Dear All,
This week we will start reading Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens and Macho Masters by Grace Schireson. There is a lot in this book, and it is particularly relevant at this moment in time as it talks about gender discrimination and inequality.
The female Unsui of Treeleaf will be leading these discussions, but we really want everyone to feel included. This isn’t just a conversation among the girls, it is a chance for all of us to come together and speak about why this topic may be important, or if it isn’t. How discrimination occurred through the years and continues. And to learn so much about the women whose names we chant during retreats.
Since the topics of discrimination and inclusion are very hot button items right now, we want to remind everyone that this is a book club. Please keep the conversation focused on the book and examples that are relevant to this topic. Also please remember to use right speech, and attempt to assume that what people say is meant with good intentions. Let’s all come to the table with an open mind, ready to share and learn from one another.
With all that said, this week we will be reading the Foreword, Preface and Chapter 1. As is typical for the book club most weeks we will be throwing questions out to help start the conversation, but feel free to bring up anything else in this section that grabs your fancy or you want to discussion.
Please talk amongst yourselves here too, comment on each other’s comments, and allow time for others to comment. This is a book discussion group, so let’s make it a conversation.
Gassho,
Shoka
Sat
Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
This week we will start reading Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens and Macho Masters by Grace Schireson. There is a lot in this book, and it is particularly relevant at this moment in time as it talks about gender discrimination and inequality.
The female Unsui of Treeleaf will be leading these discussions, but we really want everyone to feel included. This isn’t just a conversation among the girls, it is a chance for all of us to come together and speak about why this topic may be important, or if it isn’t. How discrimination occurred through the years and continues. And to learn so much about the women whose names we chant during retreats.
Since the topics of discrimination and inclusion are very hot button items right now, we want to remind everyone that this is a book club. Please keep the conversation focused on the book and examples that are relevant to this topic. Also please remember to use right speech, and attempt to assume that what people say is meant with good intentions. Let’s all come to the table with an open mind, ready to share and learn from one another.
With all that said, this week we will be reading the Foreword, Preface and Chapter 1. As is typical for the book club most weeks we will be throwing questions out to help start the conversation, but feel free to bring up anything else in this section that grabs your fancy or you want to discussion.
- Does “Oneness” answer the question of discrimination?
- Schireson talks about 4 ways to work through difficult passages of Buddhist canon, which do you apply or how do you work through portions of Buddhist scriptures which can be considered misogynistic?
- In hearing stories of old Zen Masters, do you believe they are all “Manly Man” as Schireson describes them?
Please talk amongst yourselves here too, comment on each other’s comments, and allow time for others to comment. This is a book discussion group, so let’s make it a conversation.
Gassho,
Shoka
Sat
Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
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