First Buddhist Women: Stories of Awakening

Susan Murcott (Parallax Press, MIT), 2022; Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradford (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Why would anyone leave the world? Nuns have no fun! Women can be as free as men.

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First Buddhist Women: Poems and Stories of Awakening (2nd ed.)

(Susan Murcott, MIT D-Lab) This book has 4.7 stars out of 5 with 40 ratings.

First Buddhist Women is a readable, contemporary translation of and commentary on the "enlightenment verses" of the first female disciples of the historical Buddha.

It explores Buddhism’s relatively liberal attitude towards women since its founding nearly 2,600 years ago, through the study of the Therigatham, the earliest known collection of women’s spiritual poetry.

Through commentary and storytelling, author Susan Murcott traces the journey of the

• wanderers,
• wives,
• mothers,
• teachers,
• courtesans, and
• prostitutes

who became leaders in the Buddhist community, roles that even today are rarely filled by women in other often patriarchal religions.

Their poetic verses beautifully express their search for enlightenment, wisdom, spiritual attainments, peace, and their struggles in society. More

Pema Chodron, Fr. Greg Boyle (UCLA, June 23)

Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven, Ananda M. (D.M.I.), Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Pema-Chodron-Greg-Boyle.com, HomeboyIndustries.org; InsightLA.org, SoundsTrue.com

Shambhala Buddhist nun Pema Chodron and LA's good Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle

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InsightLA is proud to sponsor a very special event on cultivating courage with two of the most cherished teachers of our time.

 

A rare good priest in the world

Join American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön and Jesuit priest Greg Boyle for an evening of teachings exploring the power of kinship and how we can awaken courage and compassion amid our greatest challenges.

Proceeds from the event support the mission of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world.
 

Pema's teacher: drunken sex guru Chogyam T.

Pema Chödrön is a world renowned American born Tibetan Buddhist nun and author who has inspired millions through her example and message of wisdom and compassion, even -- and some might say particularly -- in the face of difficulty.

She is the American student of the scandalous Tibetan sex abuse guru, drunkard, and founder of "Shambhala" Buddhism, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, as exposed and celebrated by his own students in the movie Crazy Wisdom.

GREAT BOOK: When Things Fall Apart

Pema Chodron Foundation.org

She currently teaches in the US and Canada and studies with Ven. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the eldest son and lineage-holder of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

She is the author of: Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better; The Wisdom of No Escape; Start Where You Are; When Things Fall Apart; The Places That Scare You; No Time to Lose; Practicing Peace in Times of War; How to Meditate; and Living Beautifully.

Father Greg Boyle (one of the few good Catholic clerics in the world today) is a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries, which is marking its 30th anniversary of witnessing to the fundamental human truth that there is no us and them, only us.

Fr. Greg is a native Angeleno and the author of the bestsellers Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship.
 
Together they will share teachings on cultivating positive connections with others and personal strength through vulnerability -- and consciously creating the lives and world we want to share.
 
This event is taking place on the UCLA campus with proceeds supporting Homeboy Industries.
 

Dharma Meditation Initiative  (meetup.com) - MARC.ucla.edu

• "On Cultivating Courage: An Evening with..."
• UCLA's Royce Hall (MAP)
• 340 Royce Dr., LA, CA, 90095
• June 23, 2018 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
• RSVP:  meetup.com/Zen-07/events/250404041
• Register: Pema-Chodron-Greg-Boyle.com
• Tickets: Sounds True Store, email: support@soundstrue.com; ticket questions: (310) 825-2101 (M-F, 10:00 am-4:00 pm)
• Calendar event: InsightLA.org 

InsightLA is a community of people dedicated to maintaining a safe and welcome, open and diverse environment that stands firmly against all racial, gender, economic, or religious bias.

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