Women in Buddhist Literature

The book begins with an introductory assessment of women’s status in Buddhism, noting the tension between institutional subordination and the social and religious progress achieved by Buddhist women. Chapter I, “Marriage,” examines marriageable age, forms of marriage, caste and family considerations, elopement, seclusion, dowry, remarriage, and marital relations. Chapter II, “Slave Girls,” discusses female servitude and the position of enslaved women. Chapter III, “Dancing Girls and Courtesans,” considers professional entertainers and courtesans, including their social and religious roles. Chapter IV, “Female Character,” surveys literary portrayals of women’s virtues, faults, domestic responsibilities, and moral qualities. Chapter V, “Female Education,” addresses women’s learning and intellectual capacities, while Chapter VI, “Women and Buddhism,” evaluates their participation as patrons, lay followers, and practitioners. Chapter VII, “Bhikkhunī-Saṅgha,” examines the origins of the order of Buddhist nuns, beginning with Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and the Sakyan women, as well as the rules governing female monastic life. Chapter VIII, “Prominent Buddhist Women,” presents accounts of notable nuns, queens, lay devotees, patrons, and teachers found throughout Buddhist literature, demonstrating their contribution to the ancient Buddhist community.