Wendy Garling is a writer, mother and independent scholar. She has a BA from Wellesley College and an MA in Sanskrit language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley. Garling has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner since her travels to Asia in her twenties. She took refuge with HH the 16th Karmapa in San Francisco in 1976. In 1998 she began teaching in the women’s spirituality program at the Women’s Well in Concord, MA. Garlingâs emphasis is on the sacred feminine and womenâs stories. She also teaches Buddhism in the Lam Rim tradition in community settings. Her book is Stars at Dawn: Forgotten Stories of Women in the Buddhaâs Life.
I’m a woman with 2 daughters, a daughter-in-law and 4 granddaughters. We are at-risk, as are all women around the world. In fact, because of our political situation, anyone who isn’t a heterosexual white Christian male born in the United States is at risk here, in the land of freedom! Just last week, 400 hate crimes were reported, boys were grabbing girls’ private parts in school hallways and the KKK announced a victory celebration. College campuses no longer talk about rape or sexual violence. The new terminology, non-consensual sex, is watered down and further threatens women’s safety. And “heil”, as in âHeil Hitlerâ, is now re-entering our language. Reports are also emerging of women who were bullied into voting for our president-elect, and Trump’s sons were shown on camera looking at their wives’ ballots to ensure they voted properly. Are we losing our rights? Please join us Thursday to learn how women, who had been written out of history, had a huge influence on shaping Buddhism.
