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2020 Fall Newsletter

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2020 Fall Newsletter Tibetan Nuns Project Fall 2020 How the nunneries were impacted uuu by the pandemic How the nunneries The majority of the nuns are Tibetan refugees were impacted and part of a wider Tibetan diaspora while the by the pandemic remainder are from remote border areas of India. Living in close communities, with classes, prayers, Nuns Pray for dining halls, and shared rooms and bathrooms the Sick means that nuns are in many ways very vulnerable to the coronavirus. If the virus were to enter a uuu nunnery, it would spread rapidly. Helping the Most The Central Tibetan Administration based Vulnerable in Dharamsala, India, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, took strong, early measures to stop Masks and Physical the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and to Nuns Pray for the Sick Distancing ensure that Tibetans in exile are safe and healthy. In the spring, the Department asked all Tibetan Education in the time As early as January 24th, following the COVID-19 monastic and religious centres to take part in a of COVID outbreak in China, the Department of Health of special prayer initiative dedicated to everyone the Central Tibetan Administration proactively suffering physically or mentally due to the uuu issued guidelines on preventive measures and ran pandemic, for all the health care professionals, and awareness campaigns across Tibetan settlements for a speedy end to the global crisis. The goal was Geshema News in India. One week after the WHO declared to provide strength and resolution for the sick COVID-19 a pandemic on 11th March 2020, the and the emotionally distressed so that they might uuu Department created a COVID-19 Task Force to overcome the disease. Through the special Jang Gonchoe mitigate the potentially catastrophic impact of the prayers, it also wanted to support the families of disease, particularly in Tibetan refugee settlements. Inter-Nunnery Debate the deceased in observing unhindered prayer The nuns and nunneries have benefited rituals according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Cancelled for 2020 from this extra level of health care and focus. In The department advised advised the nunneries Special Convocation addition to Indian travel restrictions, the Tibetan and monasteries to limit large gatherings while Ceremony at government-in-exile asked all Tibetans in India to convening the prayers. Sakya College refrain from travelling within or across the states The nuns at Sherab Choeling Nunnery in the especially in Himachal Pradesh. Some nunneries remote Spiti Valley marked the holy month of Saga uuu closed to visitors in the first week of February, Dawa as always with prayers, the lighting of butter shutting their gates and monitoring anyone who lamps, fasting, and vows. During the holy month, Dorjee Zong came in or out. the nuns also received puja requests from villagers Product Shipment for their late family members and for their own Has Arrived! well-being. The nuns also offered the Medicine Buddha ritual as requested by many people. uuu The nuns send this special message to all donors and sponsors: “We hope all our kind sponsors are Science Projects well and keeping themselves safe. We pray for all Acts of Generosity in the world and our dear sponsors and supporters. Our deep prayers to all!” uuu The nuns are once again performing pujas. You can sponsor prayers via our website at 10th Anniversary https://tnp.org/products/pujas-prayers/ of Shugsep Current Needs Nuns at Tilokpur Nunnery practice physical distancing while studying. Helping the Most Vulnerable On 24 March 2020, the Indian Government ordered the world’s largest coronavirus lockdown. The Central Tibetan Administration called for a full 80 days of Tibetan Nuns lockdown for Tibetan nunneries, monasteries, Tibetan settlements, Project old age homes, and schools. Before the nationwide Established in 1987, the coronavirus lockdown, Dolma Tibetan Nuns Project provides education Ling and Shugsep nunneries were and support to more than 700 nuns in northern India. The mission of the already well prepared and had bought a month’s worth of rations project is to: Compassion in action. The nuns at Dolma Ling shared to better withstand this sudden Educate and empower nuns of the some their food rations with 100 poor Indian families Tibetan Buddhist tradition as teachers challenge. living near the nunnery. and leaders; Establish, strengthen, and support educational institutions to preserve the Masks and Physical Distancing Tibetan religion and culture. The nuns at all seven nunneries we support have been trying to maintain physical Patron distancing as much as possible. For many months, they avoided gathering in large groups His Holiness the Dalai Lama for classes, pujas, meals, or morning assembly. India Office At Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, the nuns from the tailoring section began Kasur Rinchen Khando Choeygal sewing cloth masks for the nuns to wear, whereas they usually make prayer flags, nuns’ Founding Director and Special Advisor bags, and nuns’ robes. The Tibetan Nuns Project is Mrs. Nangsa Choedon, Director very grateful to Charles-Antoine Ms. Tsering Diki, Assistant Director Janssen for his generous gift of over U.S. Office 3,500 masks for the nuns at various Dr. Elizabeth Napper, U.S. Founder nunneries. and Board Chair During the holy month of Lisa Farmer, Executive Director Saga Dawa, the Dolma Ling nuns continued their annual tradition Sponsorship of reading the entire Tibetan Tenzin Dasel, India Office Buddhist canon or Kangyur, the Reebee Martz, U.S. Office 108 volumes of the spoken words Many thanks to the following people of the Buddha, sitting apart to do who contributed to the design, content, the reading. Nun sewing face masks. and editing of this newsletter: Tsering Diki, Tenzin Dasel, Ven. Delek Yangdon, Ven. Delek Yangchen, Education in the time of COVID Heather Wardle, and Anita Veen The nuns are doing their best to stay WEBSITE: tnp.org on track with their studies during this difficult time. Classes within most India: c/o Dolma Ling nunneries have partially or fully resumed PO Sidhpur 176057 Dist. Kangra, H.P. over the summer and the nuns are doing Email: [email protected] their best to practice physical distancing Phone: (91) 98057 83104 and safety. The nunneries, like schools and universities globally, have lots of USA: 815 Seattle Blvd. S, Suite 216, educational challenges during the Seattle, WA 98134 pandemic and have yet to return to their Email: [email protected] full normal system of classes and exams. Phone: 206 652 8901 In lieu of face-to-face classes, some Nuns continue to study and pray on their own in teachers recorded their lessons using an their rooms or at safe distances outdoors. mp3 player and shared files with students. Geshema News The Geshema degree for nuns is the highest level of training Geshema Sworn in as Election Commissioner in the Geluk tradition and is equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Ensuring that democratic elections are free, fair, and credible is Buddhism. For monks it is called the Geshe degree. This highest an important responsibility. For the first time, a Tibetan Buddhist degree was only formally opened to women in 2012. To date, 44 nun, Geshema Delek Wangmo, has been elected to serve on nuns have earned the Geshema degree. the Election 2020 Geshema Exams Postponed Commission for the Tibetan Each year since 2012, the nuns sitting various levels of the four- Parliament-in- year Geshema examinations have gathered together in July for one Exile. month of final exam preparations and then for two weeks of oral The general and written exams in August. election for the The venue rotates between the participating nunneries, and 17th Tibetan nuns often travel long distances to take the exams, such as from parliament-in- Nepal and South India. With the pandemic still continuing, exile will be held the Geshema in 2021 at which Examination time all eligible Working Committee exile Tibetans regretfully reached registered to vote the decision that it will elect a new Geshema Delek Wangmo takes the oath of office. Photo: Tenzin Phende/CTA would be necessary to Sikyong, the postpone those exams executive head of until August 1, 2021. the Central Tibetan Administration, and the 45 members of the Tibetan parliament. Geshema Delek Wangmo is among the first group of nuns Detail of photo by Olivier Adam that came under the care of the Tibetan Nuns Project and was a part of the whole process of the Dolma Ling construction and New Research Program for Geshemas introduction of an education system for the nuns. We are proud of such nuns for being mentally strong, focused, and dedicated Five Geshemas have received scholarships to participate in a new towards getting an education and leading the way for the younger Tibetan Buddhist philosophy research program. The historic nuns. She started teaching philosophy at the nunnery from research project organized by the Geluk International Foundation March 2019 after the completion of her Tantric Studies along has seats for 30 Geshes and 5 Geshemas to do three-year research with Geshema Tenzin Kunsel. Being the additional election projects on the five primary topics of Buddhist philosophy studied commissioner, she attends office four days a week from 9am to to earn the Geshe degree. 5pm. As she is free on Wednesday and Saturday, she is continuing In order to qualify for the program, the Geshemas had to with her classes at the nunnery while on other days her classes have obtained 60% in their have been distributed among other philosophy teachers. She final Geshema exams, as well describes it as a whole new experience, having never before as to meet other criteria and worked in such a field outside the monastic community. supply formal documents. The In another action of public service, in the spring of 2020, Tibetan Nuns Project helped the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan the candidates to complete the Administration arranged a number of video teachings by application process.
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