Title: Portraits of Buddhist women : stories from the Saddharmaratnāvaliya /
Authors: Dharmasēna, active 13th century.; Obeyesekere, Ranjini
Publisher: State University of New York Press,
Year: 2001
Subjects: Buddhaghosa.; Dhammapadaṭṭhakathā.; Tipiṭaka.; Buddhist women India History; Women South Asia Social conditions
Abstract: "A collection about Buddhist women translated from the thirteenth-century Sinhala Buddhist text, the Saddharmaratnavaliya, these stories provide insights into the social status and roles of women in medieval India and Sri Lanka and the Buddhist doctrinal ideal. They also reflect the changes that took place as the Buddhist position on gender and female sexuality accommodated the social realities of the time. Translating, contextualizing, and commenting on the narratives, Ranjini Obeyesekere highlights the differences in perspective between the celibate monks who were the literary authors of the Saddharmaratnavaliya and the social world of their audience."--BOOK JACKET.
Contents: The Udēnī cycle -- Viśākhā -- Utpalavarṇā -- The mother of Kāṇā -- Kuṇḍalakēsī -- The nun Paṭācārā -- Kisā-gōtamī -- The nun Bahuputtika -- The goddess Lada -- Viśākhā's companions -- Sirimā -- The nun Uttarā -- The nun Rūpanandā -- Queen Mallikā -- The mother of the elder Kumāra Kasub -- The weaver's daughter -- The young woman Ciṇca -- The three daughters of Māra -- Viśākhā's questions -- The Princess Rohiṇī -- Uttarā -- The daughter Puṇṇā -- The nun Khemā -- Maha Prājapātī Gōtamī -- The elder Sunderasamudda -- Soreyya.