Today I want to share some great news with you.
Two nuns with Geshema degrees have been hired to teach Tibetan Buddhist philosophy at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute.
For the first time, nuns are being taught these topics by other nuns, rather than by monks. This milestone would not be possible without supporters like you.
You’re making dreams come true! Geshema Tenzin Kunsel always dreamed of getting an education and
becoming a teacher. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam
I was in India in the early 90s when these two nuns escaped from Tibet and arrived in Dharamsala. They arrived destitute and exhausted from a long and difficult journey, but also full of hope.
Delek Wangmo was illiterate and Tenzin Kunsel had to leave school at age 12. Like the other nuns from Tibet, they risked their lives for the chance to freely practice their religion and with the hope of becoming educated in that tradition as well.
The Tibetan Nuns Project was able to organize food and shelter for them and to put in place an educational program giving them access to the full intellectual training of their Buddhist tradition.
I am thrilled by the power of education to transform the lives of the nuns.
The Geshema degree, which is equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and is the culmination of 17 years of study, was only opened up to the nuns in 2012. Now there are 37 Geshemas. They are a beacon of inspiration to all the other nuns.
We need your help to educate and empower more Tibetan nuns. Each gift has a huge ripple effect, reaching out to the wider world.
Your support in action. Delek Wangmo could barely read when she escaped from Tibet. Now she holds the Geshema degree, equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.
You’ve seen the rapid spread of mindfulness and meditation globally. Scientists have shown that these practices, rooted in Buddhism, have huge benefits. They reduce negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has become an international figure with his message of love, compassion, strengthening of inner values, concern for all others, and harmony between religious traditions.
The world needs the Tibetan nuns as teachers and leaders — now more than ever. By donating to the Tibetan Nuns Project, you are helping to save Tibet’s unique religion and culture at a time when it is severely threatened.
Inside Tibet, the situation is grim. Tibetans are not allowed to freely practice their religion, culture, and language. Nuns and monks are subject to constant surveillance.
Tibet’s religion and culture is a precious jewel that has much to offer the world. We are in danger of losing it.
I’d like to be able to tell you that the nuns no longer need your help, but sadly that’s not true. Nuns and monks have always relied on a caring community for food, shelter, and other basics of life.
Providing these crucial opportunities to the nuns living in the Tibetan refugee communities in India requires help from a caring global community.
Here’s what we’re focusing our fundraising efforts on. We’d love your help.
- Ensuring that all the nuns have sponsors
- Providing education for the nuns, such as training in debate, helping nuns take their Geshema exams, and paying for teachers’ salaries
- Maintaining the nunneries (mold prevention, security, water tank and road repairs, etc.)
Thank you so much for your generosity and dedication to the nuns!
Dr. Elizabeth Napper
Board Chair and U.S. Founder
P.S. A detailed list of our Current Needs is on our website.
To help you can:
- Make a gift online at tnp.org
- Call our office in Seattle, US at 1-206-652-8901
- Mail a check to: The Tibetan Nuns Project
815 Seattle Boulevard South #216, Seattle, WA 98134 USA - Give a gift of securities
- Leave a gift in your will to the Tibetan Nuns Project