Sandra M. Finkel Panel Discussion Question Responses from a Buddhist perspective

A: The unbroken lineage is the oral transmission of teaching from the Buddha to his disciples, from those masters to their disciples, and on and on until the present, to my own teachers and then to me. This unbroken lineage is believed to be important for the practice to be a living tradition and optimally useful. There are specific practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition that are no longer taught and practiced today because there was a break in the oral transmission in the lineage. It is not sufficient to merely read a written text to gain full understanding of the meaning; receiving the oral transmission (actually hearing it from one's teacher, who heard it from his or her teacher, etc.) is considered to be important.

Q: Does life only begin once we have died?

A: No. Life couldn't begin only after we have died-what about before we die? Isn't that life? In fact, the present moment is considered vitally important and filled with possibilities and the practice of mindfulness, truly noticing and appreciating the present moment, is a key principle in Buddhism. Most Buddhists believe that there is a continuity to life-the form may change radically over time but life is beginningless. As such, Buddhists believe in reincarnation. But to say that our next life is more important than this one would not be accurate. In Buddhism, incidentally, there are both heaven realms and hell realms, however they are never permanent destinations. I suppose one could say that life in nirvana begins when one's inaccurate perception of self as separate and inherently existent dies.

Q: Does Buddhism see suffering as unnecessary?

A: Buddha taught extensively about suffering. His very first teaching, The Four Noble Truths, starts out with the First Noble Truth, the Truth of Suffering. It is the recognition that in samsara or cyclic existence (which is where we are all stuck), suffering is pervasive. Not only do we suffer under the obvious circumstances, such as illness, physical pain, emotional anguish, etc., but that even when we experience pleasure, suffering also results when we cling to the pleasurable experience and don't want to let go. This clinging becomes addictive and has a similar result to seeking to quench one's thirst by drinking salt water. Buddha invited us to look more closely at our experience and the dissatisfaction that shadows us. The Second Noble Truth is about the cause of suffering. The Third Noble Truth is about the cessation of suffering. The Fourth Noble Truth is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. So, in our ordinary existence, suffering is inevitable and unavoidable. Yet there is a way out. There is a way to be free, free of suffering and free of cyclic existence. By attaining nirvana or enlightenment one need not experience suffering. It's a long road to enlightenment, however, and I should also note that along the way, while working with the Buddha's advice on how to live one's life, one's experience of suffering diminishes. You learn to pay close attention to your habitual way of reacting in unpleasant situations and learn to respond in ways that don't increase suffering and in fact diminish it greatly.

Q: What is the Buddhist concept of a "higher being?"

A: Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. Buddha was an example of someone who was able to purify negative tendencies and develop positive qualities so fully he became a higher being of sorts-one who is omniscient, with great compassion and love for all beings. Yet Buddhists believe that all sentient beings have this same capacity-Buddha nature is present with all of us.

Q: What are your thoughts on pluralism?

A: If by pluralism you mean the theory that there are more than one or two kinds of ultimate reality, Buddhists would disagree and say that there is only one ultimate reality, although perhaps many ways to arrive there. Ultimate reality in Buddhism is shunyata in Sanskrit, often translated as Emptiness. This is a very profound subject and difficult to explain clearly, but it is the realization that the ultimate nature of all phenomenon, both sentient and non-sentient, is empty of inherent existence, empty of identity, inseparable from and in relationship with all phenomenon.

If by pluralism you refer to the state of a society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in the development of their traditional culture within a common civilization, Buddhists will have no problem with that. Buddhism doesn't advocate proselytizing and there is tremendous respect for the common truth in all religions.

Q: What special gifts do feminists bring to the quest for truth in spiritual and moral matters?

A: Whereas spiritual truth may be free from sexism, the religious traditions that surround each spiritual tradition are heavily laden with the baggage from centuries of patriarchal culture. Feminists can help sort out the gems of truth from the unnecessary sexist trappings.

Q: What is the role of women in your faith? What is the future of that role?

A: Women may assume any role they wish, as a renunciate, a lay practitioner, a teacher, abbess, yogini, except women are still barred from male monasteries because of separation of the sexes. However, in the past men occupied the more visible leadership roles and this is changing. There are many women teachers and leaders in North America and Europe and I expect this trend to continue. Buddhist institutions in the past were largely monasteries; there have been few models of Buddhist practitioners who are women with families, but this is also changing dramatically.

Q: How has your growth in feminism affected your religious beliefs?

A: I scrutinize authority more assiduously. I question everything and delve until I have realized the truth. I try to look at each situation with fresh eyes because the ingrained nature of sexism is often difficult to notice. My high regard for the female principle has affected my choice of spiritual practices.

Q: Is there sexism in your religion? If so, how does it affect other women in your faith?

A: Oh yes, there is sexism in all forms of Buddhism. I have not found sexism in the essential teachings and practices within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, yet it is present in the outer forms. As is the case in every religion, there are different interpretations of what the Buddha and other great teachers after him taught, ranging from the most conservative to the more expansive views. Many women are drawn to the forms of Buddhism that are the most respectful of women. Yet even there, sexism exists and women either accept it or challenge it.

There is often found a subtle or overt preference for a Buddhist practitioner to become a monk or nun to progress spiritually rather than the path of a woman raising children and/or working outside the home. Many women feel the lack of role models or ways to use the practices taught by the Buddha to achieve Enlightenment within the context of family life. There have been issues of misuse of power of spiritual teachers who have engaged in sexual relationships with students. Rather than passive acceptance of such behavior, women and men are making it clear that this is not acceptable in our culture and many Asian teachers are getting the message. Women in the West are counterbalancing the longstanding tendency for men to be teachers and leaders in Buddhist communities by becoming increasingly more visible as teachers.

Q: What can men learn from studying feminism through these different faith perspectives?

A: When we have been taught that something is true since early childhood it takes a special mirror to see otherwise. Looking at the world from the perspective of another religious tradition and the feminist issues therein can make it clearer what needs to change in one's own faith.