Tibetan Nuns Project
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| Mon, 12-12-2005 - 12:45pm |
Tibetan Nuns Project
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Dolma Ling
"In ancient Tibet, educational programs were available in some nunneries. But in recent times there are no standard training programs in any of them. Dolma Ling can therefore set a precedent and become a model for nunneries throughout Tibet."
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Oct. 9, 1995 during a visit to Dolma Ling.
Dolma Ling is open to those from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is the first of its kind to offer this level of education to Tibetan women. Dolma Ling is unique in that it offers a 13-year curriculum of traditional Buddhist philosophy and debate along with modern courses in Tibetan language, English, mathematics, Tibetan history, computer skills and basic medical training. The nuns also have access to sacred arts such as sand mandala and butter sculpture. When their studies are complete, the nuns will fill an important role as teachers, both in the nunneries and throughout the Tibetan exile community.
Since 1994, the nuns have participated in Jang Gonchoe, an inter-nunnery debate session. Held for monks for centuries, this is a new undertaking for nuns and is funded by TNP.
Dolma Ling is also the site of several pilot self-sufficiency projects in tailoring, weaving, the braiding of freedom bracelets and papermaking.
To purchase products from current projects at Dolma Ling.
Read the story of a Dolma Ling nun.
http://www.tnp.org/nunneries/dolmaling/story.shtml
Shugsep
Shugsep, a Nyingma nunnery, traces its ritual and practice to some of the most illustrious female practicioners in Tibetan history. In this century, Shugsep was home to one of the most famous practioners and teachers of this century, Shugsep Jetsunma. There the nuns followed a routine primarily of memorizing scriptures and meditating, living as ascetic hermits in caves in the hillside. Following the cultural revolution in 1959, the nuns were forced to leave Shugsep and it was completely destroyed. Although the nunnery was partially rebuilt in the 1980's by the nuns themselves, those who continue to reside there faced harrassment by Chinese authorities. Nearly all of the nuns studying in Shugsep Nunnery in Dharamsala come from the original Shugsep.
Most of the 60 nuns at Shugsep come from the original nunnery in Tibet. Here they have the opportunity to participate in a nine-year academic program of Buddhist philosophy, debate, Tibetan language and English. Their teachers come from Penor Rinpoche's monastery in southern India.
Every Sunday night, the Shugsep nuns practice the Chod ritual, following the lineage of chod practice that comes down from the great female practioner of the 11th century, Machik Lapdron. This ritual focuses on severing worldy attachments by offering one's own body parts to visualized dieties.
Geden Choeling
Geden Choeling, of the Gelukpa tradition is the oldest nunnery in Dharamsala. A number of the nuns are over 60 years old. Over 120 nuns live and study in the small nunnery.
In the early 1960's several nuns fled the Nechung Ri Nunnery in Tibet, that was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. With no nunnery in existence these women worked with Tibetan children until a number of refugee nuns gathered together with the purpose of building a nunnery. As there were nuns from different nunneries in Tibet, they decided on "Geden Choeling" which means "Home of the virtuous ones who devote their lives to the Buddha Dharma".
Borrowing pots and pans and 600 rupees from a monk they were able to rent an old house in the forest above McLeod Ganj and performed the opening ceremony in December of 1973.
From such humble beginnings, these determined women raised and borrowed enough money to begin to build housing and a temple. At the very beginning they built with their own hands; today the nunnery houses over 120 nuns -- far more than its intended capacity.
The Story of a Nun from Geden Choeling
http://www.tnp.org/nunneries/tilokpur/story.shtml
Tilokpur
On a hilltop overlooking a small town 40 km from Dharamsala is Tilokpur Nunnery, at the site of Tilopa's cave (a Tibetan saint). It was founded in 1966 by Mrs. Freda Bedi, a British nun under the previous Karmapa Rinpoche It is the oldest Kagyu nunnery outside of Tibet. Sixty-five nuns from Tibet, the Himalayas and Mustang (Nepal) live here. The oldest nun is over 80; the youngest is 12 years old.
The nuns are under the spiritual guidance of Tai Situ Rinpoche, and the nuns regularly participate in 3-year retreats at Situ Rinpoche's facility in Bir, Sherap Ling.
It is a small, but well run nunnery that is supported primarily by doing prayers for the exile community. However, the nuns have been hampered in their abilities to develop and sustain themselves by the general lack of education. The Nuns Project has helped them to start basic classes in Tibetan and English. The biggest problem is in finding and keeping teachers. Now that basic literacy has been accomplished, if a teacher can be found, they will also add instruction in key texts of their Kagyu tradition.
