Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism Summary and Reviews

Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism
by Sandy Boucher

Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism
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Book Summary Information

Author: Sandy Boucher
Edition: 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."

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