Buddhist Studies 240 - BUDDHISM AND GENDER

Is it possible for someone who is not male to attain Buddhahood? We will explore this question from the textual perspectives of various Buddhist traditions. Buddhahood is the goal of Buddhism. The aspirant’s gender in tantric Buddhism is not relevant, but many other Buddhist traditions seem to deny the possibility of non-males achieving full awakening. We will address this question through study of canonical and modern literature on the topic. (E)