Women living Zen : Japanese Sōtō Buddhist nuns
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Women living Zen : Japanese Sōtō Buddhist nuns
Oxford University Press, 1999
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-226) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In this study, based on both historical evidence and ethnographic data, Paula Arai shows that nuns were central agents in the foundation of Buddhism in Japan in the sixth century. They were active participants in the Soto Zen sect, and have continued to contribute to the advancement of the sect to the present day. Drawing on her fieldwork among the Soto nuns, Arai demonstrates that the lives of many of these women embody classical Buddhist ideals. They have chosen to
lead a strictly disciplined monastic life over against successful careers and the unconstrained contemporary secular lifestyle. In this, and other respects, they can be shown to stand in stark contrast to their male counterparts.
Table of Contents
- Prologue
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Historical Background
- 3. Twentieth-Century Leadership
- 4. The Monastic Practices of Zen Nuns
- 5. Motivations, Commitments, and Self-Perceptions
- 6. Conclusion: Innovators for the Sake of Tradition
- Endnotes
- Appendix A. Questionnaire
- Appendix B. Glossary of Japanese Terms
by "Nielsen BookData"