Michaela Haas's Blog - Posts Tagged "dalai-lama"

There is no hope for a female pope, but there might be one for a female Buddhist leader. Read the full article in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/nationa...

Buddhist women are celebrating a landmark victory: For the first time in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, 27 nuns have gathered in North India for their exams for the Tibetan equivalent of a Ph.D., the so-called Geshe-title. To understand the impact and range of this decision, take a moment to imagine what it would be like if until now only men had been allowed to pass their doctorate exams. As many American students are preparing for their final exams and graduation celebration during these weeks, picture what this would look like if girls were excluded. This was the situation for women in the Himalayas—and it is about to change!
So, why is this such a big deal and why did it take so long? Read the full article in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/o...

The Supreme Court decision on marriage equality has ignited a renewed debate among religious leaders. Predictably, some conservative religious leaders have protested against the decision to recognize same-sex marriages. As a Buddhist author, I often get asked by colleagues and students: What did the Buddha say about homosexuality? The short answer is simple: nothing. As far as we know, he never mentioned it, and some scholars regard this as a quiet acceptance on his part. But many of his followers in the centuries afterwards voiced strong opinions.

Read the whole article in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/o...