Women in Early Indian Buddhism: Comparative Textual Studies (South Asia Research)

The path of practice as taught in ancient India by Gotama Buddha was open to both women and men. The texts of early Indian Buddhism show that women were lay followers of the Buddha and were also granted the right to ordain and become nuns. Certain women were known as influential teachers of men and women alike and considered experts in certain aspects of Gotama's dhamma. For this to occur in an ancient religion practiced within traditional societies is really quite extraordinary. This is apparent especially in light of the continued problems experienced by practitioners of many religions today involved in challenging instilled norms and practices and conferring the status of any high office upon women. In this collection, Alice Collett brings together a sampling of the plethora of Buddhist texts from early Indian Buddhism in which women figure centrally. It is true that there are negative conceptualizations of and attitudes towards women expressed in early Buddhist texts, but for so many texts concerning women to have been composed, collated and preserved is worthy of note. The simple fact that the Buddhist textual record names so many nuns and laywomen, and preserves biographies of them, attests to a relatively positive situation for women at that time. With the possible exception of the reverence accorded Egyptian queens, there is no textual record of named women from an ancient civilization that comes close to that of early Indian Buddhism. This volume offers comparative study of texts in five different languages - Gandhari, Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese and Sinhala. Each chapter is a study and translation, with some chapters focusing more on translation and some more on comparisons between parallel and similar texts, whilst others are more discursive and thematic. This Volume Is A Broad-ranging Comparative Study With Translations Of Texts, Sections Of Texts And Textual Fragments That Are Concerned With Women In Early Indian Buddhism Including Study Of Texts In Gandhari, Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese Tibetan, And Sinhala. Contributors -- A Note On Non-english Words -- Abbreviations -- Introduction / Alice Collet -- 1. The Bajaur Collection Of Kharosthi Manuscripts: Mahaprajapati Gautami And The Order Of Nuns In A Gandharan Version Of The Daksinavibhangasutra / Ingo Strauch -- 2. -the British Library Kharosthi Fragments: Behind The Birch Bark Curtain / Timothy Lenz -- 3. Pali Vinaya: Re-conceptualizing Female Sexuality In Early Buddhism / Alice Collet -- 4. Mahasamghika-lokottaravada Bhiksuni Vinaya: The Intersection Of Womanly Virtue And Buddhist Asceticism / Amy Paris Langenberg -- 5. Anguttara-nikaya / Ekottarika-agama: Outstanding Bhikkhunis In The Ekottarika-agama / Bhikkhu Analayo -- 6. Samyutta-nikya / Samyukta-agama: Defying Mara - Bhikkhunis In The Samyukta-agama / Bhikku Analayo -- 7. Therigatha: Nanda, Female Sibling Of The Buddha / Alice Collett -- 8. Apadana: Theri-apadana: Wives Of The Saints: Marriage And Kamma In The Path To Arahantship / Jonathan S. Walters -- 9. Avadanasataka: The Role Of Brahmanical Marriage In A Buddhist Text / Karen Muldoon-hules -- 10. Dhammapada- Atthakatha/saddharmaratnavaliya: Women In Medieval South Asian Buddhist Societies / Ranjini Obeyesekere -- Bibliography -- Index. Edited By Alice Collett. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 247-266) And Index. Cover Contents Contributors A Note on Non-English Words Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Bajaur Collection of Kharohi Manuscripts: Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī and the Order of Nuns in a Gandharan Version of the Dakāvibhangasūtra 2. The British Library Kharohī Fragments: Behind the Birch Bark Curtain 3. Pāli Vinaya: Reconceptualizing Female Sexuality in Early Buddhism 4. Mahāsghika-Lokottaravāda Bhikuī Vinaya: The Intersection of Womanly Virtue and Buddhist Asceticism 5. Anguttara-nikāya/Ekottarika-āīgama: Outstanding Bhikkhunīs in the Ekottarika-āgama 6. Sayutta-nikāya/Sayukta-āgama: Defying Māra—Bhikkhunīs in the Sayukta-āgama 7. Therīgāthā: Nandā Female Sibling of Gotama Buddha 8. Apadāna: Therī-apadāna: Wives of the Saints: Marriage and Kamma in the Path to Arahantship 9. Avadānaśataka: The Role of Brahmanical Marriage in a Buddhist Text 10. Dhammapada-ahakathā/Saddharmaratnavāliya: Women in Medieval South Asian Buddhist Societies Bibliography Index