In this episode we talked about Buddhism and Woman with Vajramala! All through the long history of Buddhism, women have played a very important role. They received full ordination from the Buddha himself, were teachers, healers, great masters, founded lines of transmission and achieved enlightenment. But to this day there is a huge gap concerning the equality of rights for men and woman. Vajramala encourages all woman to claim their rights and to actively take them. The missing equality for woman violate the human rights and all the laws and values in the western countries. Networks such as Sakyadhita try to change that. They wish to support activities for and from Buddhist women and nuns and to make them known in the whole of Europe.
It is not a question if we are men or woman - as Vajramala pointed out at the end of the episode - it is important to perceive ourselves as human beings on the path of liberation. On this path we should support each other wether we are men or woman.
Aims of Sakyadhita
- Establish an international alliance of Buddhist women
- Advance the spiritual and secular welfare of the women world-wide
- Work for gender equality in Buddhist education, training, institutional structures, and ordination
- Promote harmony and dialogue among Buddhist traditions and other religions
- Encourage research and publications on topics of interest to Buddhist women
- Foster compassionate social action for the benefit of humanity
- Promote world peace through the teachings of the Buddha
- Exchange of information is indispensable to reach these aims. Due to the diversity of languages in Europe, members of Sakyadhita have created this website: https://www.buddhistwomen.eu/
Famous female practicioners and teachers:
- Yeshe Tsogyal - Life of Padmasambhava
- Machig Labdrön - Founder of Chöling Practice
- Yogini Niguma - 6 Yogas
- Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī - First Buddhist nun
- Pema Chödrön
- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
- Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
Save the date: 2023 - June 23-30, 2023
18th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women
Location: Seoul, Südkorea
Theme: „Living in a Precarious World: Impermanence, Resilience, Awakening“
EBU Contact Buddhism and Woman: Gabriela Frey (gabriela.frey@free.fr)
Vajramala, whose real name is Sabine Thielow, is a longtime and personal student of Lama Anagarika Govinda. She was ordained in 1977 in the Arya Maitreya Mandala order which he founded in 1933 and received her teaching authorization in 1984. She is a teacher and has been running a Buddhist study and meditation center on Lake Constance since 1991, is an honorary councilor of the DBU and the spiritual director of the „Maitreya Mandala“ network with centers in Germany, Hungary and Switzerland. She is also Founding Member of Sakyadhita Germany — a network of buddhist woman that supports activities for and from Buddhist women and nuns and to make them known in our countries and in the whole of Europe.
The "European Buddha podcast" inquires how the wisdom of buddhism is lived and practiced in the „West“. Every last Friday of the month, Emilia Raunio and Martin Landschein welcome guests from various traditions on different topics. See more
represent Buddhists on an European level