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2014 Fall Newsletter

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2014 Fall Newsletter Tibetan Nuns Project Fall 2014 Geshema Exams Round Two uuu Exam results were announced on July 6th, the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We Geshema are very happy to report that 26 of the 29 nuns Exams passed. The three who failed – one in Part 2 and two in Part 1 – will be able to re-sit their exams next spring. uuu The exams are a landmark achievement for Tibetan nuns, and their success is especially notable Delek Wangmo’s because some of the nuns who have reached this Story level were totally illiterate and unable to even write their names when they escaped from Tibet in the uuu late 80s and early 90s. Looking over the exam papers Young Nuns Round two of the historic Geshema examinations at Shugsep took place at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute from May 1 to May 16, 2014. The Geshema degree uuu is the female equivalent of the Geshe and is comparable to a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist Nunnery philosophy. The exams take place over four years Updates and are the culmination of a rigorous 17-year course of study. It is a level of scholarship and Buddhist training that was previously only available uuu to monks. This spring 29 nuns took the oral and written Three of the senior nuns awaiting their turns to debate Building examinations – 23 of them took Part 2 of the exams Self-sufficiency and 6 nuns took Part 1. Two other nuns, one from All being well, the nuns who passed Part 2 this Dolma Ling Nunnery and one from Jangchup year will complete Part 4 of their exams in 2016 Choeling Nunnery, were unable to sit their and will form the first group of Geshemas in the examinations this year because of ill health. history of Tibet. Written examination exams Reading messages of good luck One of the First Geshemas: Venerable Delek Wangmo “I joined Dolma Ling Nunnery in 1990. We first Tibetan Nuns lived in rented accommoda- tion below McLeod Ganj. Project In mid-1992, we moved to Established in 1987, the Tibetan Nuns a location near the site for Project provides education and support to more than 700 nuns in northern India. the planned Dolma Ling The Project is dedicated to: Nunnery. The living condi- Improving standards of food, sanitation, tions were not so good in medical care, basic education, the beginning. We lived in and training in existing nunneries. overcrowded rooms and the Working towards future self-sufficiency study program wasn’t so well through innovative educational organized because, during opportunities. that time, the number of Establishing further facilities new nuns coming from for refugee Buddhist nuns. Senior nun, Venerable Delek Wangmo (center), feels very fortunate to be among the first nuns in Tibetan history to Tibet increased every month. have the chance to receive a Geshema degree. Slowly things improved. The Patron His Holiness the Dalai Lama construction of the present Venerable Delek Wangmo’s journey to the Dolma Ling Nunnery began in 1993 and Director we moved into our new housing block in Rinchen Khando Choegyal Geshema exams has been a long, arduous and sometimes dusty one. October 1994.” Co-Directors Born into a semi-nomadic family in Twenty years later, Delek Wangmo is Elizabeth Napper Lithang province in Eastern Tibet, Delek now teaching at Dolma Ling Nunnery Ven. Lobsang Dechen did not go to school but spent her time and has just passed Part 2 of her Geshema Project Co-Ordinator India tending the family’s sheep, yaks, goats and exams. Her commitment has never Tsering Diki horses. At age 15, she became a nun and wavered. Venerable Delek Wangmo U.S. Executive Director a few years later, set out on a very long feels that if she could make it through Lisa Farmer pilgrimage to Lhasa with her Lama. an arduous journey to India and years of “The pilgrimage was hard, as we had to difficult study, she can face any that arise Sponsorship cover the distance from Lithang to Lhasa Tenzin Dasel – India throughout her whole life. Sarah McHugh – U.S. by prostrations [a distance of almost 1000 For Delek Wangmo having the miles, 1500 km]. We would do prostra- opportunity to receive a Geshema degree Many thanks to the following people tions in the rain and our clothes got wet is a dream come true for her and her who contributed to the design, content, and dirty and we could not wash them out and editing of this newsletter: sister nuns. “Getting this degree after every day. years of intense study of philosophical Tsering Diki, Ven. Lobsang Dechen, “In spite of the hardship, I learned texts has given the nuns new energy to Tenzin Dasel, Ven. Delek Yangdon, much from my time on the pilgrimage. Ven. Ngawang Choedon, study even harder, as well as encouraged I started my education then. Along the Brian Harris, Heather Wardle us to uphold the academic values His and Noise w/o Sound. way our Lama gave us teachings and Holiness the Dalai Lama always empha- I learned the Tibetan alphabet. It was sizes. It is the path that will lead us to work WEBSITE: www.tnp.org difficult because we had to study at night independently and become recognized and often did not have enough light to India: c/o Dolma Ling study by. But once I learned the alphabet, as philosophy teachers within as well as PO Sidhpur 176057 the rest of my studying got much easier for outside the community.” Dist. Kangra, H.P. Email: [email protected] me. I started memorizing prayers once Phone: (91-1892) 246419 I had learned to read.” The pilgrimage did not turn out as USA: 815 Seattle Blvd. S, Suite 216, planned when authorities refused the Seattle, WA 98134 Email: [email protected] nuns permission to visit Lhasa. In the end, Phone: 206 652 8901 she along with 40 other nuns in a group The Tibetan Nuns Project is a 501(c)3 organization. of 125 escaped from Tibet via Nepal and All donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. arrived in Dharamsala in December 1990. The Annual Inter-Nunnery Debate: Jang Gonchoe 2014 Our supporters around the world once Gonchoe is increasing steadily. In 2013 – a Western nun living in France and a again rallied to help hundreds of nuns over 400 nuns from 8 nunneries in India Canadian volunteer in Dharamsala. Thus from India and Nepal hold the annual and Nepal took part in the Jang Gonchoe far we have received US$45,000 for the month-long inter-nunnery debate session held at Dolma Ling Nunnery & Institute. Endowment; the amount needed to fully called “Jang Gonchoe.” This debate In 1997, the Tibetan Nuns Project endow it is US$300,000. You can give to tradition is critical to fostering the nuns’ assumed responsibility for raising the the Endowment or donate to scholarships ability to assume roles as fully qualified necessary funding each year for travel, via our website at www.tnp.org. teachers of their tradition. food and accommodation of 200 nuns. Until 1995, there was no such annual You can support the Jang Gonchoe gathering for nuns, though it has been a in several ways. You can provide $100 part of monks’ education for centuries. scholarships to the nuns to cover expenses The Tibetan Nuns Project has worked to attend, or you can make a donation hard to open up this opportunity for directly to this year’s Jang Gonchoe. Or, the nuns and make debate a core part you can donate to the Jang Gonchoe of their education. 2014 marks 20 years Endowment Fund that we have newly since the nuns started having such an established to ensure that the event annual session and building their own can continue for years to come. This strong tradition of debate. The number Endowment Fund was launched this of nuns wanting to participate in the Jang spring thanks to two very special donors Swiss Tibetan Donor Raises U.S.$7,800 for Jang Gonchoe This year as we began raising funds He explained that the people he He also organized picnics with Indian and for Jang Gonchoe, one of our regular approached were particularly moved Tibetan food and reached out to family supporters, Dr. Anita Dudhane from Goa, by the idea that the Geshema degree, and friends who knew of his dedication introduced to us Mr. Kalsang P. Chokteng, equivalent to a PhD in Buddhist over the past decade to monks and nuns. a Tibetan friend of hers. He lives in Philosophy, will be granted to nuns for We are very grateful to Mr. Kalsang P. Switzerland and has been the project the first time in history of Tibet. Now Chokteng for working so hard for the manager of “Science Meets Dharma” for they will join women in professional roles, cause of the Tibetan nuns to help them the last ten years, a project initiated by His since there are Tibetan women doctors, improve their debating skills and their Holiness the Dalai Lama. engineers, scientists, and politicians understanding of Buddhist philosophy. In April, Mr. Chokteng visited in the cabinet of the Central Tibetan Dharamsala and we gave him our proposal Administration. and budget for this event. The total budget In Switzerland, Kalsang for 2014 was nearly ten lakh Indian rupees Chokteng spoke to groups or US$15,500. Mr. Chokteng promised such as the Tibetan Women’s to raise half of the amount needed. Less Association where the response than 4 months later, in mid-August, he returned to Dharamsala and gave us was great because the cause Rs.
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