Synopses & Reviews
It is tradition in Zen monasteries to chant a lineage of male teachers from the Buddha's time to the present day. As Buddhism took root in the West, increasing numbers of American Buddhists began to ask: What about the women?
Scholarly research has uncovered accounts of extraordinary women Buddhists, many of whom were recognized by their contemporaries for their powerful practice but excluded from their place in history. Drawing on these discoveries, several Buddhist centers have created women's lineages of their own, and it is this bright thread of untold legend that Sallie Tisdale follows in this groundbreaking work. By rescuing some of the most significant and inspiring tales from obscurity, Tisdale traces women Buddhist masters and teachers across continents and centuries. She draws upon historical, cultural, and Buddhist records and her own Buddhist practice to bring to life these narratives of ancestral Buddhist women. Women of the Way offers timeless wisdom and little-known stories that invigorate our understanding of women's contribution to Buddhism.
In meditation, we place ourselves on the Buddha's seat. I believe that there we can recite any lineage in gratitude with awe, bewilderment, humility, and love. As long as we practice, none of our ancestors are dead our fathers are alive, our mothers are alive. The breadth and depth of teaching is seen when we expand our ancestry this way. Every line is our line, all ancestors are our ancestors. from the introduction
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“An enlivening and indispensable volume.” Jane Hirshfield, author of Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women
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“Tisdales descriptive writing is especially imaginative.” Publishers Weekly
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“A well-written, deeply moving collection of stories…. Fanciful and eminently readable.” Buddhadharma
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“With her frank and thoughtful writing style, Tisdale takes the reader on a philosophical adventure….” East West Woman
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“[A] beautifully crafted volume. The universal wisdom and enlightened thinking preserved in this collection transcend gender.” Booklist
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“A much-needed account of feminine teachers and leaders in Buddhism.” Kansas City Star
Synopsis
It is tradition in Zen monasteries to chant a lineage of male teachers from the Buddha's time to the present day. But as Buddhism took root in the West, an increasing numbers of practitioners began to ask: "What about the women?" Women of the Way is the first popular narrative account that traces the lineage of female Buddhist masters and teachers across continents and centuries.
Sallie Tisdale has uncovered accounts of extraordinary female Buddhists, many of whom were recognized by their contemporaries but excluded from their place in history. Drawing on historical, cultural, and Buddhist records as well as her own Buddhist practice, she brings to life these narratives of powerful Buddhist women. Women of the Way offers timeless wisdom and fascinating stories that increase our understanding of women's contribution to Buddhism.
Sallie Tisdale is the author of several books, including The Best Thing I Ever Tasted and Talk Dirty to Me. She is a contributing editor at Harper's and a consulting editor at Tricycle. Sallie's work has appeared in numerous other publications including The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, New Republic, The Nation, London Sunday Observer, Outside, Vogue, and Mirabella.
"Tisdale made it her mission to restore a lineage of women Buddhists and developed this beautifully crafted volume. Although her intention initially was to highlight women's contributions to Buddhism, the universal wisdom and enlightened thinking preserved in this collection transcend gender."
- Booklist
--Kansas City Star
Synopsis
In this groundbreaking work, Sallie Tisdale traces women Buddhist masters and teachers across continents and centuries, drawing upon historical, cultural, and Buddhist records to bring to life these narratives of ancestral Buddhist women.
About the Author
Sallie Tisdale is the author of several books, including The Best Thing I Ever Tasted and Talk Dirty to Me. She is a consulting editor at Tricycle. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Harper's, the New Yorker, New Republic, Allure, Outside, Vogue, Tin House, Antioch Review, and Creative Nonfiction. Tisdale is currently training as a priest at Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland, Oregon.