Category Archives: Education

Nuns Take on Leadership of Dolma Ling Nunnery

Change from Male Principal to Leadership by the Nuns

On April 17, 2025, the nuns celebrated big changes in the leadership at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. For the first time since the nunnery was inaugurated 20 years ago, Dolma Ling has transitioned from having a male principal to leadership by the nuns themselves.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns take on leadership of Dolma Ling Nunnery April 17 2025 for blog

Three Tibetan Buddhist nuns have taken on the leadership of Dolma Ling Nunnery. From left to right: Venerable Ngawang Palmo, Rinchen Khando Choegyal (TNP’s Founding Director and Special Advisor), the former principal who is stepping down, Nangsa Choedon (Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India), Geshema Delek Wangmo (new principal), Geshema Tenzin Dolma, Tenzin Palkyi (Assistant Director, TNP India).

In a change that reflects a shift toward a more collective approach to leadership, responsibilities will be divided between three nuns instead of having one principal. The leadership terms will last three years. After that, the Tibetan Nuns Project and the Nuns’ Committee will decide if they want to keep the nomination process or switch to an election system.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns gather outside prayer hall at Dolma Ling April 17 2025

Tibetan Buddhist nuns gather outside the prayer hall at Dolma Ling carrying kataks, traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarves that they will offer the three nunnery leaders as a sign of respect and congratulations.

For the academic side, Geshema Delek Wangmo will take on the role of the nunnery’s principal, handling all academic matters. Two other nuns, Venerable Ngawang Palmo and Geshema Tenzin Dolma, will share the responsibility for the administration of the nunnery.

The Three Nuns Taking on the Leadership

“It is so inspiring to see the nuns taking on the leadership of Dolma Ling and becoming even further role models for their community,” says Lisa Farmer, Executive Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project. “We are so grateful to our supporters for their kindness and generosity. Our work would not be possible without their dedication to the nuns.”

presenting kataks to nunnery leaders at Dolma Ling

Rinchen Khando Choegyal (right), TNP’s Founding Director and Special Advisor, and Nangsa Choedon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India, present kataks to the leaders of the nunnery at a special celebration on April 17, 2025.

Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics is a non-sectarian nunnery located in the Kangra valley near Dharamsala, northern India. The large campus is currently home to about 277 nuns. It is one of two nunneries built and fully supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. Here are brief biographies of the three nuns now leading the nunnery.

Principal Geshema Delek Wangmo

Geshema Delek Wangmo’s journey to become a principal, Geshema, teacher, and a role model has been long and arduous. Her remarkable life story exemplifies resilience, determination, and a deep commitment to spiritual growth, inspiring others on their paths to enlightenment.

Born in 1970 in Litang in the Kham region of eastern Tibet, Delek Wangmo was ordained at 15 with Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. Her village, Detsa, did not have a school and she spent most of her time tending animals with her nomadic family.

When she was 19, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche led her and other nuns on an 18-month, 950-mile pilgrimage from their home province to Lhasa with the group prostrating the entire way. She began learning the Tibetan alphabet on the pilgrimage. After escaping from Tibet in 1990, she and other nuns lived in a rental house funded by the Tibetan Nuns Project, studying in the early morning and late evening while actively participating in the construction of their new nunnery, Dolma Ling.

Geshema Delek Wangmo new principal of Dolma Ling April 17 2025

Geshema Delek Wangmo, the new principal of Dolma Ling, being offered Tibetan ceremonial scarves as a act of respect and congratulations. She was virtually illiterate when she escaped from Tibet and now holds the highest degree in her tradition. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

After years of study, Delek Wangmo earned her Geshema degree in 2017. She then became part of the first group of nuns allowed to study at Gyuto Tantric University, also a part of the traditional education for monks. After completing her education, Geshema Delek Wangmo became a philosophy teacher at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed as an election commissioner by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. You can read more of her remarkable story here.

Venerable Ngawang Palmo

Venerable Ngawang Palmo knew from the time she was little that she wanted to be a nun. She and her friends used to pretend to teach each other scriptures when they were playing. She was born in 1975 to a farming family in Central Tibet. She had some opportunities for education in Tibet. At age 7, she went to school for three months a year and began learning Tibetan, but the 9-month gaps in learning made it hard to progress.

nuns take on leadership at Dolma Ling Nunnery

On April 17, 2025, the nuns and special guests gathered in the prayer hall at Dolma Ling to celebrate the nuns taking on the leadership of the nunnery. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

At 13, she became ordained as a nun and lived at Gari Nunnery until 1992. However, because of Chinese restrictions, she received no proper and systematic education there. Moreover, after some of the Gari nuns celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, Chinese authorities arrested and expelled many nuns. In 1992, Ngawang Palmo escaped on foot from Tibet seeking education and the freedom to practice her religion.

Venerable Ngawang Palmo brings a wealth of experience to her new role. In addition to her years of studies, she has held many administrative positions at Dolma Ling, including as librarian and treasurer. She served in the Changdzö office, which is responsible for the nunnery’s finances and property. The Changdzö nuns have several duties. They receive and distribute offering money. They also run the nunnery store and make purchases for the nunnery. Venerable Ngawang Palmo was one of seven nuns on the Administration Committee overseeing major decisions for the institution.

Geshema Tenzin Dolma

Geshema Tenzin Dolma was born in Kinnaur, a small village in the Indian Himalayas. Her family were farmers and she spent a lot of time working in the fields and helping her mother at home. There was a nearby Indian government school. However, her school life was brief. She attended primary school until Grade 5, then dropped out to help her family.

After a nun from Dolma Ling came to her village for holidays, Tenzin Dolma decided to become a nun and pursue her education. She became a nun at 18 and came to Dharamsala, joining Dolma Ling first as a day student before she got full admission in 1999. She found the early days challenging because she couldn’t read and write Tibetan, and she struggled to learn the alphabet. Also, the temporary living conditions for the nuns were difficult. She recalled, “During those days, Dolma Ling Nunnery was under construction and we had to help the builders most of the days. We didn’t even have a proper kitchen and we didn’t use gas. We had to go out to find wood for cooking.”

When Tenzin Dolma joined Dolma Ling as a day student in 1998, the nunnery was under construction. Here’s an archival photo of a nun holding a paper model of the nunnery in front of the construction site. Thanks to your support, Dolma Ling is now a thriving educational center.

Tenzin Dolma worked hard and excelled. She earned her Geshema degree, equal to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, in 2017. She was one of the second group of nuns to achieve this. Like Principal Geshema Delek Wangmo, in 2019 she completed a year-long course in Tantric Studies at Gyuto Tantric Monastery. This groundbreaking program funded by Tibetan Nuns Project donors provides dedicated senior nuns training in tantric theory, rituals, and mind-training techniques used by those engaged in advanced meditation.

“I have learned lots of new things at Dolma Ling. I think to myself that if I were in my village, I would have missed all these opportunities to develop myself and find a meaning and value of life.” Geshema Tenzin Dolma is very grateful to the supporters of the Tibetan Nuns Project and to Dolma Ling.

About Dolma Ling

Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics is a non-sectarian nunnery near Dharamsala, northern India. The large campus is now home to 277 nuns.

Rinchen Khando Choegyal TNP Founding Director and Special Advisor

Rinchen Khando Choegyal, the Tibetan Nuns Project’s Founding Director and Special Advisor, with a nun at Dolma Ling at the celebration on April 17th.

Officially inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 8, 2005, the nunnery is fully funded by the Tibetan Nuns Project and was the first institute dedicated specifically to higher Buddhist education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns from all traditions.

Dolma Ling is unique because it offers a 17-year curriculum of traditional Buddhist philosophy and debate, as well as modern courses in Tibetan language, English, basic mathematics, and computer skills. The nuns also receive training in the ritual arts such as sand mandalas and butter sculpture. The nunnery was completed after 12 years of hard work. The nuns helped to build the nunnery and work diligently to maintain it.

For the first nuns who fled to India, such academic and leadership successes would have seemed almost impossible. Almost all the nuns who arrived as refugees had received no formal education. Many could not even write their names.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India building a nunnery photo Jessica Tampas copy

Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India building Dolma Ling. Photo by Jessica Tampas.

When the nuns arrived in India, they were ill, exhausted, traumatized and impoverished. Many nuns had faced torture and imprisonment at the hands of the Chinese authorities in Tibet and endured immense physical and emotional pain. The existing nunneries in the struggling Tibetan refugee community in India were already overcrowded and could not accommodate them.

The Tibetan Nuns Project, with your support, had to focus on the basics of education. This included setting up classes, building a curriculum, ensuring regular attendance, and administering tests. Those who have always had access to education might take these systems for granted. However, for the nuns, every part of an education system had to be established from scratch.

The new academic year began at Dolma Ling on March 17, 2025. Unfortunately, the nunnery is now so crowded that it is not possible to take in new nuns for this academic year. In April, we launched a project to help build special housing for elderly nuns. The Tibetan Nuns Project has set up a Long-Term Stability Fund to support our main programs. These include education, food, shelter, clothing, and basic medical care for the nuns.

Annual Graduation Ceremonies Held at Shugsep and Dolma Ling Nunneries

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In April, the two Tibetan Buddhist nunneries built and fully supported by Tibetan Nuns Project donors held their annual graduation ceremonies. We are delighted to share this news and the nuns’ photos. We send deepest thanks to all those who sponsor a nun at the nunneries.

Shugsep Nunnery Graduation Ceremony on April 5, 2025

Shugsep Nunnery and Institute, now home to about 100 nuns, is a Nyingma nunnery re-established in northern India and inaugurated 15 years ago in 2010. On April 5, the nunnery held its annual graduation ceremony. The chief guest was Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, alongside our Founding Director and Special Advisor Kasur Rinchen Khandro, Secretary Dudrul Dorjee from the Department of Religion and Culture, and Nangsa Choedon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India.

Rinchen Khando Choegyal, the Tibetan Nuns Project Founding Director and Special Advisor, at the annual Shugsep graduation ceremony on April 5, 2025.

The ceremony recognized the nuns’ various achievements. The Speaker presented certificates to 4th, 7th, and 9th-year students. Other dignitaries awarded certificates to first-year philosophical college students, as well as to first-year and 4th-year students, primary school students, and those who received special recognition for root text memorization.

Shugsep Nunnery annual graduation ceremony April 2025

Chief guest, Venerable Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Speaker of the of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, presented certificates and the Shugsep graduation ceremony.

In his address, the Parliamentary Speaker emphasized the special responsibilities inherent in monastic life, stressing the importance of continuous mindfulness beyond routine practices. Drawing from the teachings of Acharya Vasubandhu, the Speaker outlined the core monastic educational path, which includes maintaining discipline, engaging in comprehensive study and contemplation, and dedicating oneself to diligent meditation. He noted that this approach has formed the foundation for accomplished scholars across all Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

Nangsa Choedon at the Shugsep Graduation ceremony

Nangsa Choedon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India, at the Shugsep Graduation ceremony.

The Speaker provided detailed explanations of these educational pillars, including maintaining discipline through adherence to monastic vows; learning through study by pursuing education with focused attention; contemplation, which involves repeatedly examining teachings through scriptural authority and reasoning; and meditation, which focuses on internalizing knowledge to transform one’s life.

He emphasized that true education should lead to visible personal transformation, stating, “If you remain unchanged year after year, your study, contemplation, and meditation are inadequate.” The Speaker urged students not only to change themselves but also to positively influence those around them.

The Tibetan Nuns Project’s Founding Director and Special Advisor, Kasur Rinchen Khandro, and Nangsa Choedon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India, both spoke at the event.

Quoting from Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, he said, “There is nothing that does not become easier through familiarization,” and added the Tibetan proverb, “All activities are practice; who is skilled among practitioners?” to underline the idea that consistent effort inevitably yields results.

The Speaker further highlighted the importance of diligence and comprehensive education, quoting The Words of My Perfect Teacher to discuss the relationship between wisdom and diligence. He noted that moderate wisdom, paired with excellent diligence, can yield superior results compared to excellent wisdom coupled with poor diligence.

Khenpo Sonam Tenphel of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile at the Shugsep graduation ceremony April 2025

Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, said that, in addition to traditional knowledge, students should also pursue modern sciences and languages to maximize their contributions to Tibetan religion, culture, and society.

The Speaker warned of the irreparable damage that educational deficiencies can cause, particularly concerning cultural and linguistic preservation. He concluded by calling for harmony among all present, quoting Bodhicharyavatara: “May the Sangha always be in harmony, and may the purposes of the Sangha be fulfilled.”

Annual Award Ceremony at Dolma Ling Nunnery

On April 9, 2025, the Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute held an award ceremony to honor the top achievers of the 2024 final examinations.

Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics is a non-sectarian nunnery near Dharamsala and is home to about 277 nuns. It was inaugurated in 2005 and was the first institute dedicated to higher Buddhist education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns from all traditions.

Dolma Ling academic award ceremony April 2025

The Dolma Ling academic award ceremony on April 9, 2025. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

Kabjye Yongzin Ling Choktrul Rinpoche was the Chief Guest at the award ceremony. Secretary Dhondul Dorjee from the Department of Religion and Culture and Secretary Jigme Namgyal from the Department of Education attended the event as special guests.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling receive awards from Kabjye Yongzin Ling Choktrul Rinpoche April 9 2025

Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling receive academic awards from special guest Kabjye Yongzin Ling Choktrul Rinpoche at a ceremony on April 9, 2025.

It was also attended by the Tibetan Nuns Project’s founding director and special advisor Kasur Rinchen Khando, and Nangsa Choedon, the Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India.

Academic award ceremony at Dolma Ling Nunnery April 9 2025

Over 270 Tibetan Buddhist nuns gathered in the debate courtyard at Dolma Ling on April 9th for the annual ceremony honoring academic achievements. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The ceremony began with the principal’s report on the history and educational activities of the Dolma Ling. Then the distinguished guests gave the awards of academic excellence to the top-performing students.

How You Can Support Nuns’ Education

Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India rely on outside support. There are many ways that you can help educate and empower the nuns including:

Sponsor a nun for $1 a day.
Become a monthly donor at any amount you choose.
Support teachers by helping to fund teachers’ salaries at various nunneries
Donate to our Long-Term Stability Fund to put our core programs on solid ground.
Leave a legacy gift to the Tibetan Nuns Project.

Blog credit: With reporting from tibet.net

A Paradigm Shift for Tibetan Buddhist Nuns

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A Paradigm Shift

Less than ten years ago, the first Tibetan Buddhist nuns made history when they graduated with the Geshema degree, equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhism.

Until 2012, the highest degree was only open to men. The 2016 Geshema graduation ceremony, presided over by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, marked a new chapter in the education of ordained Buddhist women.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama blesses the Geshema nuns who have completed their further studies in Tantric Buddhism.

This winter, His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessed the Geshema nuns who completed a one-year program in Tantric Buddhism. The laywomen are Nangsa Choedon, Director (top) and Tenzin Palkyi, Project Coordinator at the Tibetan Nuns Project in India.

Their success fulfilled a longstanding wish of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the patron of the Tibetan Nuns Project. It was even more remarkable because some of the nuns were illiterate when they escaped from Tibet.

Since those first 20 nuns stepped across the stage to make history, many nuns have followed in their footsteps. Last year, a record 144 nuns sat various levels of the four-year Geshemas exams and 13 graduated as Geshemas, bringing the total number of Geshemas to 73.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the 20 Geshema graduates in 2016. Photo courtesy of OHHDL.

This change in the status and education of Tibetan Buddhist nuns would not have been possible without the steadfast generosity of our supporters. Thank you! The Geshemas are now assuming leadership and teaching roles previously closed to women.

Fifth Set of Graduates from the Tantric Studies Program

Last month, on February 19th, 2025, nine Geshemas graduated from the year-long Tantric Studies program at Gyuto Tantric University near Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute.

Here’s a charming video of the graduation made by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns. Can’t see the video? Click here.

The Tibetan Nuns Project launched the Tantric Buddhism study program in 2017 thanks to the support of generous donors. Although there have been accomplished female practitioners in Tibet’s history, women have never before been given such an opportunity to formally study Tantric Buddhism.

A Tibetan Buddhist nun receives a blessing from His Holiness the Dalai Lama Dec 2024

A Geshema receives blessings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in December 2024 after completing a one-year program in Tantric Buddhism. These women pioneers have accomplished a level of scholarship and Buddhist training that, until recently, was only open to men.

Another Step Towards Equality

The Tibetan Nuns Project has played a pivotal role in advocating for equality of access to education and higher degrees. The Tantric Buddhism program for nuns helps bring them more in line with monks for learning opportunities and advancement along the spiritual path.

Once monks attain their Geshe degree, if they want to be fully qualified masters capable of teaching their complete tradition, they must add to their knowledge an understanding of the principles of Tantra and the main Tantric practices of their tradition. For these studies, monks usually join one of the two Tantric Colleges where they have access to highly qualified teachers, texts, and a supportive community of practitioners. Until recently, these options weren’t available to nuns.

Tantric studies, Tibetan nuns, Tibetan Buddhism, Dolma Ling

For the first time in the history of Tibet, Buddhist nuns have the opportunity to formally study Tantric Buddhism. The program started in 2017 and now the fifth set of nuns has graduated. Photo courtesy of the Nuns Media Team.

The Tantric studies program for nuns began in 2017 after a committee of representatives from six nunneries approached His Holiness the Dalai Lama for advice about the curriculum and how to proceed.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama kindly gave detailed instructions about the treatises to be used and recommended that the Geshema nuns study as a group at Dolma Ling Nunnery. The first Geshemas graduated in 2019.

Tibetan Buddhist nun graduates from Tantric Buddhism Program Feb 2025

Nangsa Chodon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India, presents the degree certificate at the graduation ceremony on February 19, 2025, for the fifth group of Geshemas who completed their studies in Tantric Buddhism.

The Tantric Studies program will continue as more nuns obtain the Geshema degree. In January 2025, the Tibetan Nuns Project completed the funding for 16 rooms at Dolma Ling where the Geshemas from India and Nepal can stay while they take the program. This is an exciting development of a safe space for the nuns to stay and focus on their studies.

Building a Solid Future

The Tantric studies program for nuns is funded through our Geshema Endowment which also supports the annual Geshema exams and the Geshema graduation each November. 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.

Feb 2025 Graduation ceremony for Tibetan Buddhist Geshemas who completed their one-year program in Tantric Buddhism

On February 19, 2025, the fifth cohort of Geshemas graduated from their one-year program in Tantric Buddhism. Nine nuns graduated from this special program launched by the Tibetan Nuns Project in 2017.

The Tibetan Nuns Project wants to put more of its core programs on solid ground through our Long-Term Stability Fund and through encouraging supporters to leave a legacy of compassion to help the nuns.

As one supporter said, “A donation to this cause benefits beyond helping just the nuns… it benefits the Tibetan culture, it benefits refugees from Tibet, it benefits education for women, it benefits the Buddhist religion and community and all of this spreads like a ripple of compassion for others beyond that community. This is not charity; it is an investment in humanity.”

Results Announced for the 2024 Geshema Exams

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Record Number of Nuns Take 2024 Geshema Exams

The 2024 Geshema exam results are in! During the summer a record number of Tibetan Buddhist nuns took various levels of the four-year exams for the Geshema degree. Of the 144 nuns, 123 passed which is an 85% pass rate. All 13 nuns who took their fourth and final year of exams passed.

Geshema exam results 2024, geshema exams

Nuns gather eagerly around the noticeboard at Dolma Ling Nunnery to read the results of the 2024 Geshema exams.

The Geshema degree is the highest level of training in the Gelugpa tradition and is equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. It is the same as the Geshe degree for monks but the ending “ma” marks it as referring to a woman. Until recently, this degree was reserved for men. It was only formally opened to women in 2012. This is a breakthrough for Tibetan Buddhist nuns’ education.

Nuns taking Geshema exams in 2024.

The 2024 Geshema exams were held from July 21st to August 15th at Jangchub Choeling Nunnery in Mundgod, South India. In an earlier blog we stated that 147 nuns were planning on taking exams in 2024, but several were unable to take part. The actual number was 144 — a new record.

Nuns from seven nunneries in India and Nepal took the exams as follows:
1st-year exams: 46 nuns, 30 passed
2nd year: 35 nuns took exams, 30 passed
3rd year: 50 nuns took exams, all 50 passed
4th and final year: 13 nuns took exams, all 13 passed

There has been a dramatic increase in nuns taking their Geshema exams. No exams were held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID pandemic.

The formal graduation ceremony for the 13 new Geshemas will occur in November 2024 after the annual inter-nunnery debate in Bodh Gaya. This will bring the total number of Geshemas to 73.

Here’s a list of the Geshema graduations since women were first allowed to take this degree in 2012:

2016: 20 nuns became Geshemas
2017: 6 nuns graduated as Geshemas
2018: 10 nuns became Geshemas
2019: 7 nuns graduated at the end of November
2020: exams cancelled due to the pandemic
2021: exams cancelled for a second year due to COVID
2022: 10 nuns became Geshemas
2023: 7 nuns graduated as Geshemas at the 6th convocation ceremony
2024: 13 nuns graduating in November

The Geshemas are paving the way for other nuns to follow in their footsteps and the momentum is building. Not long ago, this increased status of nuns was almost unimaginable and we are so grateful for your support to educate and empower these dedicated women!

More photos from the 2024 Geshema exams. Geshemas and Geshes are the most educated monastics, carrying much of the responsibility for preserving the Tibetan religion and culture.

The Geshema degree enables Tibetan Buddhist nuns to become teachers, leaders, and role models. It makes these dedicated women eligible to assume various leadership roles in their monastic and lay communities reserved for degree holders and previously not open to women.

Thank you to everyone who sent good luck messages to the nuns this year! We gathered the 172 messages and sent them to South India for everyone to read before and during the exams. Here’s a sample message from Sara: “Dear Dharma sisters and sources of inspiration, May your final study be effective and may you have every kind of confidence when you take your final exams. You are setting such an amazing example for all practitioners, but I think especially for women, all around the world.”

Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling depart for south India to take their Geshema exams.

Photos of nuns leaving Dolma Ling in June for their Geshema exams in Mundgod, South India. The nuns who took these photos said, “Courage, determination, and faith accompany our nuns on their exam journey.”

We are grateful to the 159 donors to the Geshema Endowment which funds the annual exams 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. Thank you also to everyone who sponsors a nun and helps them on their path.

Collage of photos from the 2024 Geshema exams. In her good luck message, Judith wrote, “I celebrate with all of you as you reach this amazing milestone in your studies. We so need monastics in the world –and especially nuns – who can teach the dharma with depth and insight. Those of us who support you from afar are overjoyed to see your many months of effort and study bear fruit. Wishing you great success in your exams!”

“Educating women is powerful,” said TNP’s Founding Director and Special Advisor Rinchen Khando Choegyal. “It’s about enabling the nuns to be teachers in their own right and to take on leadership roles at a critical time in our nation’s history.”

Thank you for your support and dedication to the Tibetan Buddhist nuns!

2024 Geshema Exams: Send a Good Luck Message!

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This summer, 147 Tibetan Buddhist nuns are taking various levels of their Geshema exams. You can send the nuns a good luck message by commenting on this blog. We’ll collect the messages and send them to the exam location.

The Geshema degree is the highest level of training in the Gelugpa tradition and is equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. It is the same as the Geshe degree for monks but the ending “ma” marks it as referring to a woman. The degree, until recently reserved for men, was only formally opened to women in 2012.

Tibetan Buddhist nun holding Geshema hat

Photo of a Geshema holding the yellow hat that signifies her degree. Detail of photo by Olivier Adam.

This year’s exams are being held in Mundgod, South India at Jangchub Choeling Nunnery because Dolma Ling could not provide enough space. One of our current projects is to build 16 more double-bed rooms at Dolma Ling for Geshema graduates who wish to do the advanced Tantric studies required to become fully qualified teachers of their tradition.

The 2024 Geshema exams will take place from July 21st to August 15th. Each year, the candidates gather in advance for a one-month study period before the roughly two weeks of written and oral (debate) exams start.

Geshema, nun Tibetan Buddhism, 2023 Geshema exams

A nun taking her Geshema exams in 2023. TNP’s Founding Director and Special Advisor Rinchen Khando Choegyal said, “Educating women is powerful… It’s about enabling the nuns to be teachers in their own right and to take on leadership roles at a critical time in our nation’s history.”

Geshemas teaching Tibetan children Feb 2022

Each winter, Geshemas at Dolma Ling help Tibetan refugee children learn Tibetan.

Geshes and Geshemas are the most educated monastics, carrying much of the responsibility for preserving the Tibetan religion and culture.

Once again, there is a record-breaking number of nuns taking various levels of the rigorous four-year exams. The nuns are from seven nunneries in India and Nepal. Here is the breakdown:
1st year exams: 45 nuns
2nd year: 37 nuns
3rd year: 52 nuns
4th and final year: 13 nuns

There are 15 more nuns than last year’s record 132 and 53 more nuns than in 2022. No exams were held in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID. All being well, there will be 13 more Geshemas formally graduating this fall.

chart showing number of nuns taking Geshema exams over the years

There’s a dramatic increase in nuns taking their Geshema exams. The Geshemas are paving the way for other nuns to follow in their footsteps and the momentum is building. Not long ago, this increased status of nuns was almost unimaginable and we are so grateful for your support to educate and empower these dedicated women!

As of June 2024, 60 nuns hold the Geshema degree. Here’s a list of the Geshema graduations since the formal approval in 2012:

2016: 20 nuns became Geshemas
2017: 6 nuns graduated as Geshemas
2018: 10 nuns became Geshemas
2019: 7 nuns graduated at the end of November
2020: exams cancelled due to the pandemic
2021: exams cancelled for a second year due to COVID
2022: 10 nuns became Geshemas
2023: 7 nuns graduated as Geshemas at the 6th convocation ceremony

Nuns from Dolma Ling departing on June 21st for their Geshema exams in Mundgod, South India. The nuns who took the photos wrote, “Courage, determination, and faith accompany our nuns on their exam journey.”

Here’s a video by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns of the 2023 Geshema exams. Can’t see the video? Click here.

We are extremely grateful to the 159 donors to the Geshema Endowment which funds the annual exams 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 everyone who sponsors a nun and helps them on their path.

When you’re facing big challenges, it’s great to know that people are sending you support. Nuns at Dolma Ling reading good luck messages in 2016. Share a message for 2024 by commenting on the blog.

The Geshema Exam Process

To be eligible to take their Geshema exams, the nuns must first complete at least 17 years of study.

The Geshema examination process is rigorous. It involves four years of written and debate exams as well as the completion and defence of a thesis. Candidates are examined on the entirety of their 17-year course of study of the Five Great Canonical Texts. They must achieve a score of at least 75 per cent during their studies to be eligible to sit the exams.

“The fact that growing numbers of women are achieving equality with men in the highest levels of Buddhist monasticism, by earning the equivalent of doctorate degrees, is joyous and of enormous importance to the world,” says Steve Wilhelm, a Tibetan Nuns Project board member. “This means that women monastics will be leading more monastic institutions, and will be teaching other women and men. Humanity needs this gender equity if we are to navigate perilous times ahead.”

Tibetan Buddhist nuns read good luck messages Geshema exams

Nuns cluster around the bulletin board at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute to read good luck messages sent from around the world to nuns taking their exams in 2018. Photo by the Nuns’ Media Team.

Please send a good luck message to the nuns by commenting below on this blog!

The Textbooks for Nuns Have Arrived!

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Thank you to everyone who donated to purchase textbooks for the Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India. Four of the seven nunneries in northern India have already received them and the nuns are delighted with their new books on English, math, science, and general knowledge. Here are photos of the nuns receiving and using the textbooks.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns with new textbooks

Thank you for purchasing new textbooks for the nuns! As you can see, they are delighted. Photo taken in May 2024 by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

At Dolma Ling, home now to 270 nuns, the nuns have received 274 new textbooks. The teachers there needed higher grade books which were not previously available and grammar and composition books.

Photos from May 2024 taken by Robin Groth showing some of the new textbooks in use at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute.

At Geden Choeling, the oldest nunnery in Dharamsala, the 200 nuns and their teachers are excited to have good sets of books. Geden Choeling’s abbot wants the nuns to learn math, but the nunnery didn’t have any math textbooks until now. Thanks to the generous support of Tibetan Nuns Project donors the Geden Choeling nuns now have these 362 textbooks.

Nuns at Geden Choeling nunnery carefully protect their new textbooks. Tibetans have a deep respect for books. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

Eight boxes containing 369 textbooks were delivered in May to Shugsep Nunnery and Institute, home to about 100 nuns. The Shugsep nuns needed math, science, and English grammar and composition books. The English teacher also asked for help to improve the stock of English textbooks so the students could complete coursework up to Grade 8. The nunnery’s last big purchase of books was many years ago and those books were so well-loved and used that they were falling apart.

Nuns at Dolma Ling using some of the new textbooks. A single book can transform hundreds of lives over the years and we are very grateful to the donors who funded the textbooks. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The textbook order for Tilokpur Nunnery has been placed and includes a series of books called Cherry Blossoms for the new class of 15 young nuns who joined the nunnery this spring. Tilokpur nunnery has one English teacher who teaches all eight classes so she is pretty busy but most appreciative of the books.

The mission of the Tibetan Nuns Project is to educate and empower nuns of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as teachers and leaders; and to establish, strengthen, and support educational institutions to preserve the Tibetan religion and culture. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The books for Sakya College for Nuns are being purchased soon. The textbooks for Dorjee Zong Nunnery in the remote area of Zanskar will be purchased this summer and brought there. We’ll report on these in the fall.

Boxes of new textbooks for Tibetan Buddhist nunneries.

Meanwhile, the Tibetan Nuns Project will continue to work with all seven of the nunneries to establish good library practices and to have library time for informal reading of fiction and non-fiction books. Dolma Ling library is functioning well and the nuns regularly borrow books and read them. The teachers at Shugsep Nunnery will bring their classes to the library and display a range of books so the students can look through them easily and choose what they would like to read.

Textbooks needed for Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India

Nuns at Tilokpur. Traditionally Tibetan Buddhist nuns have not had equal access to education. The textbooks will help educate and empower the nuns to become teachers and leaders.

Tibetan Buddhist Nuns Urgently Need Textbooks

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The new academic year begins shortly after February 10th and the Tibetan Buddhist nuns urgently need new math, science, and English textbooks. Can you help?

textbooks for nuns, Tibetan Buddhist nuns,

So far three nunneries, home to 650 nuns have sent their wish lists of textbooks. The total cost for the 1,005 textbooks comes to $5,563 or about $5 per book. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam.

Three nunneries have already sent their lists of books they’d like to purchase from Collins India. We’re waiting to get the textbook requirements from the remaining four nunneries we support and also the list of storybooks needed for Shugsep Nunnery.

So far, the nunneries have asked for 1,005 textbooks in English for their 550 nuns. The cost of these orders is $5,563. The average cost of one textbook is between $5 and $6, so even if you can help purchase one textbook, that would be wonderful.

Tibetan Buddhist nun reading an English textbook.

Teaching and learning is a complex process. Studies show that illustrated textbooks help students learn more effectively. The nuns need textbooks for math, science, and English. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam.

At Shugsep Nunnery and Institute, home to about 100 nuns, the nuns would love math, science, and English grammar and composition books. The English teacher would like to improve the stock of English textbooks so the students can complete coursework up to Grade 8. The nunnery’s last big purchase of books was years ago and the books have been so well-loved that they are now falling apart. Shugsep Nunnery needs 369 textbooks. Cost: $2,019.

At Geden Choeling, the oldest nunnery in Dharamsala, the 200 nuns and their teachers are excited at the prospect of having good sets of books. Geden Choeling’s abbot is keen for the nuns to learn math, but the nunnery doesn’t have any math textbooks. They have asked for help to purchase textbooks so the teacher can use them for ideas and exercises in their classes. Geden Choeling would like 362 textbooks Cost: US $1,864.

At Dolma Ling, home to 250 nuns, the teachers have asked for the higher grade books which were not previously available and for grammar and composition books. Dolma Ling has so far requested 274 textbooks. Cost: $1,680.

To help buy textbooks for nuns you can:

1. Make a gift online here.
2. Call our office in Seattle, US at 1-206-652-8901
3. Mail a check to: The Tibetan Nuns Project (note for textbooks) 815 Seattle Boulevard South #418, Seattle, WA 98134 USA

The Power of Textbooks

A single book can transform hundreds of lives.

Textbooks provide organized units of work with each lesson carefully spelled out. Because they are illustrated, students can picture and visualize concepts.

There’s a growing body of research showing that high-quality textbooks are important for students’ comprehension and success. Please help provide math, science, and English textbooks for the nuns. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam.

A textbook gives all the plans and lessons needed to cover a topic in some detail. They save time and energy when searching for information and provide a reliable point of reference. The textbooks will be ordered from Collins India.

Although we now have a science-learning program in the nunneries for one month per year, if the teachers had each level of science and general knowledge textbooks in their classrooms it enliven their classes and help to explain science topics.

Traditionally Tibetan Buddhist nuns have not had equal access to education. The textbooks will help educate and empower the nuns to become teachers and leaders.

The Tibetan Nuns Project is also raising funds for teachers’ salaries for the 2024 academic year.

Educating and Empowering Tibetan Buddhist Nuns

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Education is the Key

The Tibetan Nuns Project believes that education is the key to empowerment. We seek to give Tibetan Buddhist nuns the resources to carve out independent, creative identities for themselves. In this blog post, we’ll explain what and how the nuns study and give an outline of their degrees and curriculum.

Through all its work, the Tibetan Nuns Project is strengthening Tibet’s unique religion and culture — both under great threat due to the occupation of Tibet — by educating and empowering women. These dedicated women were previously denied equal access to education and the opportunity in Tibet to freely and safely practice their faith. The nuns are an integral part of the spiritual roots of the society and are teachers and leaders of the future.

Starting from Scratch

When the Tibetan Nuns Project was founded in 1987 in response to many nuns escaping from Tibet to India, most of the newly arrived nuns had no education in their language. Many were illiterate and were unable even to write their names. While in Tibet they had also been denied education in their religious heritage.

outside classroom, Tibetan Buddhist nuns, educating Tibetan Buddhist nuns

An outside classroom in the early days of the Tibetan Nuns Project. TNP had to create an education program for the nuns from the ground up.

The Tibetan Nuns Project has created a groundbreaking education system aimed at both preserving Tibetan culture and equipping and empowering these women to live and become leaders in the modern world.

The Tibetan Nuns Project aims:
– To combine traditional religious studies with the best of a modern education
– To preserve Tibet’s rich culture and religion through giving ordained Buddhist women educational opportunities
– To elevate the educational standards and the position of women within the monastic community.
– To prepare the nuns for positions of leadership and moral authority in a culture that is going through a very challenging transition
– To support a number of nuns who opt to live in meditative retreat rather than in a nunnery.

The Tibetan Nuns Project also serves women from the remote and impoverished border areas of India such as Ladakh, Zanskar, Spiti, and Arunachal Pradesh. The women and girls from these areas have traditionally been given far less education than the men and boys and were often removed from school as early as Grade 4 if they were sent to school at all. Our programs give them a chance for education that they would not have otherwise.

educating girls, educating women, empowering women and girls, Zanskar, Spiti

Photos by Olivier Adam showing girls receiving education at nunneries supported by TNP in the remote Spiti Valley (top) and Zanskar (bottom). Girls and women in these regions lack equal access to education.

Since the Tibetan Nuns Project was founded in 1987, many nuns have been educated and have assumed leadership roles in their community, such as teachers in Tibetan schools, instructors for other nuns, health care providers and other roles serving the Tibetan-exile community. Thanks in part to consistent effort from the Tibetan Nuns Project, for the first time in Tibetan history, nuns are now receiving educational opportunities previously available only to monks.

educating and empowering women, educating women, Geshema teaching, Geshemas, Dolma Ling

In May 2023, Geshema Delek Wangmo (shown) and Geshema Tenzin Kunsel gave online teaching via Facebook Live with help from two Dolma Ling media nuns. Geshemas from other nunneries also attended to learn how to deliver such basic philosophical knowledge to the lay community. Photo courtesy of the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

Another goal of the Tibetan Nuns Project is to empower nuns to teach Buddhist philosophy in nunneries and schools. To do this, the nuns must achieve equal academic standing with the monks, proving their qualifications by earning the highest degrees. For monks, depending on their tradition, these degrees are called the Geshe or Khenpo degrees; for nuns, the equivalents are the Geshema or Khenmo degrees.

Geshemas teaching Tibetan children, compassion in action, Tibetan education, Dolma Ling

Wisdom and compassion. The Geshemas at Dolma Ling teach Tibetan refugee children during the children’s school holidays. Photos by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The Curriculum

The education program varies by nunnery but the nuns have been introduced to a systematic form of education in their respective nunneries. Though their core subject is Buddhist philosophy they have also been equally educated in Tibetan and English languages since the very beginning. The nuns have built up a strong foundation in Tibetan language over the years.

The curriculum at the nunneries is divided into two parts: (1) secular subjects such as the Tibetan language, Tibetan history, English, social sciences, mathematics, and science and (2) monastic education. The nuns have quizzes and exams and are now able to proceed through a degree-granting program. If the nuns are very young as may be the case in the very remote nunneries, they do not receive teaching in philosophy, but rather a basic education in subjects like reading, writing, and arithmetic. Once that is established a more robust curriculum is used.

education and empowering Tibetan Buddhist nuns, educating women, classroom Dolma Ling Nunnery

Geshema Tenzin Kunsel teaching Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery. Photo by Olivier Adam

Most courses take place in classrooms, much as in a school, except for the practice of monastic debate, which takes place in the open air. As part of their monastic education the nuns are also instructed in the performance of ritual music, the creation of butter sculptures, and other Tibetan Buddhist ritual arts.

The curriculum of the nunneries varies depending on which of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism the nunnery follows:
– Nyingma (founded in the 8th century)
– Kagyu (founded in the early 11th century)
– Sakya (founded in 1073)
– Gelug (founded in 1409)
The Tibetan Nuns Project supports nuns from all four traditions.

Tibetan debate, monastic debate, Dolma Ling Nunnery

Tibetan Buddhist nuns practice monastic debate each day at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. Through debate, nuns and monks test and consolidate their classroom learning and gain a thorough understanding of the Buddhist teachings. Photo by Olivier Adam.

The Gelukpa monastic curriculum in Dolma Ling for example is as follows:
Preliminary studies: 4 years
Perfection of Wisdom: 7 years
Middle Path: 3 years
Phenomenology or “meta-doctrine”: 3 years
Monastic discipline: 1 year

After about ten years, the nuns receive a first diploma called Parchin which is equivalent to a BA and allows the students who so desire to continue to higher studies. The Geshema degree is the highest level of training in the Gelugpa tradition and is equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhism. The degree was only formally opened to women in 2012 thanks to the work of the Tibetan Nuns Project.

Khenmo enthronement, Sakya College for Nuns, Tibetan Buddhist nuns, Buddhist women teachers

In 2022, Tibetan Buddhist nuns made history as the first group of Khenmos were enthroned at Sakya College for Nuns. The Khenmo degree for nuns, like the Khenpo degree for males, is roughly equivalent to a PhD. In the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, the title is awarded usually after 13 years of intensive post-secondary study. The comparable title in the Gelug and Bon lineages is Geshe or, for nuns, Geshema.

In the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, the Khenmo degree for nuns, like the Khenpo degree for males, is roughly equivalent to a PhD. This title is awarded usually after 13 years of intensive post-secondary study. A nun who holds the title Khenmo is recognized as a female Buddhist teacher/scholar who can give official and high-level teachings to nuns.

Reacing the highest degrees in the monastic curriculum takes between 20 and 25 years. Our goal is to support nuns’ education and to enable them to progress to higher degrees such as the Geshema and Khenmo degrees if they so wish.

Thank you for supporting the Tibetan Nuns Project and educating and empowering Tibetan Buddhist nuns!

Making History: The Senior Nuns at Shugsep Nunnery

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From Illiteracy to Academic Greatness

The story of the Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute is one of perseverance, dedication, and hope.

Forty-nine Shugsep nuns have now attained the Lopon degree, equivalent to a Master’s degree. This is one of the highest degrees the nuns can achieve in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Nyingma (Tibetan རྙིང་མ་) or “school of the ancients” traces its origins to Guru Padmasambhava who came to Tibet in 817 CE.

Until very recently, Tibetan Buddhist nuns had little opportunity to receive training in Buddhist practice and knowledge. Nuns were considered to be second rank. It is a historic achievement for nuns to reach this high academic level and to become teachers, leaders, and role models. Their success is even more remarkable given the many obstacles on their path.

Refugee Tibetan Buddhist nuns, Tibetan refugees, Tibetan Buddhist nuns, Dharamsala

“In a way 30 years is a long time, but when it’s creating history it is not very long,” said Rinchen Khando Choegyal, TNP’s Founding Director and Special Advisor. This photo was taken in 1991 by Susan Lirakis. The nuns arrived from Tibet with nothing, 99% not knowing how to read and write, traumatized in the prisons, beaten by the prison guards, and with all kinds of health problems.

Educating women and girls is a powerful way to change the world. It is only through education that women will rise and attain equal footing. For Tibetans, struggling to preserve their culture and religion in exile, it is even more critical.

These senior nuns are now qualified to teach. Nine of the Lopons have taken on regular teaching responsibilities at Shugsep. They also teach yearly at Tashi Choling Nunnery in Arunachal Pradesh on a rotation basis.

The Lopons teach philosophy to the nuns at Shugsep, as well as teaching the youngest nuns reading, writing, basic Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, rituals, and the basics of debate. This gives them the groundwork they need before they merge into the mainstream Nyingma education which takes nine years to complete and receive the degree.

Historic Graduation Ceremony

Shugsep Nunnery graduation ceremony 2022

On October 28 2022, Shugsep Nunnery and Institute held a historic graduation ceremony in which Pharchin, Uma and Lopon nuns were given their graduation certificates.

At a historic graduation ceremony on October 28, 2022, twelve senior nuns were present to receive their Lopon degrees from Khenchen Pema Sherab. These senior nuns had completed their Lopon degrees from 2010 to 2022, but this was their chance to finally receive their official degree certificates.

Many dignitaries attended the graduation event including Rinchen Khando Choegyal, the Tibetan Nuns Project’s Founding Director and Special Advisor, representatives from the Religious Department and Health Department of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Head of Mentseekhang, and representatives from various monasteries and nunneries.

Helping Shugsep Nunnery and Institute

Shugsep Nunnery is now home to about 100 nuns. Shugsep was re-established in India and officially inaugurated in December 2010. It is one of two nunneries built and fully supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project.

This year, we’re working on two major projects to help the Shugsep nuns. The first is to create a circumambulatory or kora path and the second is to build a retreat center for the senior nuns.

Shugsep Nunnery, Nyingma nunnery, kora path, circumambulation

In April a generous donor gave $5,000 as a matching gift to help finish the circumambulatory path which the nuns want to complete before the summer monsoon. So if you donate now your gift will be doubled.

A path inside the nunnery grounds will provide all the nuns with safe, regular exercise and allow them to practice kora, the act of walking around a sacred place which is a form of pilgrimage and meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The retreat center is a bigger project. To become fully qualified teachers, the senior nuns at Shugsep need a place where they can go on retreat and consolidate their learning. Because there are no retreat facilities at the nunnery, many nuns have been forced to go to Nepal or to the caves at Tso Pema to do retreats. They would like to be able to practice retreat together within Shugsep Nunnery where they will have access to the effective guidance of a proper teacher as well as good basic amenities.

The good news is that the retreat center is now 85% funded. We need $42,000 to make this big dream a reality. You can learn more about the Shugsep Retreat Center project here.

The Shugsep nuns have made huge strides, but there is still more to be done to empower them and preserve their rich wisdom tradition. Thank you for caring about them!

Shugsep Nunnery history, Shugsep nuns, Shugsep nuns

When many nuns from Shugsep Nunnery in Tibet escaped to India they lived in an old, mouldy rented house and had classes outside on the roof. Now they are making history, graduating with high academic degrees and becoming teachers. Thank you for supporting these brave, dedicated women!

Debate Courtyard Expansion Completed!

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We are very pleased to report that the debate courtyard expansion at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute is now complete. The improved courtyard provides an additional 2,500 square feet of covered area. With 60% more covered area than the old debate courtyard, all the nuns can have shelter as they practice daily monastic debate.

This big project was kindly funded by Tibetan Nuns Project donors. We are extremely grateful to the donors and the entire team for their hard work and dedication which has resulted in this elegant structure, totally in keeping with the original design.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns debating at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute

Before the debate courtyard was expanded there was not enough sheltered space for the nuns to debate. The improved courtyard has an additional 2,500 square feet of covered space along with other improvements such as sliding windows on the back and sides of the courtyard to prevent rain coming in.

The nuns are already using the courtyard for their daily debates. Monastic debate is of critical importance in traditional Tibetan Buddhist learning. Through debate, nuns test and consolidate their classroom learning. Without training and practice in debate they are unable to attain higher academic degrees such as the Geshema degree.

The Impact of the Improved Debate Courtyard

In the spring of 2022 the Tibetan Nuns Project launched a fundraising campaign to expand and improve the debate courtyard at Dolma Ling.

Over the years, the number of nuns at this large non-sectarian nunnery increased to over 260 nuns. The existing debate courtyard was too small and at least two-thirds of the paved area was open to the elements, so many nuns were forced to debate in the open under the hot sun. When it rained, as it does throughout the summer monsoon season, the unprotected space was unusable.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns practicing monastic debate under tarp at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute

In an attempt to create more shelter the nuns have been stringing up tarps for years as they practice monastic debate. The area near Dharamsala experiences one of the heaviest monsoons in India and the sun is also fierce.

During their debate sessions, pairs of nuns spread out across the courtyards and even onto the adjoining grassy areas and steps. Some distance is required between the pairs or groups of challengers and responders. The aim of the project was to provide enough covered space to shelter the nuns as they do their daily practice of Tibetan monastic debate.

Work on the courtyard began in January 2022. The first phase involved protecting the upper courtyard from rain by enclosing the back and sides with sliding windows that can open to allow ventilation during the hot season.

Debate Courtyard Expansion project at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute

Work on Phase 1 to improve the debate facilities at Dolma Ling. This part of the project involved enclosing the back and sides of the existing debate courtyard to prevent rain coming in.

The steel roofing over the upper section was also extended on all four sides to prevent rain from blowing in. Finally, an additional row of stone seating was added at the back and sides of the courtyard in front of the windows.

Olivier Adam photo of Tibetan Buddhist nuns debating at Dolma Ling Nunnery

Nuns debating in front of the new windows at the back of the debate courtyard. Because of its reputation for providing excellent teachers and the best facilities for nuns to study, the number of nuns applying to join Dolma Ling has increased substantially. In 2022, 32 nuns joined the nunnery. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam

In the early autumn of 2022, the Tibetan Nuns Project office in India signed a contract with the contractors for Phase 2 of the expansion project. On September 29th, the architect for the project came to assist the contractor with the positioning of the 8 new pillars for the extension roof.

Phase 2 of the debate courtyard expansion began in October 2022 and involved excavating and building 8 more columns and extending the roof.

The nuns were very involved in the design of the new space and in discussions with the architect and engineers. Building specifications for this high-risk seismic zone were made and the extension complies with current building standards. In addition to the eight new columns, there had to be tie beams and two additional below-ground-level columns because they are building in previously filled land.

The Important of Tibetan Buddhist Debate

Dolma Ling is unique because it offers a 17-year curriculum of traditional Buddhist philosophy and debate, as well as modern courses in Tibetan language, English, basic mathematics, science and computer skills. Training in Buddhist debate, the extensively practised method for examining philosophical, moral and doctrinal issues, is an essential part of monastic education in the Tibetan tradition.

Until recently, Tibetan nuns did not have the opportunity to fully study and practise Tibetan Buddhist debate, a process that uses logical enquiry to build a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy. The Tibetan Nuns Project has worked hard to make this opportunity available to nuns by including debate as a core part of their education, which enables them to extend their use of logic and deepen their understanding of the arguments asserted in the texts they are studying.

monastic debate, Tibetan Buddhist nuns debating, Buddhist debate

Before: Tibetan nuns practice debate on the grass under a makeshift shelter of netting. Since the Tibetan Nuns Project was founded in 1987, nuns are training in debate for the first time in the history of Tibet.

“Opening up education to the women, particularly in conjunction with training in debate, has been transformative for the nuns,” says Dr. Elizabeth Napper, US Founder and Board Chair of the Tibetan Nuns Project. “Not only have they been given access to the full intellectual richness of their Buddhist tradition but also, through debate, they have been trained to actively engage with it in a way that gives them confidence in their knowledge. Their body language changes from the traditional meekness of nuns to that of women who occupy space with confidence in their right to do so.”

The practice of debate takes many years to master fully and is critical to the nuns’ ability to assume roles as fully qualified teachers of their tradition.

We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed to providing this unique opportunity to build capacity and equality for the nuns, to help ensure that a centuries-old tradition of learning continues to expand to include more nuns, and to foster the dharma for future generations.

Tibetan Buddhist Nuns holding thank you signs