Women in Buddhism — From the Scriptures to Early Western Scholars

A Symposium in Honor of the Nuns of Aloka Vihara

The Sati Center for Buddhist Studies will host a unique symposium highlighting the accomplishments of women scholars in the early years of Buddhist Studies in the West, on the one hand, and portraits of women as presented in the scriptures of early Buddhist literature on the other. We will celebrate the contributions of these women as part of a benefit to support the pioneering Theravada Buddhist nuns living at Aloka Vihara in the Sierra Foothills.

The symposium will consist of six 20 minute talks by scholars presenting on their original research, followed by 10 minutes of discussion among panel members and a 10 minute Q&A session with the audience. No preregistration is required.

Lunch will be at 11 am and will include a meal offering for the nuns attending. Please bring your own bag lunch.

You download a flyer for the symposium and the evening dramatization here.

Symposium Schedule

9:00 Welcome and opening remarks – Gil Fronsdal

Session I: Pioneering Women in Buddhist Studies

9:15 Caroline Rhys Davids – Dawn Neal (Institute of Buddhist Studies)

10:00 I. B. Horner – Grace Burford (Prescott University)

11:00 Food offering to the nuns (everyone is welcome to make an offering)

Session II: Women in Pāli Literature: Portraits of Women in the Suttas

12:15 Women in the Majjhima Nikāya – Diana Clark (Institute of Buddhist Studies)

1:00 Women in the Saṁyutta Nikāya – Xi He (UC Berkeley)

1:50 Break

Session III: Women in Pāli Literature: Tales of Accomplished Nuns

2:10 Women in the Therīgāthā, poetry of the early Buddhist nuns – Meg Gawler (Institute of Buddhist Studies)

2:50 Mahāpajāpatī, the first Buddhist nun – Jan Nattier (UC Berkeley)

3:30 Concluding remarks

4pm end