Grace Schireson, Christina Feldman, Rita Gross, and Lama Palden Drolma discuss how women are defining new roles as Buddhist leaders, teachers, and practitioners. Introduction by Sandy Boucher When I think of women and Buddhism, I see before me the faces of our Western Buddhist female pioneers. In the relatively easier situation we enjoy today, with the proliferation of [...]
About Myoan Grace Schireson
Zen teachers issue open letter confronting abuse
Following Buddhadharma's Winter 2014 cover story on abuse in Buddhist communities, 90 Zen teachers and community leaders have penned an open letter on the issue. As Zen teachers, we would like to express our gratitude for Buddhadharma's recent issue on abuse in Buddhist communities. We also appreciated Mr. Oppenheimer's piece in The Atlantic for "The Zen Predator of the Upper [...]
Chanting Names Once Forgotten: The Zen Women Ancestors Document
A quiet movement to reshape our understanding of Zen lineage and history is bringing attention to the forgotten names and voices of women in the tradition. Grace Schireson explains how the Women Ancestors Document came into being and what it means for us. In October of 2010 the Soto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA), a national teachers’ group, approved a document honoring women [...]
Zazen: Just Wake Up
Zen teacher Myoan Grace Schireson teaches Zazen, sitting meditation from the Zen tradition, a foundational Buddhist practice. When an idea arises, just wake up. Sitting zazen is the dharma gate of bliss and repose. —Dogen-zenji, Fukanzazengi Sitting meditation, called zazen in the Zen tradition, has been described as just waking up—we wake up to the intimate reality within [...]
Hear Them Roar: Under the Autumn Moon
Contemporary women practitioners are spearheading efforts to reconstruct the lives of Buddhism’s women ancestors. A special collection of essays, stories and poems brings their lion’s roar back to life. Grace Jill Schireson on the life, art, and poetic inspiration of the Zen nun Otagaki Rengetsu, a woman “humbled by life’s blows as well as its beauty.” Buddhist [...]