Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism
by Sandy Boucher
List Price:
Our Price: $2.00
You Save: $19.00 (90%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Sandy BoucherEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1993-10-01
ISBN: 0807073059
Number of pages: 408
Publisher: Beacon Press
Book Reviews of Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism
Book Review: Somewhat dated, diverse feminist views of American Buddhism
Summary: 3 Stars
This book consists of a large number of short biographical vignettes & interviews with American Buddhist women prior to 1988--so it's a bit dated. All the women are associated with Zen, Theravada, or Tibetan Buddhist organizations in the U.S.; almost all residents thereof at some time. Thus, it presents a number of obvious dichotomies: feminism vs. authoritarian, patriarchal Buddhism; East vs. West; social activism vs. inner spirituality; & monasticism vs. lay Buddhism. It includes photos of many of the women interviewed. It is written in a flowing, descriptive travelogue style-almost like a novel. I particularly liked the chapters on nuns & other female leaders within the Buddhist hierarchy. The author attempted to balance the many divergent opinions by presenting interviews with differing points of view. However, the major thrust of the book is more feminist than Buddhist. There is virtually nothing on how Buddhist practices are adapting to the West. Rather, the focus is on form/structure/leadership of Buddhist organizations in America. This might be an important feminist work but not an important Buddhist work. It virtually ignores practitioners not intimately associated with a particular monastery or study center (e.g. the Mahasiddi tradition of Kagyu Mahamudra or Dzogchen or solitary retreats like Tenzin Palmo's in "Reflections on a Mountain Lake"). So, it seems to be rather group oriented. It does contain a gutsy yet sensitive treatment of the sexual & alcoholic exploits of monks & male Buddhist leaders in the U.S. and also has a couple of good quotes: p. 143: Roshi Jiyu Kennett: "In the Bible it says that many are called and few chosen. Buddhism has it that all are called and few answer" and p. 222: Denah Joseph: "I have since heard fanaticism defined as `repressed doubt' [quoting Kathleen Speeth]"-{brackets hers}. The last chapter is Boucher's projection to 2015: pp. 387-8: "Gradually we developed a practice fully grounded in the Dharma and conducive to the enlightenment of women." As a former EEO Counselor & Prevention of Sexual Harassment Trainer, I'm all for this! But, IMHO, she spoils this by envisioning a time (p. 389) when only women are permitted to teach. I find this as sad, disheartening, & offensive as many of the interviewed women felt about unequal treatment of nuns, leaders, etc. by Buddhist misogynists. I'd guess that the book/poster "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" included: "two wrongs don't make a right."
Health, Mind & Body Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Buddhist? women and Society--alphabetical
Working with Angerby Thubten Chodron
Snow Lion Publications; Published: 2001-10-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops:
Women Under Primitive Buddhism (RAP)by I. B. Horner
South Asia Books; Published: 1999-01-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $28.50
Price in other shops:
Women of Wisdomby Tsultrim Allione
Snow Lion Publications; Published: 2000-11-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.08
Price in other shops:
Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women -- Tradition, Revision, Renewalby Ellison Findly
Wisdom Publications; Published: 2000-06-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.28
Price in other shops:
Women in Buddhism: Images of the Feminine in the Mahayana Traditionby Diana Y. Paul
University of California Press; Published: 1985-04-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.95
Price in other shops:
Walking On Lotus Flowers: Buddhist Women Living, Loving and Meditatingby Martine Batchelor
Thorsons; Published: 1996-01-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $47.07
Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhismby Sandy Boucher
Beacon Press; Published: 1993-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
Sakyadhita: Daughters of the BuddhaSnow Lion Pubns; Published: 1988-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.88
Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in Americaby Lenore Friedman
Shambhala; Published: 2000-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.96
Price in other shops:
Meeting the Great Bliss Queenby Klein
Beacon Press; Published: 1996-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.02
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Discovering Kwan Yin, Buddhist Goddess of Compassionby Sandy Boucher
Beacon Press; Published: 1999-05-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops:
The New Buddhismby David Brazier
Palgrave Macmillan; Published: 2002-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.95
Price in other shops:
Religious Feminism and the Future of the Planet: A Christian-Buddhist Conversationby Rita M. Gross, Rosemary Radford Ruether
Continuum; Published: 2001-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $26.95
Buddhism in Americaby Richard Hughes Seager
Columbia University Press; Published: 2000-11-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.90
Price in other shops:
Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women -- Tradition, Revision, Renewalby Ellison Findly
Wisdom Publications; Published: 2000-06-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.26
Price in other shops:
Buddhist Women on the Edge: Contemporary Perspectives from the Western FrontierNorth Atlantic Books; Published: 1996-08-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.45
Price in other shops:
Opening the Lotus: A Woman's Guide to Buddhismby Sandy Boucher
Beacon Press; Published: 1998-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.49
Price in other shops:
Buddhism Through American Women's Eyesby Karma Lekshe Tsomo
Snow Lion Publications; Published: 1995-06-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Price in other shops:
Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in Americaby Lenore Friedman
Shambhala; Published: 2000-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.96
Price in other shops:
Buddhism After Patriarchyby Rita M. Gross
State University of New York Press; Published: 1992-11-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.90
Price in other shops: