Sakyadhita (International association of buddhist women), organiseert de vijftiende internationale conferentie over boeddhistische vrouwen van 22 – 28 juni 2017 in Hong Kong. Het thema van de conferentie is “Contemporary Buddhist Women: Contemplation, Cultural Exchange & Social Action.”
The conference
The conference theme, “Contemporary Buddhist Women: Contemplation, Cultural Exchange & Social Action,” highlights the diversity of contemporary Buddhist women throughout the world.
Buddhism is a significant cultural force in our world, influencing virtually every sphere of human activity from business to popular music. This global spread of Buddhist ethics, iconography, meditation, and philosophy is having an impact on science, psychology, government, and the arts. Today, women have more pathways to self-enrichment than at any time in recorded history. Whether the choice is career, family, or monastery, women are expanding beyond traditional roles in creative and beneficial ways. Women also take different paths and approaches to spirituality. Depending on their cultural backgrounds and personal interests, they may be inclined to meditation, scholarship, social activism, or the arts. The 2017 conference theme is broad enough to encompass the many aspects of what Buddhism means to women and to embrace the range of Buddhist women’s experiences.
“Contemplation” includes personal introspection, mindfulness practice, meditation, and reflection on contemporary life issues.
“Cultural exchange” incorporates interreligious dialogue, indigenous Buddhist experience, inter-generational dialogue, and Buddhist transcultural exchange, expressed through music, literature, drama, painting, social media, and the martial arts.
“Social action” takes many forms, including charitable activities, social entrepreneurship, community leadership, and other ways of transforming society. The 15th Sakyadhita Conference will be a forum for making connections across cultures and traditions, exploring a wide range of Buddhist teachings, values, and techniques for living a meaningful life. – Sakyadhita.org
About Sakyaditha
‘In recent decades, attention to the topic of women in Buddhism has expanded dramatically. Since the 1960s, interest in Buddhism has grown exponentially throughout the world. This flourishing has been facilitated by great Buddhist teachers, new research and contemporary publications on Buddhism, the Internet, the development of outstanding Buddhist educational centers, and an abundance of vibrant Buddhist social services. The recent wave of interest in Buddhism has coincided with an increasing public awareness of women’s capabilities and potential. Although the Buddha acknowledged women’s equal capacity for awakening and countless women have achieved liberation, today many women, who are keen to learn Dharma have no access to Buddhist education, nor are they adequately represented in Buddhist institutions.
Since 1987, Sakyadhita has created forums to discuss these and other issues that are central to the lives of Buddhistwomen.’