First Buddhist Women Poems and Stories of Awakening

First Buddhist Women traces the journey of the wives, mothers, teachers, courtesans, prostitutes, and wanderers who became the first female disciples of the Buddha. Susan Murcott's lively translation and commentary of the Therigatha, the earliest known collection of women's religious poetry, is surprisingly timeless, addressing issues of spiritual enlightenment and societal expectations that are still relevant today.

Susan Murcott was draw to Buddhism as a peace activist in Boston in the late 1960’s. She traveled to Japan, Australia, and Hawaii to study Zen and Buddhist philosophy, and spent more than 10 years researching and translating this text. She was a co-founder and editor of Kahawai: Journal of Women and Zen for many years, and taught meditation at Wellesley College while completing her graduate studies in environmental engineering at M.I.T. Today, Susan Murcott is a world expert in safe drinking water technologies for developing countries.