Meeting the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists, and the Art of the Self - Softcover

Klein, Anne Carolyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1559392916 ISBN 13: 9781559392914

Publisher: Shambhala, 2008

Synopsis

Despite the daunting barriers of geography and language that separate them, Buddhism and contemporary feminism have much to say to each other. Buddhist practices such as mindfulness (in which calm centering and keen awareness of change coexist) and compassion (in which the self is recognized as both powerful in itself and interdependently connected with all others) can be important resources for contemporary women, while feminism can expand the traditional horizons of Buddhist concerns to include social, historical, and psychological issues. The image and ritual of the Great Bliss Queen, an important Buddhist figure of enlightenment, form the unifying theme of the book modeling the practices and theory that can assist each of us in being at one with ourselves and fully engaged with others.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Despite barriers of language and culture, Buddhism and contemporary feminism have much to say to each other. Both appeared on the Western intellectual scene at about the same time, both focus on self and identity, and both are dedicated to the fruitful interaction of theory and experience in regard to those questions. The ritual of the Great Bliss Queen, an important Buddhist figure of enlightenment, unifies the book, modeling practices that can help us to be both at one with ourselves and open to engagement with others.

"A groundbreaking and important book."--Jan Nattier, Indiana University

"There is an element of personal reflection in Klein's work that makes the book immediately approachable..."--Jose Ignacio Cabezon, UC Santa Barbara

"Thanks to Anne Klein for taking on crucial issues and making superb sense of them."--Sandy Boucher, author of Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism

Anne Carolyn Klein is professor and chair of Religious Studies at Rice University. She lives in Houston, Texas.

About the Author:

Anne C. Klein is professor and chair of Religious Studies at Rice University. She is also a founding director and resident teacher of Dawn Mountain, a center for contemplative study and practice in Houston. Her publications include Path to the Middle (SUNY Press), Unbounded Wholeness, coauthored with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (Oxford University Press), and Knowledge and Liberation (Snow Lion Publications).

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1559392916
• ISBN 13: 9781559392914
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 332