Unity & Diversity

A North American Conference
on Buddhist Women

June 3-7, 1998

Co-sponsored by

Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women

and

the Claremont Colleges, Claremont, California

 

[Sponsors] [Program] [Registration] [Speakers]

The Conference

In our planning we have sought to bring together scholars of religion and feminism with leaders and practitioners of Buddhism in order to encourage fruitful exchanges; to create a forum for discussion of cultural, societal, and personal issues of concern to Buddhist women; to provide a special opportunity for Asian and Asian American women to present their experiences and points of view; and to develop a shared agenda for future study and cooperative activity.

Sponsoring Institutions

Unity & Diversity: A North American Conference on Buddhist Women is co-sponsored by Sakyadhita and The Claremont Colleges.

Sakyadhita, Daughters of the Buddha, is an alliance of women devoted to the practice of the Buddha's teachings. It seeks to unite Buddhist women of various countries and traditions, to promote their welfare, and to facilitate their work for the benefit of humankind. This international organization was founded at the conclusion of the First International Conference on Buddhist Women, held in Bodh Gaya, India, in February 1987. Since then it has held conferences in Bangkok, Thailand, (1991), Colombo, Sri Lanka (1993), Leh, Ladakh (1995), and Phnom Penh, Cambodia (1997). The next conference will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2000.

The Claremont Colleges is a consortium of five undergraduate college--Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Scripps College--and Claremont Graduate University. The undergraduate college offer a cooperative program in Religious Studies that includes an especially strong curriculum in Asian traditions. Claremont Graduate University offers and M.A. and Ph.D. in Women's Studies in Religion.

Program

The conference will open on Wednesday, June 3, with registration (4:00-7:30 p.m.) and dinner (6:00-7:00 p.m.). The evening program will begin at 7:30 p.m. with an opening ceremony and plenary address by Karma Lekshe Tsomo, founding member of Sakyadhita.

Daily Schedule

 6:45 a.m.   Morning meditation with a teacher
 8:00 a.m.  Breakfast
 9:00 a.m.  Plenary address
 10:30 a.m.  Plenary panel
 12:30 p.m.  Lunch
 1:30-2:30 p.m.  Rest, informal dialogue, or meditation with a teacher
 2:30-4:00 p.m.  Workshop sessions
 4:00-4:30 p.m.  Tea
 4:30-5:30 p.m.  Dharma discussion groups
 6:00 p.m.  Dinner
 7:30 p.m.  Cultural presentation / performance
 9:30 p.m.  Evening meditation with a teacher

On the closing day, Sunday, June 7, after morning meditation and breakfast, the Dharma discussion groups will offer their presentations, followed by a closing ceremony of dedication of merit and a Buddhist vegetarian feast.

Plenary Speakers

 June 3:  Karma Lekshe Tsomo, East-West Center, University of Hawai`i
 June 4:  Anne Klein, Chair, Religious Studies, Rice University
 June 5:  Egyoku Nakao Sensei, Director, Los Angeles Zen Center
 June 6:  Yolanda van Ede, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
 June 7:  Myo Ji Sunim, Abbess, Korean Buddhist Jogei Temple of America

Plenary Panels

 June 4:   Gender, Race, and Class
 June 5:   Genders and Sexualities
 June 6:   Women's Ordination and Nunneries

Workshops Offered June 4-6


Meditation

Teachers representing Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions will offer instruction in various meditative disciplines and hold meditation sessions daily.

Registration

To register for the conference, please fill out the registration form

Invited Speakers, Leaders, Teachers

 

Norma Fain Pratt , Sakyadhita International Secretary <npratt@zaicomm.comm>

Return to the Sakyadhita International page

For comments and suggestions please email Karma Lekshe Tsomo, tsomo@hawaii.edu.

This page is maintained by Brian Wagner, e-mail bwagner1@san.rr.com