Program Overview
Program Overview
Today, women play a significant role in shaping Buddhist culture, particularly in the countries of Taiwan and South Korea. During this seminar, we’ll examine current developments in Buddhism in East Asia—as well as the rest of the world—as women see, practice, and reflect on them from a female perspective. We’ll explore the Buddhist woman’s monastic life through firsthand interaction with female scholars, meditation teachers, artists, social activists, and more, with the goal of gaining a clear picture of contemporary Buddhist culture and developing insight into the past, present, and future of Buddhist women’s experiences and aspirations.
Program Activities
Program Activities
Lectures, dialogues, and community engagement will provide participants with a framework for investigating the two communities’ common and unique identities, nationalities, histories, practices, cultural forms, and means of representation within Buddhist culture.
Participants will hear from scholars of Buddhism and will have significant access to actual Buddhist practices by interacting with outstanding practitioners and experiencing monastic lifestyles.
Program Objectives
Program Objectives
During this seminar, participants will:
- Develop an understanding of Buddhism’s history (or “her-story”) in East Asia from women’s perspectives.
- Engage in structured dialogue with Buddhist practitioners and leaders in both countries centered on the role of women in religious culture.
- Analyze tensions between Buddhism’s egalitarian philosophy and the lived experiences of Buddhist women in East Asia.
Seminar Locations
Seminar Locations
Based in Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, South Korea; participants fly into Taipei and out of Seoul.