She Is Inspiring Students to Study, Expand Role of Women in Shin Buddhism
To donate to the IBS Eshinni and Kakushinni Chair, please visit: https://www.shin-ibs.edu/eshinni/. Check donations, made payable to the Institute of Buddhist Studies, can be sent to: The Institute of Buddhist Studies, Office of Development, 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704.
I remember the first time I spoke at length with Dr. Paula Arai — it was at the retirement dinner this past year for Dr. Richard Payne, the former Dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS).
By chance, she sat at my table, and after introductions and toasts, she began excitedly sharing a new project she was working on: inviting Buddhist women to create images of female Buddhas.
“Because all of the images are usually of men,” she explained. “And even when there are women, it’s so rare. How many images are there of Eshinni? Maybe two?”
Her excitement was contagious, and soon all the women at the table were sharing stories of their own practices and experiences as Buddhist women.
I’m not easily influenced, so I was surprised that when I got home that night, I started creating images of female Buddhas myself. Younger women, white American women who looked like me. It was as if Dr. Arai’s enthusiasm and sincerity had planted a seed in me and watered it enough to grow into something I had to express.
IBS is fortunate to have Dr. Arai as our current Eshinni and Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies, where she continues to touch and inspire students in the same way she inspired me. But what exactly is the Eshinni and Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies?
Most funding at universities and graduate schools come from endowments, which are essentially large investments made up of philanthropic gifts. Schools withdraw a small percentage each year to support faculty salaries and other expenses. A professorial chair is a permanently funded position at a university or college, supported by the income from a dedicated endowment. The Eshinni and Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies is one such chair, funding the salary of Dr. Arai and other such expenses.
Established in November 2020 by IBS, with the BCA Federation of Buddhist Women’s Associations (FBWA) as founding donors, this professorial chair honors Eshinni and Kakushinni, pivotal female figures in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and the wife and daughter of Shinran Shonin, respectively.
Our fundraising goal is $3 million, which would generate enough annual income to support the professor’s salary, research and related expenses for the study of women and Buddhism at IBS. Currently part of the Dharma Forward campaign, the fund has raised over $700,000 to date.
Dr. Arai has published the well-known books “Women Living Zen,” “Bringing Zen Home,” and “The Little Book of Zen Rituals.” A theme that runs through her research and practice is gratitude.
Reflecting on how the Eshinni and Kakushinni chair arose from a desire from the Jodo Shinshu community to study and amplify women’s voices, she said this chair “affirms the value of devoting decades of my life to researching the contributions and experiences of Buddhist women. Being the first steward of this chair, I am aware of the countless women who came before me. They planted seeds of liberation that enable us to enjoy the fruits of their commitments. For this, I am humbled and grateful beyond measure.”
Students also appreciate how Dr. Arai supports and encourages non-traditional and creative ways of doing scholarship.
Amy Shoemaker, a current Master of Divinity student at IBS said, “Professor Arai’s Methods course, in addition to her own work on creatively imagining through narrative, introduced me to literature and creative writing as valid and important academic methodologies that can help us better understand and apply Buddhist teachings. This, along with her infectious enthusiasm and eager support, helped give me the confidence to pursue my interest in narratives and storytelling as part of my master’s thesis.”
Looking toward the future, Dr. Arai said she would like to continue encouraging students to “unlearn narrow narratives that do not include women, hone interpretive strategies that do include women, and explore methods that empower people to see the myriad ways that women engage the Dharma.”
She would also like to create “public-facing resources and activities that people can turn to learn more about women and Buddhism.”
Currently, Dr. Arai is initiating a project to highlight student work on women and Buddhism that will be available on the IBS website. She is also involved with her ongoing writing and scholarship.
Women have always played a crucial role in the protection and nourishment of the Buddha-Dharma. This important role is highlighted and supported by the Eshinni Kakushinni Chair, which allows us to fund Dr. Arai’s unique and powerful vision.
We ask for your support in generating sufficient funds to continue this important work.
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