This book on engaged Buddhism focuses on women working for social justice in a wide range of Buddhist tradition and societies. Contributors document attempts to actualize Buddhism's liberating ideas of personal growth and social transformation. Dealing with issues such as human rights, gender-based violence, prostitution, and the role of Buddhist nuns, the work illuminates the possibilities for positive change that are available to those with limited power and resources. Integrating social realities and theoretical perspectives, the work utilizes feminist interpretations of Buddhist values and looks at culturally appropriate means of instigating change.

Karma Lekshe Tsomo is Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. She is the author of Sisters in Solitude: Two Traditions of Buddhist Monastic Ethics for Women and the editor of Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations, both also published by SUNY Press.