Sakyadhita: Women in Buddhism Conference
In a few days I will be attending the 12th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women in Bangkok from June 12-18. This conference is organized by the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women, founded in 1987, which has a number of chapters throughout the world. The main goal of this association is to bring women together for these annual international conferences in order to unify, promote scholarship and social networking, among ordained and lay Buddhist women as well as all who work for the spiritual well-being of the world. This year it is being held at the learning community, Sathira-Dhammasathan, of the well-known Thai nun, Mae Chii Sansanee Sthirasuta. There will be many Buddhist women in attendance from all over the globe, from fully-ordained bhikkhunis and nuns, to lay Buddhist supporters and academics interested in Buddhism and gender. This is a chance for women as well as some men to come together and discuss issues for women in Buddhism.
Of course at the top of this list is the bhikkhuni ordination issue and where it stands currently, as this is the largest issue facing Buddhist women today. Across the Buddhist world women all have varying possibilities and restrictions for a monastic lifestyle. Different situations and circumstances for nuns in many parts of the world will be discussed and learned from. Other panel presentations have topics such as compassion, lineage and authority, Buddhism and other religions, Buddhist and female stereotypes, global sustainability, Buddhist social transformation, ethics, peace, and engaged or practical dharma. A large majority of the pre! sentatio ns will be academic in nature, however some also concern personal experience with activism or engaged Buddhism for female causes. Most topics concern women, but certainly not all. The diversity of topics span a large geographic range as well as historical period with presentations about many areas of Asia as well as ancient and contemporary movements.
In addition to panel presentations there will also be interactive workshops. These are practitioner-based two-hour time slots that include activities like yoga and meditation as well as exploring topics like pollution, trafficking, female meditation teachers, and practical skills like grant writing, leadership and social activism. There are also workshops where attendants can work on art projects, creative writing, and translating the dhamma.
The presenters at the panels range from academic women studying Buddhism and gender to Buddhist practitioners, both lay and ordained. The geographic range spans most of Asia and many from North American and European countries. Many ordained members from Bhutan, Tibet, Malaysia, Taiwan, England, Vietnam, Thailand, America, France, have higher degrees. The practitioners, for the most part, are involved in the administration of Buddhist women such as helping to organize the Sakyadhita network and conference. Others are engaged Buddhists who are sharing about their particular project and work from their country.
The selection of people and presentations demonstrates that this is a significant place for discussing Buddhist women and to network and effect change for women in Buddhism.
