Award Ceremony for Outstanding Buddhist Women
The Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards (OWBA) honor Buddhist women worldwide from diverse backgrounds who are exceptionally engaged in various areas of life, have achieved extraordinary things, and can be a source of inspiration and courage for all of us.
Two Buddhist nuns, the founders of the IWMCF (International Women’s Meditation Center Foundation), whose work for women the Buddha Foundation supports with the BuddhiRefuge project, initiated the award.
Award as Part of an International Buddhist Women’s Movement
Thai Bhikkhuni Rattanavali and American Bhikkhuni Dr. Lee had the idea to honor the achievements of Buddhist women on the United Nations International Women’s Day with an award. This idea originated in March 2001, inspired by two Events:
1. The “Outstanding Women’s Awards in Thailand”, organized by the Gender and Development Research Institute
2. The guest lecture by the Venerable Bhikkhuni Dr. Lee at the United Nations in Bangkok in honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2001
The nuns recognized the positive influence of these Events on the role and status of women. . They contacted Dr. Tavivat Puntarigvivat, Research Director of the World Buddhist University, World Fellowship of Buddhists in Bangkok, who advocates for women’s rights in general and gender equality in Buddhism in particular. Bhiksuni Kuang Saeng, head of the Guanyin Temple in Bangkok, provided knowledge, guidance, encouragement, and practical support.
How an Award Ceremony Gave Rise to the International Buddhist Nuns’ Association
From 2005 to 2008, Bhiksuni Shiou-I held the presidency of the OWBA. In 2012, Bhiksuni Ming Yu, President of the Chinese Young Buddhist Association in Taiwan, became President of the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards and has held this position since, together with Bhikkhunis Rattanavali and Dr. Lee. In 2016, Bhiksuni Pu Huei, President of the Taiwanese Bhiksuni Association, became Honorary President of the OWBA, and Bhiksuni Jian Yin from Taiwan became Vice President of the OWBA. Also in 2016, during a conversation with Pu Huei and Jian Yin, Dr. Lee and Rattanavali proposed establishing an international Bhikkhuni association and asked Taiwan to found it. This led to the establishment of the World Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association in November 2016 at Wangfang Temple in Pingtung, Taiwan.
The Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards are part of an international women’s movement that advocates for change and honors the courage and determination of women throughout Buddhist history.
The award ceremony for exceptional women in Buddhism took place in 2002 and 2003 at the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women in Bangkok. From 2004 to 2008, the event was held at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok, thanks to the hospitality of Mettanando Bhikkhu. From 2008 to 2011, the OWBA ceremony took place at the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women. In 2012, the venue was Chulalongkorn University; in 2013, Guanyin Bodhisattava’s Hall; in 2014, the Buddha Savika Foundation; and in 2015, the A Handful of Leaves Project in Chiang Mai. In 2016, the event was held at the Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation in Hualien, Taiwan, chaired by Bhiksuni Cheng Yen. In 2017, the event took place at the Emerald Hotel in Bangkok and coincided with the founding of the Global Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association. In 2018, the event was held at the International Women’s Meditation Center, the OWBA headquarters, in Rayong, Thailand. In 2019, the Nipunin Meditation Center in Pak Tong Chai, Nakhon Ratchasima, hosted the event. The 2020-22 award ceremonies were conducted via Zoom due to the Corona pandemic.
Award for Saskia Graf for Her Commitment to Secular Buddhism
In 2024, our colleague Saskia Graf received the award and wrote a report about it:
“I received the award for teaching and promoting an open, secular Buddhism at the Buddha Foundation. The award letter states: “We want to honor you for responding to the needs of humanity with compassion and wisdom and for sharing your talents with others by teaching Dhamma and meditation. You inspire people by offering a secular approach to Dharma and by creating opportunities for meditation and Dhamma discussions, among other things, in German-speaking countries. Your impulses profoundly touch the psyche of society and contribute to transformation. We thank you for your commitment to cross-traditional cooperation and your dedication to aid projects that offer protection and educational opportunities for girls and women.”
I was very touched that both monastics and lay practitioners in Taiwan approached me to express their appreciation for how we in the West teach Buddhism in a contemporary way appropriate to our culture. They reported that more and more people in their countries were turning away from Buddhism. They were all the more pleased that an increasing number of people in the West were becoming interested in Buddhism. Some emphasized that Buddhism also has very different forms in Asia, and that it is therefore important to develop a form of Buddhism in Europe that corresponds to our progressive, enlightened society.
While traditional groups in the West often struggle with, reject, or feel threatened by an open, secular Buddhism, secular Buddhism is recognized in Asia as a contemporary, legitimate interpretation of Buddhism. This underscores its relevance and importance for today’s world and aligns with my conviction to draw from the richness inherent in the various Buddhist traditions, and to utilize it with combined efforts, wisdom, and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings and the preservation of our planet, to alleviate suffering in the world and bring about positive change.
