Women's Dharma: Parwati Soepangat and Buddhist Feminist Theology in Postcolonial Indonesia*

Abstract

This article uses the life and career of Parwati Soepangat as a case study to shed light on the narrative of Buddhist women in postcolonial Indonesia. It contends that, unlike Theravāda Buddhist-majority nations in mainland Southeast Asia, Indonesia's lack of a patriarchal monastic authority allowed Buddhist women, like Parwati Soepangat, to emerge within the Indonesian Buddhayāna movement. This movement, advocating for inclusive and nonsectarian indigenous Buddhism, aimed to promote “Indonesian Buddhism” (agama Buddha Indonesia) as a diverse yet unified religion in harmony with the motto of “Unity in Diversity.” Through the examination of interviews, Buddhist publications, periodicals, and Parwati Soepangat's personal writings, this research delves into her dual minority status — both as a Buddhist and a woman — in a predominantly Muslim nation. As this article will illustrate, Parwati Soepangat championed the concept of “Buddhist feminist theology” (teologi feminis Buddha) and simultaneously advocated for gender equality and women's empowerment as strategic approaches to propagate Buddhist teachings throughout Indonesia and amplify women's participation in the Indonesian Buddhayāna movement.