Boddhisattva from cave 57 at Dunhuang, China
Special Programs Music & Performance

Gender Equality and the Vimalakirti Sutra

  • This is a past program

A foundational text of Zen Buddhism, the Vimalakirti Sutra from the 1st century CE is one of the most radical and visionary texts in the Buddhist canon, abounding in images of miracles, transformations, and manifestations. One of its most potent chapters, “The Goddess,” proposes a case for gender equality, one of the earliest and boldest statements on this topic in world history. Director Peter Sellars, working with choreographer and dancer Michael Schumacher and composer and musician Ganavya, presents a workshop exploring the embodiments and enactments of the Sutra’s teachings.

All Hammer public programs are free and made possible by a major gift from an anonymous donor.

Generous support is also provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, Good Works Foundation and Laura Donnelley, The Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, an anonymous donor, and all Hammer members.

Public programs advancing social justice are presented by the Ford Foundation.

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