Sisters of the Buddha: Womens Roles in Buddhism Through the Centuries

Like all other world religions, Buddhism has had its share of controversies regarding womens roles. Yifa, a Chinese Buddhist nun, looks at the role of women in early Buddhism, appraises the controversial eight rules that women have to obey in order to become Buddhist nuns and examines the social conditions of women throughout the Buddhist world. Yifa concentrates on the still largely unknown Chinese tradition, bringing to light new insights into this important strand of B.