In Buddhism, women blaze a path but strive for gender equity

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, born in England, has devoted her life to attaining enlightenment in a female form — at one stage spending years isolated in a cave in the Himalayas to follow the rigorous path of the most devoted yogis. She later founded a nunnery in India focused on giving women in Tibetan Buddhism some of the same opportunities reserved for monks.

“It’s shifting because now there’s so much more interest in the feminine. Not just in Buddhism, but worldwide, why have women been so neglected and overlooked for millennia?" said Palmo. About 100 nuns live and study at herThis story is part of a series by The Associated Press and Religion News Service on women’s roles in male-led religions.

Dhammananda, the pioneering Thai nun, was a respected Buddhist scholar and television personality before her ordination. One day she looked in a mirror and heard an inner voice asking: “How long must I do this?” She took vows of celibacy and decided to live apart from her three sons, traveling to Sri Lanka for her novice ordination in 2001.

Buddhist Thai women have been playing more important roles, said Kritsana Raksachom, a nun and lecturer at Bangkok’s Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University. They increasingly lead meditation courses with both male and female followers, teach Buddhism and Pali languages to monks and novices in public Buddhist universities, and run charities.

In Tibetan Buddhism, nuns have achieved many of the privileges historically reserved for monks. They include studying for the geshema, the tradition’s highest and most demanding degree, which was denied to them for centuries. After witnessing unequal opportunities for women, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo made it her lifelong mission to address the imbalance.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Morocco sex for grades: Hassan I University lecturers in courtThe story came to light through the leaking on social media of messages that are said to have been between the lecturers and students.
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »

Source: BusinessTimes - 🏆 15. / 51 Read more »

Source: BusinessTimes - 🏆 15. / 51 Read more »

Myanmar coup: The women abused and tortured in detentionDemocracy activist Ein Soe May was imprisoned for almost 6 months. One interrogator threatened, 'Do you know what we do to the women that end up here? We rape and kill them.'
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »

Austria plans to fine vaccine holdouts up to 3,600 euros a quarterAustria's conservative-led government on Thursday gave details of its plan to make coronavirus vaccines compulsory, saying it will apply to people 14 and over and holdouts face fines of up to 3,600 euros ($4,071) every three months. Roughly 68% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines, a view encouraged by the far-right Freedom Party, the third biggest in parliament.
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »

Woman faces charge of threatening to distribute man's intimate video and photosSINGAPORE: A woman is accused of threatening to leak a man\u0027s intimate images and video to his mother and girlfriend. The 38-year-old woman returned to court on Friday (Dec 10) for her case. She faces one charge of threatening to distribute the intimate images and recording of a 32-year-old man. S Well the reverse is true too so let’s not be keyboard warriors & judge. I tell your mother! Lol wtf It works both ways, whether the accused is the man or woman. Lol.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »