Women and Buddhist Philosophy: Engaging Zen Master Kim IryopAuthor :
Paperback
Published : Thursday 30 August 2018
You may also like ...
by
Paperback
30 Aug 2018
>>
€36.21
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Hardback
03 Apr 2018
>>
€92.43
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
Description
Why and how do women engage with Buddhism and philosophy? This book answers this by examining the life and philosophy of a Korean Zen Buddhist nun, Kim Iryop (1896-1971). This volume will be of primary interest to scholars and students of Buddhism, Buddhist and comparative philosophy, and gender and Korean studies.
Why and how do women engage with Buddhism and philosophy? The present volume aims to answer these questions by examining the life and philosophy of a Korean Zen Buddhist nun, Kim Iryop (1896-1971). The daughter of a pastor, Iryop began questioning Christian doctrine as a teenager. In a few years, she became increasingly involved in women's movements in Korea, speaking against society's control of female sexuality and demanding sexual freedom and free divorce for women. While in her late twenties, an existential turn in her thinking led Iryop to Buddhism; she eventually joined a monastery and went on to become a leading figure in the female monastic community until her death. After taking the tonsure, Iryop followed the advice of her teacher and stopped publishing for more than two decades. She returned to the world of letters in her sixties, using her strong, distinctive voice to address fundamental questions on the scope of identity, the meaning of being human, and the value of existence. In her writing, she frequently adopted an autobiographical style that combined her experiences with Buddhist teachings. Through a close analysis of Iryop's story, Buddhist philosophy and practice in connection with East Asian new women's movements, and continental philosophy, this volume offers a creative interpretation of Buddhism as both a philosophy and a religion actively engaged with lives as they are lived. It presents a fascinating narrative on how women connect with the world-whether through social issues such as gender inequality, a Buddhist worldview, or existential debates on human existence and provides readers with a new way of philosophizing that is transformative and deeply connected with everyday life. Women and Buddhist Philosophy: Engaging Zen Master Kim Iryop will be of primary interest to scholars and students of Buddhism, Buddhist and comparative philosophy, and gender and Korean studies.
Reviews