Buddhist Feminism

What is Buddhist Feminism? This book examines reasons why Buddhism and feminism may seem to be incompatible, and shows that Buddhist and feminist philosophies can work together to challenge patriarchal structures. Current scholarship usually compares Buddhism and feminism to judge their compatibility, rather than describing a Buddhist Feminist perspective or method. Sokthan Yeng instead looks for a pattern that connects Buddhist and feminist traditions. In particular, she explores possible exchanges between feminist and Buddhist philosophies which highlight how they each contribute to a more nuanced understanding of anger. Yeng explores how a Buddhist feminist approach would allow women’s anger to be transformed from that which is outside the bounds of philosophy into that which contributes to philosophical discourse in the East and West, and between the two.

"Sokthan Yeng’s marvelous study allows Buddhist thought to enrich feminist thought and vice-versa, producing nondual, transformative, and liberatory modes of thought and praxis. Among its many treasures are a highly original and inspiring exploration of the call to recognize anger as well as an introduction to some remarkable Buddhist Elder Women." (Jason M. Wirth, Professor of Philosophy, Seattle University, USA)

“Sokthan Yeng’s meaningful new contribution to global feminist dialogue reclaims the transformative power of anger as a resource for feminist practice, engages the voices of women in Buddhism historically, and thereby uncovers Buddhism’s own overlooked tradition of transforming anger toward liberatory ends. By locating Buddhist practice itself in a context marked by gendered power dynamics, she produces a ‘Buddhist feminism’ that is more than the sum of its parts.” (Leah Kalmanson, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Drake University, USA)

“Yeng’s Buddhist Feminism is a timely and beautifully-written book. It asks how Buddhism can respond to the discriminatory practices and structural inequity of patriarchy.  Yeng skilfully puts Buddhism in conversation with feminisms of various stripes (both Western and non-Western), demonstrating rich intersections between these two traditions. Buddhism, she shows, can be an important resource for feminists, while feminism has much to teach Buddhists. Buddhism has long been thought to be disdainful of anger, as an emotion to be transcended. Contrary to this conventional wisdom, Yeng shows us how anger can be productively employed for transformative purposes, through diverse examples of Buddhist feminism. In so doing, Yeng makes crucial interdisciplinary contributions to comparative philosophy, Buddhist studies, and feminist theory.” (Farah Godrej, Associate Professor and Director ofGraduate Studies, Department of Political Science, University of California, Riverside, USA)

Sokthan Yeng is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Adelphi University, USA. Her research interests include feminism, critical race theory, Buddhism, and contemporary French philosophy.