Thirteen More Nuns Earn Highest Degree

In late November, 13 more Tibetan Buddhist nuns graduated with their Geshema degrees at a special convocation ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India.

The Geshema degree is the female equivalent of the Geshe degree for monks. It is the highest academic degree available in the Gelug tradition, roughly equivalent to a PhD.

The degree, once reserved for men, was only formally opened to women in 2012. The 13 new graduates are the 7th cohort of Geshemas since the degree was opened to women. The first 20 nuns graduated in 2016.

2024 Geshema Graduation and Annual Debate Event

The graduation was the culmination of the nuns’ annual inter-nunnery debate event called the Jang Gonchoe from 25th October to 27th November 2024.

The Geshema degree enables these dedicated women to assume various leadership roles in their monastic and lay communities reserved for degree holders and previously not open to women.

The Geshema exams took place in the summer and a record 144 nuns took various levels of the four-year exams.

Momentum is building and an increasing number of nuns wish to attain this highest academic standing. Many more nuns are saying in their introductory interviews that they want to pursue the rigorous 17-year training that precedes the four-year Geshema exam process.

They look to examples of Geshemas as teachers and leaders. They are inspired to follow in their footsteps. As of December 2024, there are 73 Geshemas.

2024 Jang Gonchoe Inter-Nunnery Debate

Throughout the year nuns practice debate daily at their nunneries. However, the Jang Gonchoe debate event provides essential training and practice that is vital for nuns who wish to pursue higher degrees.

Once again, hundreds of Tibetan Buddhist nuns from nunneries in India and Nepal gathered at the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya to take part in the month-long intensive training in monastic debate.

Throughout the year nuns practice debate daily at their nunneries. But, the Jang Gonchoe debate event provides the training and practice that is essential for nuns who wish to pursue higher degrees.

Support Long-Term Stability

The annual Geshema exams and the inter-nunnery debate are both funded by endowments and are now self-sustaining thanks to our generous supporters.

The nuns’ costs such as food and travel for month-long inter-nunnery debate are covered by the Debate Fund. Now we want to put more of our core programs on a sustainable footing with TNP’s Long-Term Stability Fund.

We are extremely grateful to the 159 donors to the Geshema Endowment, including the Pema Chodron Foundation, the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the Frederick Family Foundation, and the Donaldson Charitable Trust. We are also very grateful to all those who sponsor nuns and help them on their path.

Now we wish to put more of our core programs on a sustainable footing. To that end, we launched the Long-Term Stability Fund. Learn more and donate here.