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Creating a Legacy of a Kinder World: An Interview

Jalene Szuba joined the Tibetan Nuns Project board of directors in June 2024. A supporter of Tibetan Buddhist nuns for over half her life, she has also left a portion of her estate to the Tibetan Nuns Project to create a legacy of a kinder world. Read her story and see the extended trailer of her film about the nuns.

Jalene Szuba is a board-certified health coach helping busy professionals master their sleep for better health. She lives in Colorado with her life love Evan and their boxer Gus.

How did you first get involved with the nuns and the Tibetan Nuns Project?

In 1996, I met the photographer, Jessica Tampas, who was involved with the Tibetan resettlement program in Chicago and we hit it off. I was interested in the Tibetan situation and was longing to visit the Tibetan refugees in India.

Jessica invited me to join her on a trip to Dharamsala in 1997 to photograph the Tibetan nuns and the Tibetan Children’s Village. I was a film major and brought my video camera to capture footage of both. I edited a few pieces when I returned to show at an exhibition Jessica had organized to raise awareness and funds for the Tibetan Nuns Project and the Tibetan Children’s Village.

archival photo 1997 of Jalene Szuba with Tibetan Buddhist nuns

Jalene (top left) with Tibetan refugee nuns in 1997. She shared, “I’ve always been an advocate for female equality and empowerment so it just made sense to support an organization that was making sure these women had the same education and opportunities as the monks.”

What is it about the Tibetan Nuns Project’s mission and work that speaks to you?

When I first met the nuns in 1997 and learned about the mission of the Tibetan Nuns Project I was struck by how historic it was. This was something that had never happened — the nuns getting a formal education with the goal of attaining higher degrees.

I was also struck by how much they had accomplished in just 10 years. I felt honored to capture the nuns as they physically carried the rocks and built Dolma Ling Nunnery with their own bare hands. I’ve always been an advocate for female equality and empowerment so it just made sense to support an organization that was making sure these women had the same education and opportunities as the monks.

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

In 1997, Jalene filmed the nuns building Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. The nunnery is now home to over 250 nuns and is fully supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. Photo by Jessica Tampas.

Why is this cause important?

Women give so much to the world. They deserve every opportunity as men but they also need to be educated to have confidence, respect, and opportunities. The Tibetan Nuns Project provides the education and resources for these monastic women to go out into the world and help make it a kinder place. I also believe that having women educated in Buddhism brings a new perspective to what was once a male-dominated arena.

You’ve included a legacy gift in your will to the Tibetan Nuns Project. What led you to that decision?

I’ve been supporting the organization in various ways for 27 years, that’s half my lifetime, so it made sense to me to include the Tibetan Nuns Project in my will.

“A legacy gift is important to me because I want to ensure the nuns are supported so they can carry out their mission and my ultimate goal of having a kinder world.” Jalene has returned to India many times to document the nuns’ progress. Here she is in 2017 with the Dolma Ling Media Nuns, Venerable Delek Yangdron and Venerable Delek Yangchen.

Was it difficult to include a charitable gift in your will?

Not at all. In fact, my lawyer asked me if I had any organizations I wanted to leave a legacy gift for. I opted to make it a percentage of my estate so that it won’t matter how much or how little I have, the Tibetan Nuns Project will still get something.

Why is a legacy gift important to you?

I want to ensure the nuns are supported so they can carry out their mission and my ultimate goal of having a kinder world. If my gift down the road can help make sure that happens, then it’s the least I can do. I want to know that I’ve created a legacy of my own.

Here is an 8-minute trailer of Jalene’s film Quiet Strength that tells the story of three Tibetan nuns and the historic education that converted their suffering into strength, their exile into opportunity, and their learning into transforming their lives.

What do you wish other people knew about the Tibetan Nuns Project?

It’s important to know the history, that nuns before exile did not have educational opportunities equal to men in Tibet. It was a different time and one positive that came out of their exiled situation is now there are nunneries and a formal education system for them. Now the nuns have this historic opportunity and they are making the most of it.

“I’ve been supporting the organization in various ways for 27 years, that’s half my lifetime, so it made sense to me to include the Tibetan Nuns Project in my will.”

Can you tell us about a personal experience with the nuns that is special to you?

I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks living in the guest house at Dolma Ling. I got to experience the nuns’ day-to-day life and a few things struck me. First, their dedication to their studies is impressive. They get up early for prayers, attend classes all day, do chores, and study. It is a full day but you never hear them complain. They are so grateful for the opportunity and are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. There is a strong sense of self-pride and pride in the Tibetan culture.

The other thing that struck me was their support of each other. They ask each other for help in shaving their heads, they help each other study. They really want their fellow nuns to succeed. There is an air of support not competition at the nunneries. All for one and one for all is felt.

Are you interested in leaving a Legacy of Compassion?

Jalene used a lawyer to draft her will but there are also free online services. If you are interested in leaving a legacy to help the Tibetan Buddhist nuns, please contact us at info@tnp.org and and visit our legacy page here. Our legal name and address is Tibetan Nuns Project, 815 Seattle Blvd. S. #418, Seattle, WA 98134 USA Ph: 206-652-8901 Email: info@tnp.org Web: tnp.org Tax ID number (US) 68-0327175

If you have already included a gift in your will to the Tibetan Nuns Project, please let us know and we will send you an 8×10 print of Brian Harris’s iconic “Laughing Nuns” photo that he has generously given for legacy donors. See the photo and learn more here.

Video Interview of a Geshema Nun: Determination and Dedication on the Path

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Here is a video interview of a Geshema – Tenzin Kunsel.

On December 22, 2016, twenty Tibetan Buddhist nuns made history when they graduated with their Geshema degrees. They received their degrees from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

As you will hear from her story, her long journey to becoming a Geshema was not an easy one.

With gentle humor, she tells her story of overcoming many obstacles on the path to becoming a senior nun and teacher. Geshema Tenzin Kunsel’s extraordinary determination and dedication shine through.

The video was made in October 2017 at Dolma Ling Nunnery. Our thanks to Tibetan Nuns Project Co-Director, Venerable Lobsang Dechen, for providing the English translation and to volunteer film-makers Evan Kezsbom, Jalene Szuba, and Dustin Kujawski.

The Geshema degree is equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy and is the highest level of training in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. It could previously only be earned by monks and is called the Geshe degree.

This historic milestone for the 20 nuns was the culmination of decades of study and dedication. In addition to the 17-years of study required, there is a rigorous four-year examination process.

Now Geshema Tenzin Kunsel and the 25 other recent Geshemas who graduated in 2016 and 2017 are starting a brand-new and historic two-year course in Buddhist tantric studies. Although there have been accomplished female practitioners in Tibet’s history, women have never before been given an opportunity to formally study tantric Buddhism.

Traditionally, monks who have attained their Geshe degree, equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhism, must also study tantric treatises in order to become fully qualified masters capable of teaching their complete tradition. Monks have always been able to receive these teachings at one of the great tantric colleges.

Geshema, Tenzin Kunsel,

Taking you on a tour of the flowers of Dolma Ling Nunnery

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In the foothills of the Himalayas, the 240 nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery cultivate beautiful flowers in pots and gardens to make the nunnery beautiful.

Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute is a unique center of higher learning for Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India. The nuns themselves took part in the construction of the nunnery, laboring to carry bricks and mortar, to dig the foundations, and to landscape and create the lush flower gardens that are a refuge for birds and insects.

flower competition, Tibetan nunnery, Buddhist nuns, Dolma Ling Nunnery, flowers of Dolma Ling

Some of the Dolma Ling nuns during the 2016 flower competition.

The nunnery is set in a serene area of the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and is surrounded by green terraced wheat and rice fields, with beautiful views up towards the snowy mountain peaks of the nearby Dhauladhar range. The town of Dharamsala, home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration, is about 20-minutes drive from Dolma Ling.

This video by Brian Harris takes you through parts of the nunnery to see the flowers and hear the birds.

Construction of Dolma Ling began in 1993 and the nunnery was officially inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 8, 2005. The red and white buildings of the nunnery are constructed around a central courtyard that is the main hub of the nunnery.

Dolma Ling Nunnery, Tibetan nuns, Buddhist nuns, nunnery, Tibetan Nuns Project

Dolma Ling is fully funded by the Tibetan Nuns Project and was one of the first institutions dedicated specifically to higher Buddhist education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns from all traditions. Panorama of the nunnery by Brian Harris.

Each year, the nuns take part in a flower contest that is part of the celebrations around His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday. Continue reading →

10th Anniversary of the Inauguration of Dolma Ling Nunnery

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Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute is a unique center of higher learning for Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India.

On December 8, 2015 we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of Dolma Ling by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We also celebrate the powerful vision and mission behind this special institution, the many supporters who made it possible, and the nuns themselves for their bravery and dedication.

Dolma Ling Nunnery was started in 1991 to meet the needs of the many nuns who fled Tibet in search of the freedom to study and practice their religion.

escapee nuns, Buddhist nuns, Tibetan Nuns Project, Dolma Ling Nunnery, Tibet, nuns

Newly arrived nuns in India. The Tibetan Nuns Project and Dolma Ling Nunnery were created in response to a huge influx of nuns who arrived in India after escaping from Tibet. These nuns had made the arduous journey by foot over the Himalayas, and were ill and exhausted. Existing nunneries were already overcrowded.

The Story of Dolma Ling Nunnery

Dolma Ling is set in a serene area of the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. The nunnery is surrounded by green terraced wheat and rice fields and has beautiful views up towards the snowy mountain peaks of the nearby Dhauladhar range. The town of Dharamsala, home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration is about 20-minutes drive from Dolma Ling.

Construction of Dolma Ling began in 1991 and the major parts of the nunnery were completed in 2005. The nuns themselves took part in the construction of the nunnery, laboring to carry bricks and mortar, to dig the foundations, and to landscape and create the lush flower gardens that are a refuge for birds and insects. Photo courtesy of Jessica Tampas

The nuns themselves took part in the construction of the nunnery, laboring to carry bricks and mortar, to dig the foundations, and to landscape and create the lush flower gardens that are a refuge for birds and insects. Photo courtesy of Jessica Tampas

Dolma Ling Nunnery, nuns kitchen, Tibetan nuns, Buddhist nuns life, Tibetan Nuns Project

Nuns working in the temporary kitchen during the construction of Dolma Ling Nunnery. As the nunnery was being built, the nuns lived first in tents and then in a rented house. Many of their activities, such as their studies, took place outdoors.

Construction of Dolma Ling began in 1993 and took nearly 13 years to fully complete. The nuns moved into the first buildings in 1994. His Holiness the Dalai Lama first visited in 1995 and encouraged the nuns in their studies. Upon its completion, he returned to Dolma Ling to officially inaugurate it on December 8, 2005.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his first visit to Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in 1995

The red and white buildings of the nunnery are constructed around a central courtyard that is the main hub of the nunnery. The focal building is the temple, which contains the prayer hall and library. Six two-story buildings linked by verandas and courtyards serve as housing and classrooms, in addition to an infirmary, kitchen, dining hall, and solar bath house.

Nuns gather in the courtyard each morning for prayers, announcements and the singing of the Tibetan national anthem. For a sense of life at Dolma Ling, see our video “A Day in the Life at Dolma Ling Nunnery”.

Education at Dolma Ling

Dolma Ling Institute and Nunnery is unique in that it offers a 19-year curriculum of traditional Buddhist philosophy and debate along with modern courses in Tibetan language, English, mathematics, and computer skills.

Dolma Ling is open to those from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is the first of its kind to offer this sort of education to Tibetan women. The nunnery is officially non-sectarian and has teachers from different traditions.

A panorama of part of Dolma Ling Nunnery taken by Brian Harris

Upon graduation from the 19-year program, the nuns will be thoroughly trained in their Buddhist tradition and will be eligible to receive a Geshema degree, equivalent to a Ph.D. The first Tibetan Geshemas are due to graduate in 2016 after a rigorous 4-year examination process.

In addition to traditional and modern education, the nuns are also provided with skills training so that they can become more self-sufficient and generate income for the nunnery, reducing the need for outside support. The nunnery has various income generating projects such as our annual calendar with photos by the nuns, the nuns’ café which opened in 2015, the tailoring section that makes prayer flags and handmade dolls, and the tofu kitchen which provides fresh tofu for the Dolma Ling nuns.

Educating women is powerful. It’s not just about books. As we’ve shown at Dolma Ling Nunnery and the other six nunneries we support, it is also about helping nuns acquire the skills they need to run their own institutions and create models for future success and expansion. It’s about enabling the nuns to be teachers in their own right and to take on leadership roles at a critical time in their nation’s history.

Major New Project Coming Soon to Dolma Ling

The Tibetan Nuns Project is working to develop plans for a major new project at Dolma Ling Nunnery, a study center that will focus particularly on laywomen, Tibetan and non-Tibetan, who wish to seriously study Buddhism.

In the past many have expressed interest in studying the philosophical texts just as the nuns do, but could not be readily accommodated in the nunneries. We seek to establish a center at Dolma Ling so that laywomen can have a safe environment within the nunnery grounds in which to live, study and practice. The study center will also provide accommodation and facilities for visiting nuns during the annual inter-nunnery debate session and during the Geshema exams. We will share more information about this exciting new project in 2016 as plans are finalized!

Our thanks

Thank you to our supporters worldwide who have helped turn a big idea into reality.
Dolma Ling Nunnery, Dharamsala, Tibetan Nuns Project, Buddhist nuns

The situation in Tibet remains very alarming. The religion and culture is under tremendous threat. Nunneries are under surveillance and, in one case this year, many nuns were expelled and their nunnery was destroyed.

The nuns and the nunneries that you are supporting with your donations to the Tibetan Nuns Project are a beacon of hope for the future.

With the power of an idea, together we have created something that once seemed almost impossible—institutions and educational systems for Buddhist women that have the potential to transform generations to come.

Nuns making Tibetan momos with video

A Day in the Life of Tibetan Buddhist Nuns

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Here’s your ticket to India…

With these two videos you can sit back, relax and explore the sights and sounds of life at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, located near Dharamsala in northern India.

The photos of Tibetan Buddhist nuns in the video and the soundscape below are courtesy of Brian Harris. We hope you enjoy this bit of armchair travelling.

Continue reading →