Collection of historical, literary, ethographical essays about the history - Women in traditional Tibet - and present situation of women in Tibet - Modern Tibetan Women, offering data and reflection on certain topics, like the lives of individual women. Based on texts, anthropological data, literature, newspaper articles, fieldwork and oral history.

Brings to the fore the voices of the major Western women scholars of Tibetan Buddhism...an outstanding resource.--Pacific Sun

Through a lyrical narrative of her journey to Tibet in 2007, activist Canyon Sam contemplates modern history from the perspective of Tibetan women. Traveling on China's new "Sky Train," she celebrates Tibetan New Year with the Lhasa family whom she'd befriended decades earlier and concludes an oral-history project with women elders. As she uncovers stories of Tibetan women's courage, resourcefulness, and spiritual strength in the face of loss and hardship since the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950, and observes the changes wrought by the controversial new rail line in the futuristic "new Lhasa," Sam comes to embrace her own capacity for letting go, for faith, and for acceptance. Her glimpse of Tibet's past through the lens of the women - a visionary educator, a freedom fighter, a gulag survivor, and a child bride - affords her a unique perspective on the state of Tibetan culture today - in Tibet, in exile, and in the widening Tibetan diaspora. Gracefully connecting the women's poignant histories to larger cultural, political, and spiritual themes, the author comes full circle, finding wisdom and wholeness even as she acknowledges Tibet's irreversible changes.

By gathering together the rich and vivid biographies of six Tibetan female mystics, and by describing her own experiences as a Tibetan Buddhist nun, the author provides an inspirational account of women who have attained enlightenment and liberation in a variety of difficult situations.

* An astonishing tale of perseverance * Wonderful insight into 19th century Tibet * A moving tale of adventure and discovery In the late 1800's, when women were bound by both cumbersome clothing and strict Victorian morals, a small band of astonishing women explorers burst forth to claim the adventurous life. What drew the five profiled in this book -- three British, one American, one French -- was Tibet, then the ultimate in exploration. Nina Mazuchelli organized a small expedition, urging the party on when they were lost on a glacier. Annie Taylor, a reckless, romantic missionary in China, knew her life was in danger the moment she crossed into Tibet. Esabella Bird Bishop, sickly while at home, was always robust on her adventures; she was nearly 60 when she went to Tibet. Fanny Bullock Workman plowed her way up Himalaya and Karakoram mountains, saying any woman could do so. Alexandra David-Neel, at 56, trekked for eight months through tropical lowlands and snow-covered passes with only a backpack and a begging bowl. Even by today's standards these women's accomplishments are remarkable.

An exploration of an extraordinary group of female meditation masters from the Buddhist tradition in Tibet whose determination and accomplishments can serve as a great example for meditators the world over. Among Tibetan spiritual biographies there are many life stories of exceptional male wisdom-holders or vidyādharas. But biographies of religious women are few. This book focuses on the hidden world of the great female spiritual adepts who were born into a prominent lineage of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries, this family of wisdom holders has been committed to helping others alleviate their suffering and develop a strong dedication to spiritual practice.