First Buddhist Women: Poems and Stories of AwakeningFirst Buddhist Women is a readable, contemporary translation of and commentary on the enlightenment verses of the first female disciples of the Buddha. The book explores Buddhism’s relatively liberal attitude towards women since its founding nearly 2,600 years ago, through the study of the Therigatham, the earliest know collection of women’s religious poetry. Through commentary and storytelling, author Susan Murcott traces the journey of the wives, mothers, teachers, courtesan, prostitutes, and wanderers who became leaders in the Buddhist community, roles that even today are rarely filled by women in other patriarchal religions. Their poetry beautifully expresses their search for spiritual attainment and their struggles in society. |
Contents
Foreword by Diana Winston | 11 |
CHAPTER ONE Mahapajapati Gotami Her Disciples | 25 |
CHAPTER Two Patacara Her Disciples | 43 |
CHAPTER THREE Wanderers Disciples | 53 |
CHAPTER FOUR Wise Women Teachers | 71 |
CHAPTER FIVE Mothers | 87 |
CHAPTER SIX Wives | 105 |
CHAPTER SEVEN Old Women | 127 |
CHAPTER NINE Friends Sisters | 153 |
CHAPTER TEN Buddhist Nuns Nature | 169 |
CHAPTER Eleven Dialogue Poems | 185 |
CHAPTER TWELVE The Legacy of the First Buddhist Women | 207 |
Rules of the Nuns Sangha | 213 |
Glossary of Terms and Places | 219 |
Index of Therigatha Poems | 225 |
Acknowledgements | 235 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abhirupa-Nanda Ambapali Ananda Ancient India arhat Aryan ascetic attained beautiful became become Bhadda Bhikkhuni birth body brahman Buddha Buddha's teaching Buddhist Buddhist nuns Buddhist Women Capa Caroline Rhys Davids chapter child Commentary daughter death Dhammadinna Dharma dialogue disciples early Buddhist enlightenment father female forest harem Henry Frowde homelessness husband Indian Jain Kala Kasi Khema Khujjuttara King Kisagotami lived London Magandiya male Mara marriage meditation mind monks moon mother mythology nirvana nuns obsessions old age ordained order of nuns Oxford University Press Padumavati Pajapati Pali and Sanskrit Pali Canon Pali Text Society Patacara preach Press Warehouse prostitutes Punnika Rajagaha realization religious renounce the world renunciant rules Sakyan Samavati Samyutta Nikaya sangha Sanskrit Savatthi sexual Siddhartha Gautama sixth century B.C.E. Soma stanza Subha suffering Sukka Sundari teacher Therigatha three knowledges translation tree tree-spirit Uppalavanna Vasetthi Veda verses Vesali Vimala Vinaya wandering wife wives woman words