinoe]

i'm also a bisexual woman and i feel exactly the same way you do re: penises. i actually found your post really validating lol

i think attraction takes a lot of forms and it's really not just about genitalia - which is why it's so frustrating when transactivists go on abt ~genital preferences~ as if intimacy doesn't involve the whole body. if you somehow mister potato head slapped a vagina onto a male body, lesbians are not suddenly going to see him as a viable sex partner like the rest of him isn't there??

on the other hand, i can find the rest of the male body attractive up until the peen and balls are involved and my attraction shrivels up, and i'm still bi. maybe there's a psychological reason for my aversion, maybe not, in the end it doesn't really matter bc i was only hurting myself by trying to like it

lesbians aren't attracted to male voices, male hands, male stature

i am genuinely attracted to males and i like being bisexual now that i understand there's nothing i have to fix about my bisexuality

[brettesims]

Walk & Create with me…

Walk in peace. Create in peace. Flow in peace. Love in peace! Let the everlasting wave of calming presence in the here and now soothe you. Freedom becomes eternal when we become free of the mind. Free your mind; free your soul. That’s the goal! Xo

~ B

[gleaningsinbuddhafields]

From Darkness Into Darkness: Lady Izumi’s Final Poem

In a lesser-known Imperial poetry anthology called the Shui Wakashu (拾遺和歌集), poem 1342, is recorded what is believed to be Lady Izumi’s1 final poem: JapaneseRomanizationTranslation暗きよりKuraki yoriThe way I must enter暗き道にぞKuraki michi ni zoleads through darkness to darkness —入りぬべきIrinu bekiO moon above the mountains’ rimはるかに照らせHaruka ni teraseplease shine a little further山の端の月Yama no wa no tsukion…

[jareckiworld]

Ewa Ciepielewska — Tenga Rinpoche (oil on canvas, 1989)

[smotherstories]

Sometimes ai can really pleasantly surprise you. I am just going to leave it at that.