Saskia Graf is a translator, project manager, and meditation teacher for Buddha-Stiftung, a secular Buddhist organization in Germany.

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On March 8, 2024, International Women's Day, the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards (OBWA) were presented for the 23rd time in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The OWBA honors Buddhist women from all over the world, both ordained and lay, from a wide variety of backgrounds for their merits in various areas such as teaching the Buddha Dharma, meditation, social commitment and arts.

This award is much more than a personal recognition, as it emphasizes the collaborative efforts to promote gender equality in Buddhism, the transformative power of Buddhist practice to change the structure of culture and society in a wholesome way, and the importance of an open, secular approach to the Buddha Dharma. After Martine Batchelor, who was honored with the OWBA two years ago, I was very pleased to receive this recognition as another representative of an open, secular Buddhism.

OWBA award ceremony

The award ceremony, which was attended by more than 800 international guests on site and numerous online guests, was hard to beat in terms of dignity, solemnity and shared joy at what has already been achieved for women in Buddhism over the past decades.

The ceremony was opened by the entry of the 31 award winners, followed by flag bearers presenting the flags of their 16 countries of origin. Afterwards, high dignitaries from Taiwanese politics and international Buddhist associations emphasized the importance of equal opportunities, freedom and openness in Buddhism and everyday life, and paid tribute to the merits of the award winners.

The presentation of the awards by the Bhikkhunis Jian Yin, Dr. Ming Yu, Rattanavali and Dr. Lee was characterized by gratitude, appreciation, compassion and mindfulness. This atmosphere of appreciation, solemnity and deep humanity touched me to the core.

The supporting program was varied and atmospheric with dance and music by indigenous mountain peoples.On this and the other days, ordained and lay people danced and sang exuberantly together. Everyone felt and celebrated a sense of community and unity in the richness of diversity, regardless of their origin, Buddhist lineage or hierarchical position in their tradition.

Award for commitment to secular Buddhism

I received the award for teaching and promoting an open, secular Buddhism at the Buddha Foundation. The award letter reads: ‘We would like to honour you for responding to the needs of humanity with compassion and wisdom and for sharing your giftedness with others by teaching the Dharma and meditation. You inspire people by offering a secular approach to the Dharma and by creating opportunities for meditation and Dharma discussions 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 charity projects that offer shelter and educational opportunities for girls and women.’

I was very touched that both ordained and lay people approached me to express their appreciation for the fact that we in the West teach Buddhism in a way that is contemporary and 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 more and more people in the West were interested in Buddhism. Some emphasized that Buddhism also has very different forms in Asia and that it is therefore important to develop a Buddhism in Europe that corresponds to our progressive, science-based 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 underlines its relevance and importance for today's world and is in line with my conviction to draw on the richness inherent in the various Buddhist traditions and to harness it with the combined forces of wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings and the preservation of our planet, to alleviate suffering in the world and to bring about positive change.

Generous excursion and supporting program

The hospitality and friendliness with which we were received and accompanied in Taiwan was overwhelming. Volunteers translated for us and looked after us lovingly. The entire process and the logistics with buses (due to the large Korean delegation, we were a group of over 180 people) were excellently organized and we saw a lot of Taiwan's fascinating nature and several impressive temples that house impressive art treasures. We were greeted with great hospitality everywhere we went and were able to enjoy an overwhelming selection of delicious food.

On the day of arrival, we visited the Miao Guang Chan Monastery, where there were some short opening speeches, dance performances and music as well as an impressive banquet.

After the award ceremony, we were able to visit Fo Guang Shan Monastery, which is committed to humanistic Buddhism, which - like open, secular Buddhism - is a modern development within Buddhism that focuses practice on everyday life, on this life, and emphasizes caring for this world rather than renouncing it. It is the largest monastery in Taiwan and is home to the highest number of ordained monks. The monastery includes a major art museum, and also runs extensive social and medical programs, including orphanages, homes for the elderly, a hospital with free medical care and mobile units for remote villages, providing clothing and food for the socially disadvantaged, and projects for species and nature conservation. The monastery also runs several kindergartens, schools, training centers and universities with a strictly secular orientation.

The next day we visited the Chung Tai Chan monastery. At 136 meters, it is the tallest monastery in the world and the second largest in Taiwan. The monastery is an architectural masterpiece and the interior has been stylishly designed by the best craftsmen using a wide variety of high-quality materials. After an excellent guided tour of the impressive main building, we were treated to a sumptuous selection of delicious traditional dishes.

We then visited the Diyuan Temple. The monastery impresses with its rich artistic decoration. In the large main hall, all the walls are decorated with large jade reliefs from Buddha's life, created jointly by masters from Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea. The hall on the upper floor is also very special with its modern, colourful, and local style. The monastery is also home to the largest reclining Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, carved from camphor wood, countless statues of arahats in the forecourts and an art museum that is well worth a visit.

The closing ceremony took place at Miao Chon Monastery. First, Buddha's birthday was celebrated with a traditional Buddha bathing ceremony. Buddha statues and white elephants were solemnly carried to the monastery in a procession on stands decorated with magnificent flower arrangements, accompanied by dancing and traditional music. Groups from various Buddhist traditions and even a Christian group from the local hill tribes took part in the procession. Then, all the awardees and the monastery community offered incense and gifts. Afterwards, the Buddha statues were doused with tea flowing from a fountain.

After the Buddha bathing ceremony, everyone went into the courtyard, where a huge cloth showing Taiwan was spread out on tables. Everyone brought lotus-shaped candles and placed them on the cloth. Then we were asked to pray, wish and hope together that Taiwan would remain a free country. (Already at the opening ceremony, the speeches of the politicians clearly expressed how great the fear of a Chinese invasion is and how important the values of freedom and democracy are in the Republic of Taiwan)

The final program was also impressive. The cheerfulness, lightness and exuberance with which everyone celebrated, laughed, danced and sang together was extremely moving and, of course, the banquet was once again exquisite.

When I think back to the days in Taiwan, I am still deeply touched. I got to know many interesting, impressive women, met the Bhikkhunis Dr. Lee and Rattanavali, who are in charge of the Buddha-Stiftung's BuddhiRefuge project on site, made friends and networked with each other. I am deeply grateful to the organizers for making this unforgettable award ceremony possible.

Let us continue to work together to create a Buddhist community and, beyond that, a culture and society of awakening that embodies the universal values of compassion and wisdom and enables true gender equality, women's empowerment, and equal opportunities.