Grandmama Ba

In today's class discussion we loosely covered the role of women within some eastern religions. I thought it would be important to share my story and shed light on an interesting topic. In Theravada Buddhism, women have the opportunity to hold the title of "bhikkhuni," similar to a nun. They are very respected within the Buddhist community. These women shave their heads, dress in the traditional orange robes, do not own anything, and they live in monasteries. I grew up in a very Vietnamese household. Though I am mixed (Latina, Black, Native American, Scottish), my aunt (VERY Mexican and Black) married a Vietnamese immigrant around the time I was 2 years old. They lived with me and my ma until I was about 9. Our families became one and my new uncle James' mother became my babysitter while my mad worked. I called her Ba (like a sheep) it is Vietnamese for Grandmother. This woman knew a handful of English words but she managed to have the greatest impact on me. She was a buddhist nun and because they couldn't own property, her house was converted to a monastery. I actually lived there for a while and my everyday childhood life was surrounded by buddhist monks. I learned to pray and make spring rolls and ate hella banh bo. I must have looked ridiculous; this little brown girl referring to a Vietnamese monk as her grandmama and holding her hand while we walked around costco. She died of breast cancer when I was 10 but I learned so much from her. She didn't have any grandkids yet but she treated me like her own. As a child, I spoke very little Vietnamese but I was able to learn first hand about the principles of Buddhism and, even to this day, I still try to live my life based on the Buddhist teachings I learned from the dopest monk grandmama in the world. Learning about Buddhism in the textbook is rather interesting for me, as I am able to connect academia to some of my earliest childhood memories. When we were discussing the role of women in some Buddhist religions, I remembered my Grandmama Ba, but then I realized how little of a role women have in some other religions. What does the role of women mean in the bigger picture of religion? Just some thoughts.