First Buddhist Women Poems and Stories of Awakening

by Murcott, Susan

• ISBN13: 9781888375541
• ISBN10: 188837554X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-09
• Publisher: Parallax Press

Summary

First Buddhist Women traces the journey of the wives, mothers, teachers, courtesans, prostitutes, and wanderers who became the first female disciples of the Buddha. Susan Murcott's lively translation and commentary of the Therigatha, the earliest known collection of women's religious poetry, is surprisingly timeless, addressing issues of spiritual enlightenment and societal expectations that are still relevant today.

Author Biography

Susan Murcott was draw to Buddhism as a peace activist in Boston in the late 1960’s. She traveled to Japan, Australia, and Hawaii to study Zen and Buddhist philosophy, and spent more than 10 years researching and translating this text. She was a co-founder and editor of Kahawai: Journal of Women and Zen for many years, and taught meditation at Wellesley College while completing her graduate studies in environmental engineering at M.I.T. Today, Susan Murcott is a world expert in safe drinking water technologies for developing countries.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 11
Introduction to the Therigatha	p. 15
Mahapajapati Gotami & Her Disciples	p. 25
Patacara & Her Disciples	p. 43
Wanderers & Disciples	p. 53
Wise Women & Teachers	p. 71
Mothers	p. 87
Wives	p. 105
Old Women	p. 127
Prostitutes, Courtesans, & Beautiful Women	p. 133
Friends & Sisters	p. 153
Buddhist Nuns & Nature	p. 169
Dialogue Poems	p. 185
The Legacy of the First Buddhist Women	p. 207
Rules of the Nuns' Sangha	p. 213
Glossary of Terms and Places	p. 219
Index of Therigatha Poems	p. 225
Bibliography	p. 227
Acknowledgements	p. 235
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