Part primer, part personal history, part guide to spiritual practice, this book opens the door to an understanding of buddhist spirituality, which engages more and more Westerners as the millenium approaches. Through personal anecdotes, lively explanations, and thoughtful discussions, Sandy Boucher presents a female perspective on fundamental Buddhist teachings such as compassion, detachment, and enlightenment.
Opening the Lotus, Sandy Boucher, Beacon Press, paperback,194 pages, $24.00
Sandy Boucher is the author of six books, including Hidden Spring She has traveled extensively in Asia, living for a short time as a nun in Sri Lanka. Since her 1995-96 bout with the illness, Boucher has worked with others confronted with cancer. She lives in Oakland, California.
|
| Acknowledgments |
| I | The Heart of the Matter: Buddhist Basics | 1 |
| What Is Buddhism? | 7 |
| Taking Refuge | 10 |
| A Way of Life | 15 |
| The Precepts | 17 |
| Mindfulness | 24 |
| Compassion | 26 |
| What Can I Expect in a Buddhist Meditation Hall? | 28 |
| Doing a Buddhist Practice | 32 |
| A Practice to Begin With | 36 | II | The Dance of Gender | 41 |
| Women Teachers | 42 |
| Who Is Welcome? | 44 |
| Do Women Do It Differently? | 47 |
| How Have Feminists Affected American Buddhism? | 50 |
| Can Women Be Buddhist Leaders? | 52 |
| Are There Goddesses in Buddhism? | 54 |
| A Practice to Begin With | 66 | III | Ancient Beginnings | 71 |
| How the Nuns' Order Was Founded | 72 |
| Who Were the Women of Early Buddhism? | 74 |
| How did Buddhism Develop So Many Different Styles? | 87 |
| How Have Women Fared in Buddhist History? | 91 |
| Could Women Become Bodhisattvas and Buddhas? | 94 |
| How Are Women Viewed in Present-Day Buddhism? | 97 |
| A Practice to Begin With | 100 | IV | The Teachings from a Woman's Perspective | 104 |
| Suffering as a Beginning | 107 |
| Do I Have to Let Go of My "Self"? | 109 |
| How Does Buddhism Relate to Bodies? | 114 |
| What about Sex? | 119 |
| What Place Do Emotions Have? | 120 |
| What Is the Meaning of Detachment? | 123 |
| How Can I Understand Enlightenment? | 124 |
| Is Compassion a Trap for Women? | 126 |
| A Practice to Begin With | 131 | V | A Woman on the Path | 136 |
| My Own Trajectory | 136 |
| Final Practice | 151 |
| Resources | 155 |
| Directory of Women Teachers | 155 |
| Publications with Retreat Schedules, and Buddhist Centers Offering Retreats by Women | 179 |
| Books and Articles for Further Reading | 181 |
|