Page 58 - EH65

56 EASTERN HORIZON | BOOK REVIEW

Book Review

By Benny Liow Woon Khin

Caroline Starkey, Women in British Buddhism.
Routledge: London, 2021. pp 222.
Paperback £36.99.
www.routledge.com

This book, which is based on the author’s doctoral commitment to Buddhism and to Buddhist practice as it
thesis, discusses the personal stories of 25 women was articulated by the lineages they are connected to.
who converted to Buddhism. They are from seven
different Buddhist traditions, and groups, based in Starkey provides an analysis of their motivations,
England, Scotland, and Wales. Each of these women had concerns, and inspirations as Buddhists practitioners
taken ‘ordination’, which implies a formal and life-long in eight chapters. She also explores their significant
commitment to Buddhism. Author Caroline Starkey contributions to Buddhism in the UK, including their
explores, individually, each woman’s initial contact with paths to deeper commitment, their perspectives on
Buddhist teachings, their decision to take ordination, religious discipline (particularly on changes to attire),
and their dynamic engagement with Buddhist and how they talk about gender equality and feminism.
In Chapter One, Starkey introduces the concepts and
disciplinary practices. The 25 participants in this methods of her research for this book. She explores
study come from various Buddhist groups, namely, the positions of the 25 female monastics in relation
the Triratna Buddhist Order (from which the largest to Buddhist hierarchies and power dynamics, their
number of participants emerged); Amida; the Order perception of gender inequality, and how their spiritual
of Buddhist Contemplatives; Theravāda/Thai Forest practice is understood within the British context even
Sangha; and various Tibetan traditions. Starkey makes though they may be from different lineages within the
a comparison between the different groups, with broad Buddhist traditions.
particular focus on gender equality.
In Chapter Two, Starkey explains how Buddhism
As Starkey mentioned in her interview with me for grew in the UK, and its changes and adaptations
this issue of Eastern Horizon, she started her research over time. She highlights the differences, as well as
thinking that perhaps there would be many similarities the commonalities, of the Buddhist traditions in the
between a group of women, all of whom had taken some country, among them are mind training practices
form of Buddhist ordination and all of whom had spent and the active participation of women. In terms of
formative time in Britain, but then what she found was differences, for example, there is a stark contrast
such a deep level of diversity in experience and attitude. between the homegrown, non-sectarian Triratana
One of the aims of the book then is to give a voice to this Buddhist Order, founded by the late Sangharakshita,
diversity, to examine it and to explore it, and to try to which is gender-equal in its ordination; and the more
give a more rounded picture of those women who are conservative Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition which
deeply committed to making Buddhist practice work in only accepts males for ordination and not females.
Britain. As the book reveals, despite the diversity, one This conservatism in ordination in the Theravada
common theme amongst the women was a deep level of tradition has been challenged by the English-born