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How American Women Are Changing Buddhism, Cassie Goode

Senior Theses and Projects

In my thesis I argued that American women are changing Buddhism by incorporating Western ideas into the tradition, and that Buddhism changes Americans by giving them modern principles and teachings. I gave descriptions of eight women, half ordained nuns and half Buddhist teachers, to show what they are doing to change and “Americanize” the religion. In the final chapter, I gave abortion as a case study to how Buddhist principles are being used to help American women cope with an abortion. This except is from the chapter on abortion.