Karma Lekshe Tsomo is putting together a session proposal for the Buddhism
Section of the American Academy of Religion’s annual meeting, to be held in San
Diego, November 22-25. I’m assisting her in getting the word out. If you are
interested in possibly presenting a paper as part of the session, would you
please contact her at tsomo@sandiego.edu? Here is the tentative
description of the session:
Buddhist Femininities:
For many, the topic
of gender is a source of confusion, delusion, and consequent suffering. Many
Buddhist writer use terms such as “woman,” “femininity,” and “feminism” without
adequately defining them, examining their intersectionality, or exploring their
many layers of meaning. This oversight has led to many facile assumptions,
denials, and oversimplifications, problems compounded by ignoring the diverse
social and historical contexts to which the terms apply. The tools of feminist
analysis that have developed in recent decades can now be used to examine
feminine imagery in Buddhist texts, representations, and philosophy. How do
Buddhist concepts of self and no-self intersect with concepts of gender
identity? How are the female body, sexuality, and femininity constructed (and
contested) in certain Buddhist contexts? How might power and gender identity be
perceived differently through a Buddhist lens? The intersections of Buddhist and
feminist notions of self, identity, and what it means to assume a specific
gender provide fertile ground for debate. The papers in this session will
explore representations of “the feminine” from multiple Buddhist
perspectives.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Wilson
Associate Professor of Religious Studies and East Asian
Studies
Renison University College, University of Waterloo
