Tag Archives: inter-nunnery debate

The 2025 Geshema Graduation and Inter-Nunnery Debate

Record Number of Nuns Earn Geshema Degrees

In the summer of 2025, a record number of nuns took various levels of exams for the Geshema degree, equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. The rigorous written and oral are completed over four years, with one set held each year. To be eligible to take their Geshema exams, the nuns must first complete at least 17 years of study.

A collage showing parts of the Geshema graduation ceremony in November 2025. Elements include an oath-taking ceremony and a special debate event, followed by a traditional khata (scarf) offering ceremony.

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

2025 marks another new record for nuns taking various levels of the 4-year Geshema exams. The degree was only opened to women in 2012. No exams were held in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID.

The exams were hosted this year by Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute near Dharamsala from July 21 to August 16, 2025. The costs of the nuns’ travel, food, and the exam process were once again covered by the Tibetan Nuns Project’s Geshema Endowment Fund.

In November, the Jang Gonchoe closing ceremony and Geshema certification were held on the same day, attended by chief guests Dr. Mahashweta Maharathi, Secretary of the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee and Gen Tenzin la from Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala.

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 due to the pandemic
2022: 10 nuns became Geshemas
2023: 7 nuns graduated
2024: 13 nuns graduated as Geshemas at the 7th convocation ceremony
2025: 47 nuns graduated as Geshemas in Bodh Gaya

The Annual Inter-Nunnery Debate

From October 5th to November 8th, 460 nuns and 23 teachers from 10 Tibetan Buddhist nunneries in India and Nepal gathered in Bodh Gaya for one month of intensive training in monastic debate.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns from India and Nepal practice debating at the Mahabodhi Temple (literally the “Great Awakening Temple”) in Bodh Gaya, marking the location where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Monastic debate is of critical importance in traditional Tibetan Buddhist learning. Through debate, nuns test and consolidate their classroom learning.

inter-nunnery debate in Bodh Gaya 2025 with Tibetan Buddhist nuns

A teacher guides Tibetan Buddhist nuns during their month-long intensive training in monastic debate in Bodh Gaya. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the Jang Gonchoe for nuns in 1995.

Although the nuns practice debate daily at their nunneries, the annual Jang Gonchoe debate event provides essential training and practice that is vital for those who wish to pursue higher degrees. The nuns are very grateful to the Kagyu Monlam Office for lending the space since 2019 to the nunneries during Jang Gonchoe and for their continued support.

At the Jang Gonchoe, the nuns take part in structured debate sessions with individual and class-wide debates, followed by an evening inter-nunnery session where two nuns answer questions from a team from another nunnery. Debate strengthens reasoning skills, confidence, and understanding of Buddhist studies.

The inter-nunnery debate helps bring the nuns closer to equality with the monks in terms of learning opportunities and advancement along the spiritual path.

This year, nuns from these 10 nunneries participated:
1.    Geden Choeling: 3 teachers + 64 nuns = 67
2.    Jamyang Choeling: 2 teachers + 37 nuns = 39
3.    Dolma Ling: 3 teachers + 92 nuns = 95
4.    Jangchub Choeling: 4 teachers + 77 nuns = 81
5.    Kachoe Gakyil Ling: 4 teachers + 64 nuns = 68
6.    Thukche Choeling: 2 teachers + 32 nuns = 34
7.    Jangsemling: 1 teacher + 17 nuns = 18
8.    Jampa Choeling – 1 teacher + 11 nuns = 12
9.    Yangchen Choeling : 1 teacher + 26 nuns = 27
10. Sherab Choeling: 2 teachers + 39 nuns = 41

Annual internunnery debate in Bodh Gaya 2025, Jang Gonchoe

Nuns practice monastic debate in pairs and groups during the month-long Jang Gonchoe. The nuns expressed appreciation to the Kagyu Monlam Office for lending the space in Bodh Gaya for the Jang Gonchoe since 2019 and for their continued support.

1995-2025: The 30th Anniversary of the Inter-Nunnery Debate

The Jang Gonchoe for nuns was first initiated in 1995, making this year its 30th anniversary, though there was a year-long gap during the Covid pandemic when the event could not take place. Because of that missed year, the nuns’ committee has decided to count this as the 29th Jang Gonchoe instead of the 30th.

Jang Gonchoe inter nunnery debate 2025 in Bodh Gaya 2

The inter-nunnery debate has been supported since 1997 by the Tibetan Nuns Project through our Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund. Now we want to put more of our core programs on a sustainable footing with our Long-Term Stability Fund.

Before 1995, there was no Jang Gonchoe for nuns and this learning opportunity was only open to monks. The Tibetan Nuns Project, with the wonderful support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, played a critical role in opening up this learning opportunity to women. Establishing a comparable debate session for nuns has been an integral part of the nuns reaching their current level of excellence in their studies.

The inter-nunnery debate has been supported since 1997 by the Tibetan Nuns Project. Our Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund covers costs such as transportation, food, and accommodation for the nuns and teachers who wish to attend.

The following video is a great primer on Tibetan Buddhist debate by nuns. It’s taken from a longer video made by the nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery in northern India. It answers many of the frequently asked questions about Tibetan Buddhist debate, such as the meaning of the hand movements.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Nuns Learning Tibetan Buddhist Debate

“It all happened because of the kindness, generosity, and genuine concern shown by all the wonderful donors who supported us for so many years,” said Rinchen Khando Choegyal, Founding Director and Special Advisor to the Tibetan Nuns Project, in a past interview.

“Much as we had the blessings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the vision, determination, and courage to pursue this matter to the full, without their generosity we would not have been able to have the Jang Gonchoe every year, which was and is the moving force behind every step of progress in education the nuns have made,” she said.

In 2025, 460 nuns from ten nunneries took part in the annual inter-nunnery debate, the Jang Gonchoe. The event began in 1995. Prior to that, nuns did not have this opportunity.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has often spoken of the need to examine the teachings of the Buddha closely and with an inquisitive mind. “This is the 21st century and we need to understand the Buddha’s teachings in the light of reason. When we teach, we need to do so on the basis of reason,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama told the nuns at the end of the 2014 Jang Gonchoe.

His Holiness added, “Nowadays, the Nalanda tradition of approaching the Buddha’s teachings with logic and reason is only found amongst Tibetans. It’s something precious we can be proud of and should strive to preserve.”

A portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is placed at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, marking the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the patron of the Tibetan Nuns Project.

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.

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 want to put more of our core programs on a sustainable footing with our Long-Term Stability Fund. Thank you for supporting this vision. You can learn more and donate here.

The Meaning of Gestures in Tibetan Buddhist Debate

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Watching nuns or monks practice debate is fascinating because of their lively hand and body motions, but many observers wonder about the meaning of the gestures in Tibetan Buddhist debate.

monastic debate, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan debate, debate gestures

A group of nuns act as Challengers and pose questions to seated nuns during daily debate practice at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. Debate in Tibetan Buddhism serves many purposes including clearing up doubts, developing critical thinking skills, deepening one’s understanding of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and increasing wisdom and compassion. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam.

Monastic debate is noisy. When you see Tibetan debating for the first time, the debaters’ stances, gestures, and sounds may seem confrontational. Yet everyone practices debate with an attitude of respect and a shared desire to deeply understand the Buddhist teachings.

Each hand and body motion is rooted in wisdom and compassion, which must be united to attain enlightenment.

The Meaning of Gestures in Tibetan Buddhist Debate

Daily practice in monastic debate is of critical importance in traditional Tibetan Buddhist learning. Through debate, nuns and monks test and consolidate their classroom learning and gain a thorough understanding of the Buddhist teachings.

In daily debate practice, the Challenger chooses the topic from the Buddhist philosophical texts studied earlier that day. The Challenger stands and asks questions to the Defender who is seated and who must answer. Sometimes monastics debate in groups. There is strength is numbers and the weak learn from the strong.

As the Challenger asks the question, she or he claps loudly to punctuate the end of the question.

In the gestures of debate, the right hand represents compassion or method. The left hand represents wisdom. The loud clap signifies the joining of wisdom and compassion.

Tibetan Buddhist nun, monastic debate, Tibetan debate gestures

A Tibetan Buddhist nun practicing debate dramatically claps her hands together after asking her question. The loud clap signifies the coming together of compassion (right hand) and wisdom (left hand). Photo by Olivier Adam taken at Geden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala, India.

When the Challenger claps her hands together, she simultaneously stomps her left foot. This symbolizes the slamming of the door to rebirth in the lower realms.

After the clap and stomp, the Challenger holds out her left arm which represents wisdom. Through this motion, she represents keeping the door to all rebirth shut.

Tibetan debate. monastic debate, meaning of Tibetan debate gestures

Stomping one’s foot in Tibetan monastic debate symbolizes slamming of the door to rebirth in the lower realms. Photo by Olivier Adam of a nun practicing daily debate at Geden Choeling Nunnery.

Then she uses her right arm to lift up her mala (Tibetan prayer beads) around her left arm. This gesture represents the compassionate lifting up of all suffering beings from the cycle of rebirth.

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “The root of suffering is the unruly mind, so the practice of Dharma is to transform the mind.” The practice of debate helps develop critical thinking skills, deepens one’s understanding of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and increases wisdom and compassion.

If the Defender’s answer is satisfactory, the Challenger moves on to the next question. If not, the Challenger will make a gesture like an alligator closing its jaws, loudly smacking her hands together as she seeks an in-depth explanation from the Defender.

Tibetan debate, monastic debate, gestures in Tibetan Buddhist debate

A nun uses her right arm to lift up her mala or Tibetan prayer beads around her left arm. This gesture represents the compassionate lifting up of all suffering beings from the cycle of rebirth. Photo by Olivier Adam.

The Importance of Tibetan Buddhist Debate

The following video is a great primer on debate by Tibetan Buddhist nuns. It is part of a longer video made by the nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in northern India. It answers many questions about monastic debate and shows and describes the gestures.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

“The logic and epistemology that prevailed in ancient India have lapsed in modern times, but we Tibetans kept them alive in our monasteries,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama at an important debate event in India. “Our studies are rigorous. We memorize texts word by word, study commentaries to them and engage in debate during which we refute others’ positions, assert our own and rebut criticism.”

Debate pushes everyone to study and to try to understand the meaning of the texts.

Training Nuns in Debate

Traditionally, Buddhist nuns have not had the same access to education as monks. This is true also for training in monastic debate. The Tibetan Nuns Project’s mission is to educate and empower nuns of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as teachers and leaders, and to establish, strengthen, and support educational institutions to sustain Tibetan religion and culture.

Now nuns are able to get training and daily practice in monastic debate. In addition to their regular daily debate practice at their own nunneries, each year hundreds of Tibetan Buddhist nuns from nunneries in India and Nepal gather for a special, month-long inter-nunnery debate called the Jang Gonchoe.

Here is a video of the 2019 Jang Gonchoe inter-nunnery debate. Can’t see it? Click here.

Before 1995, there was no Jang Gonchoe for nuns and this learning opportunity was only open to monks. The Tibetan Nuns Project, with the wonderful support of our patron, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, played a critical role in opening up this learning opportunity to women. Establishing a comparable debate session for nuns has been an integral part of the nuns reaching their current level of excellence in their studies.

The inter-nunnery debate helps bring the nuns closer to equality with the monks in terms of learning opportunities and advancement along the spiritual path. For many, the Jang Gonchoe is an essential component of working towards higher academic degrees, such as the Geshema degree, equivalent to a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhism.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “Nowadays, the Nalanda tradition of approaching the Buddha’s teachings with logic and reason is only found amongst Tibetans. It’s something precious we can be proud of and should strive to preserve.”

2018 Jang Gonchoe Inter-Nunnery Debate at Kopan Nunnery

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Around 600 Tibetan Buddhist nuns from at least 9 nunneries in India and Nepal have gathered at Kopan Nunnery in Nepal for 2018 Jang Gonchoe, the annual inter-nunnery debate.

Running from October 3 to November 4 2018, this special event brings together nuns and teachers for intensive training in Tibetan Buddhist debate.

Jang Gonchoe, Kopan Nunnery, Tibetan nuns, Tibetan Buddhist debate, inter-nunnery debate, Buddhist nunnery

Sheltered under tarps, about 600 Tibetan Buddhist nuns from at least 9 nunneries in India and Nepal gather at Kopan Nunnery in Nepal to practice Tibetan Buddhist debate for one month. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery

Training in Tibetan Buddhist debate is an essential part of monastic education in the Tibetan tradition. Until recently, Tibetan nuns did not have the opportunity to fully study and practice Tibetan Buddhist debate, a process that joins logical thinking with a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy.

A photograph of nuns at the opening ceremony of the 2018 inter-nunnery debate at Kopan Nunnery in Nepal. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery.

The annual debate session for nuns has been an integral part of the nuns reaching their current level of excellence in their studies. It is critical to fostering the nuns’ ability to pursue higher degrees, such as the Geshema degree, which is roughly equivalent to a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhism. Since 2016, 36 nuns have passed the rigorous written and debate exams to become Geshemas – a historic milestone for Tibet. This achievement would not have been possible without the intensive training that the inter-nunnery debate helps provide.

2018 Inter-Nunnery Debate, 2018 Jang Gonchoe, Kopan Nunnery, Tibetan nuns, Tibetan Buddhist debate, inter-nunnery debate, Buddhist nunnery

Taking part in the annual inter-nunnery debate allows nuns to gain knowledge and build confidence. By debating with nuns from other nunneries, they can “up their game” and prepare for higher degrees. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery

Dr. Elizabeth Napper, Co-Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project, said, “Opening up education to the women, particularly in conjunction with training in debate, has been transformative for the nuns. 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.”

If you wish to see many more photos of this year’s event and video footage of the nuns debating, visit the Kopan Nunnery Facebook page.

The Importance of Tibetan Buddhist Debate and the Jang Gonchoe

Although Tibetan monks for centuries have held the Jang Gonchoe, prior to 1995, this form and level of learning was not open to nuns.

2018 Inter-Nunnery Debate, Jang Gonchoe, Kopan Nunnery, Tibetan nuns, Tibetan Buddhist debate, inter-nunnery debate, Buddhist nunnery

About 600 nuns gather for the start of the 2018 Jang Gonchoe at Kopan Nunnery in Nepal. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery.

In 1995, the Jang Gonchoe for nuns was started. Since 1997, it has been fully supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. We are extremely grateful to the supporters of this year’s event and of our Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund.

The inter-nunnery debate is a unique opportunity to build capacity and equality for the nuns, to help ensure that a centuries-old tradition continues and expands to include the nuns, and fosters the dharma for future generations. The Jang Gonchoe also helps empower Tibetan nuns to become great teachers and examples for their nunnery communities. The host nunneries also gain the experience of putting on a large and complex event. In 2017, the Jang Gonchoe was held at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been very supportive of the education of the nuns and has praised their debating skills. His Holiness has said, “Nowadays, the Nalanda tradition of approaching the Buddha’s teachings with logic and reason is only found amongst Tibetans. It’s something precious we can be proud of and should strive to preserve.

At the Jang Gonchoe, nuns have the opportunity to debate with nuns from other nunneries. This build confidence and skill. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery

The Importance of the Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund

The Tibetan Nuns Project, with the support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has played a critical role in opening up this learning opportunity to women. Although all Tibetan nuns and nunneries are welcome to take part, the main obstacle to wider participation has always been lack of funding. There are more nuns who wish to attend than there is funding to support them with their travel costs and for food during the month-long event.

An average of 7 nunneries takes part each year:

Dolma Ling Nunnery & Institute – participant since 1995
Jangchup Choeling Nunnery – participant since 1995
Jamyang Choeling Nunnery – participant since 1995
Geden Choeling Nunnery – participant since 1995
Khacho Ghakil Ling, Nepal – yearly participant
Thugjee Choeling Nunnery, Nepal – yearly participant
Buddhist Education Centre, Kinnaur – yearly participant
Drikung Nunnery – participant once
Dongyu Gyatseling Nunnery – occasional participant
Sherab Choeling Nunnery, Spiti – occasional participant
Yangchen Choeling Nunnery, Spiti – occasional participant
Jampa Choeling Nunnery, Spiti – occasional participant
(The nuns from the latter three nunneries now hold their own inter-nunnery debate session each year in Spiti.)

In 2014, the Tibetan Nuns Project launched a special Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund to support the Jang Gonchoe so that this vital educational opportunity may continue for years to come. Gifts to the Endowment Fund help to preserve Tibet’s culture and religion, and also open up a centuries-old tradition to the nuns, empowering them to become great teachers in their own right. The benefit of this is inestimable and will be an enduring legacy for generations to come.

To support the Debate Endowment Fund you can:

Make a gift online – see below.
Call our office in Seattle, US at 1-206-652-8901
Mail a check to:
The Tibetan Nuns Project
(for Debate Endowment)
815 Seattle Boulevard South #216
Seattle, WA 98134 USA
Donate securities
Leave a gift in your will to the Tibetan Nuns Project

Give to Debate Endowment

The main costs associated with the Jang Gonchoe are food for the nuns for a month and their travel costs to and from the event.