You may wish to take a look at Miranda Shaw, Passionate Enlightenment (Princeton),
but do exercise some caution here: Ronald Davidson, Esoteric Buddhism in India (Columbia),
among others, has sharply questioned the social-historical realities underlying the representations of
women drawn on by Shaw.
Of course, within the Tamil tradition the Cilappatikaram, though not written by a woman,
does include a famous narrative of a woman's study of Buddhist logic.
Several of the Mahayana sutras, e.g., the "Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala," prominently feature
learned women. Diana Paul, Women in Buddhism (CAL), offers further examples.
Matthew Kapstein
Directeur
d'études,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies,
The University of Chicago