Tibetan Nuns Project, inter-nunnery debate, Jang Gonchoe, Buddhist education, Tibetan nuns, Buddhist nuns, Tibetan debate, nunnery

Jang Gonchoe 2019

Thanks to generous donors, the 2019 Jang Gonchoe has been funded. Please donate to the Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund. It is one of our greatest wishes to make this annual educational opportunity sustainable for years to come.

For the full report on the 2019 Jang Gonchoe, see this blog post: https://tnp.org/another-great-debate/

2019 marked the 25th annual inter-nunnery debate called the Jang Gonchoe. Over 400 nuns from 9 nunneries in India and Nepal gathered for four weeks to practice intensive Tibetan Buddhist debate.

Here’s a video about the 2019 Jang Gonchoe:

The Importance of Monastic Debate

Monastic debate is the traditional mode of study of the profound texts of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Through debate, the nuns test and consolidate their classroom learning.

For many nuns, taking part in the Jang Gonchoe is an essential component of working towards higher academic degrees, such as the Geshema degree, which is roughly equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.

Prior to 1995, there was no Jang Gonchoe for nuns, although Tibetan monks have held their Jang Gonchoe for centuries. The chance to have nuns from many nunneries gather and intensively debate with each other is a relatively new opportunity for ordained Buddhist women. The Tibetan Nuns Project has been fully supporting the Jang Gonchoe for nuns since 1997.

In 2014, the Tibetan Nuns Project launched a Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund so that this vital educational opportunity may continue for years to come. Unfortunately, we’re still a long way from reaching our goal for the fund. You can learn more here.

To support the 2019 Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund you can:

          1. Make a gift online – see below.
          2. Call our office in Seattle, US at 1-206-652-8901
          3. Mail a check to:
            The Tibetan Nuns Project
            (for 2019 Jang Gonchoe)
            815 Seattle Boulevard South #216
            Seattle, WA 98134 USA
          4. Give a gift of securities
          5. Leave a gift in your will to the Tibetan Nuns Project

Make a Donation

More About Tibetan Buddhist Debate

Here’s a short video made a number of years ago by the nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery about the importance of monastic debate.

Learn more about the Tibetan Nuns Project.