I Hear Her Words. Book Review.

I Hear Her Words: An Introduction to Women in Buddhism, Windhorse Publications, by Alice Collett. ISBN- 978-1-911497-71-4

Reviewed by Kasia Murfet.

Are women inferior to men? Is female rebirth bad karma? Can women become Buddhas? And why in some traditions nuns can’t be fully ordained? - these are only a few questions Collet addresses in her well researched survey of history of women in Buddhism. 

This book is split into two parts; the first part starts with her asking questions about gender and equality while taking us on a comprehensive journey through Buddhists texts and doctrines. Part II focuses on depicting Buddhist women across traditions. Starting with biographies from different periods and regions, followed by the history of women in Buddhism from around the world, including women teachers in the West.

Introducing the fundamental Buddhist ethics principle of non-harm, which is the core for each Buddhist precept, and the essence of gender equality, Collet explains that discrimination can manifest when difference turns into judgement, which is often a tipping point, where harm happens as a result. Collet believes that this can be exemplified by the treatment of women across Buddhist history. 

We learn that at first glance feminism and Buddhism may seem to have a lot in common, but in reality this is not always the case. For Collett, second-wave feminism with regards to Buddhism and engaging with Buddhist texts had two slip ups; firstly it focused only on what is negative in Buddhism, omitting parts and misrepresenting the full picture, while her second concern is with race. 

In chapter 2, she brings a number of examples of Buddhist texts that speak about women in both terrible and respectful ways. She focuses on the theme of sexual desire and how women, instead of becoming a proactive practitioners on the path, became an obstacle to the spiritual progress made by men. However, Collet explains that monks who were blaming women (not addressing desire as a problem) were not operating in concord with Buddhas teachings, casting the fault on women, instead of improving their own conditioning. 

In chapter 3 Collet examines three key Buddhist doctrines and discusses how each of them relates to the issues of gender. She breaks down each of the doctrines and delivers strong argumentation that to say that women are inferior to men because of their nature, contradicts basic Buddhist doctrines. She argues that since human transformation is at the heart of Buddhism, and attainment of Nirvana is possible only due to the change that can take place within ourselves, how then does the allegation that women’s nature is fixed, static and unchanging, fit into it? 

One of the qualities, that I found myself admiring about Collett’s both writing and understanding is her ability of staying objective and seeing both sides of the coin. Even when quoting offensive words written by Śāntideva, who said that women are foul, wicked manipulative and so on, she argues that the comments on women were not meant to be seen as facts but rather as a means to disable men’s desire for them. As an aspiring scholar, I do wish to maintain the same levels of integrity and objectivity.

Part II starts with three biographies of early Buddhist Indian nuns. Next, we travel through China, Modern East Asia and to modern Thailand. Here we read stories transmitted through centuries about women who dedicated their lives to the Buddhist path and attained Awakening, despite often challenging circumstances.

In chapter 5,6 and 7 Collett follows the histories of women in Buddhist traditions across the world and centuries. We start our journey with Southeast Asia, where the tradition of Theravāda is practiced. She explains that the lack of existence of an unbroken Theravādin nuns lineage, allowed countries in Southeast Asia to develop a new system for women who wish to follow the monastic path. Each of these women follows the teachings of Buddha and leads lives similar to nuns but without the formal legal status. Despite the fact, that these women are affected by economic hardship as well as lower social status, that doesn’t discourage them from committing their lives to Buddha’s teachings. While some of them are happy to live their renunciate lives, others commit their paths to reestablishing a full ordination for women. Collett provides us with an opportunity to learn stories about scholars, nuns, activists and inspiring thinkers, who are devoted to the Buddhist path, as well as making sure that the generations of girls and women will have opportunity to do so.

In the chapter 6, Collet takes us to China, Korea and Taiwan, and she shortly introduces the readers to Mahāyanā and Tibetan Buddhism. She gives a special attention to Guanyin, a female bodhisattva who began her life in India as a male bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara, who while travelling to China from India, became a ‘she’. I found particularly interesting that the image of Guanyin, as Collett points out, could in modern times be perceived as transgendered or non-binary. In this chapter I found it particularly interesting to read, that in Japan, women rather than men, were the first formally ordained, or that the first lesbian Buddhist marriage ceremony took place in Taiwan in 2012. 

In the final chapter, Collet talks about the central role women played in the development of Buddhism in the West. She mentions as well the controversies, inappropriate behaviour and sexual abuse that took place across different traditions in the West.

I Hear Her Words: An Introduction to Women in Buddhism, proves that despite the fact, that women across Buddhist traditions were perceived as weaker and manipulative; were held back and weren’t given the same opportunities as monks, they continued to make progress on the path, guide disciples, nourish their communities and played a crucial role in developing Buddhism across the world. 

Collet’s way of communicating is clear and accessible to anyone interested in Buddhism, while at the same time, a reader can certainly recognise her deep knowledge about the subject. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in gender and women studies.