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Abstract For a long time, Japanese Buddhist institutions considered women to be burdened with “five obstacles, three-fold submission,” which meant that women were left outside the blessings of attaining Buddhahood, spiritual salvation, or enlightenment. This prejudicial view no longer exists today, but it created complex responses, both from men and women. Despite this view, from the time of the introduction of Buddhism to Japan there have been ample cases of women dedicated to pursuing the spiritual life. The textual support for women came from three sources: the Lotus Sutra, the three Pure Land Sutras, and early Buddhist texts that vindicated women’s spiritual ability. A fascinating issue arises when we look into what kind of impact the ancient Shinto teachings added to this discourse of women’s spiritual salvation. In this presentation, two imperial princesses, Senshi (10-11th centuries) and Shikishi (11th century), who served as high priestess at Kamo Shrine in Kyoto, will be discussed. These women left their records of spiritual quest in their “waka,” the thirty-one-syllable short poems. Michiko Yusa is Professor of Japan Studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Her major publications include Zen and Philosophy: An Intellectual Biography of Nishida Kitarō (University of Hawaii Press, 2002); Japanese Religious Traditions (Prentice Hall, 2002), Denki Nishida Kitarō [A biography of Nishida Kitarō] (Tōeisha, 1998), and Basic Kanji with Matsuo Soga (Taishūkan, 1989, fourth printing 2001). Professor Yusa has also published numerous academic articles, essays, and book reviews. She is the past president of the international Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy.
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