Zen often revolves around patriarchs and male practitioners. However, over the centuries, there have also been matriarchs and female Zen teachers. Slowly, more is being uncovered about these dharma ‘grandmothers.’ The life stories of their lives are significant because they expand our understanding of the Buddhist way.
There are many examples of women who practiced amidst the demands of daily life, amidst family obligations, and there are women who ran their own businesses. How relatable are all these circumstances for us, practitioners in the 21st century with a meditation practice in daily life! We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but alongside our ‘grandfathers,’ we also have ‘grandmothers’ who can offer us inspiration on our journey.
The heart of this website is formed by the Life stories. These contain the lives of all Asian female practitioners, Zen masters, and matriarchs included in the Women Ancestors Document. This document was created in 2007 by the Salt Spring Zen Circle (British Columbia, Canada) and further established in 2010 by the Soto Zen Buddhist Association in the United States. It includes female ancestors of Zen from India, China, Japan and North America, along with a number of mythical ancestors.
This website is a ‘work in progress’ and is continuously expanding. The content is created by Ineke Konin Vogel Sensei. If you want to share any reactions, questions or comments, you can get in touch with her via info@vrouweninzen.nl. For meetings about female ancestors and further activities by Ineke Sensei, you can check the activities.
In gratitude to all known and unknown
women and men
who have dedicated their lives
to passing on the Dharma.