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2018 Fall Newsletter

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2018 Fall Newsletter Tibetan Nuns Project Fall 2018 Geshemas Pursue Groundbreaking uuu Geshemas Pursue Tantric Studies Program Groundbreaking are from other nunneries but are Tantric Studies living at Dolma Ling supported by Program the Tibetan Nuns Project while they pursue their two-year tantric studies. uuu The Geshema nuns attend Updates from the morning classes at Dolma Ling and in Nunneries the afternoons travel to nearby Gyuto Tantric Monastery for classes. We uuu are very grateful to Gyuto for giving The 2018 Geshema our Geshemas the opportunity to Exams and Results attend classes with Geshes from South India as well as giving them equal uuu opportunity to attend any teachings and classes given by the Abbot and Our Project Wish List For the first time in the history of Tibet, nuns other high lamas. We deeply appreciate their uuu have completed the study of the core Buddhist support of the nuns. philosophical and practice teachings of their So that future Geshemas might have access Nuns Join Youth tradition and have gained the Geshema degree. to these teachings, Venerable Delek Yangdron Interfaith Pilgrimage This degree (Geshe degree for monks) is roughly and Venerable Delek Yangchen of the Nuns’ and Dialogue equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhism. Media Section are recording and storing all the uuu However, in order for the Geshemas to be fully teachings by the masters. qualified masters able to teach their tradition, Thanks to all the supporters of this new Laughing Nuns: they must additionally gain an understanding of Tantric Studies Program, especially to the The Story Behind the the principles set forth in the tantric scriptures. Barry Hershey Foundation. The initial two-year Photograph To set up this new education program for program of tantric studies has been funded, but uuu women, a committee of representatives from six the Tibetan Nuns Project is seeking funding for nunneries approached His Holiness the Dalai for the second two-year study program scheduled to The 2018 advice about the curriculum and how to proceed. start in October 2019. Inter-Nunnery Debate His Holiness the Dalai Lama very kindly gave detailed instructions about uuu the treatises to be used, who should Acts of Generosity teach, and the location for classes. He recommended that the Geshema uuu nuns study as a group at Dolma Ling Dorjee Zong Nuns Nunnery & Institute, one of the Visit Dolma Ling institutions founded and supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project, since it uuu has a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, Thank You to conducive to intense study. Venerable Lobsang The Geshema nuns who graduated Dechen in 2016 and 2017 attend classes together. Among the 23 students, 16 Updates from the Nunneries Sherab Choeling 63 nuns The head nun from Sherab Choeling, Tibetan Nuns Venerable Bhutit Dolma, made the long journey from Spiti to Tibetan Nuns Project Project headquarters at Dolma Ling in May of this year, after the mountain passes Established in 1987, the opened again. She told us that the nuns Tibetan Nuns Project provides education and support to more than 700 nuns are in good health and their classes are in northern India. The mission of the going well, with no change in teachers. project is to: The most senior nuns have now reached the level of Uma class, equivalent to Educate and empower nuns of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as teachers college level. Of the younger nuns who Sakya College and leaders; are receiving primary education (school education up to Grade 5 or equivalent), Establish, strengthen, and support for Nuns 12 have passed this level and are now educational institutions to preserve the 58 nuns Tibetan religion and culture. being introduced to Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Seven nuns are still in primary Classes at Sakya College are going well Patron school. and the nuns had their annual academic His Holiness the Dalai Lama awards ceremony in March 2018, with chief guest His Eminence Dungse Asanga India Office Vajra Rinpoche attending. Rinchen Khando Choeygal The nuns’ health team at Sakya Founding Director and Special Advisor organized a series of training sessions for the nuns. Doctors from Sakya Hospital Mrs. Nangsa Choedon, Director Ms. Tsering Diki, Assistant Director and a nurse from Rajpur Homes School presented health talks and introduced first U.S. Office aid and cardio pulmonary resuscitation Dr. Elizabeth Napper, U.S. Founder (CPR), including how to use an automated and Board Chair external defibrillator (AED). For the first Lisa Farmer, Executive Director time, the nuns grew green leafy vegetables and it was a big success! Sponsorship This past winter the area around Tenzin Dasel, India Office the nunnery did not receive heavy Reebee Martz, U.S. Office snowfall, and now water is scarce. The Many thanks to the following people local administrator has been helping the who contributed to the design, content, nunnery to connect a water line from the and editing of this newsletter: natural water source at their old nunnery to the present one. This year the nuns Tsering Diki, Ven. Lobsang Dechen, grew spinach in their greenhouses, which Tenzin Dasel, Ven. Delek Yangdon, they are finding helps to combat prevalent Ven. Delek Yangchen, Heather Wardle, iron deficiency. Lori Knutson, and Anita Veen WEBSITE: www.tnp.org India: c/o Dolma Ling PO Sidhpur 176057 Dist. Kangra, H.P. Email: [email protected] Phone: (91-9805) 783104 USA: 815 Seattle Blvd. S, Suite 216, Seattle, WA 98134 Email: [email protected] Phone: 206 652 8901 Loseling Monastery in South India, in which monastics are taught the philosophy of science, physics, neuroscience, and biology. The course is presented by faculty members from Emory and other distinguished universities. Students attend classes for six hours a day and are tested on the last day of each course. Classes consist of lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on experiments. Every year, nuns from Dolma Ling take part; this year 8 nuns attended. Tilokpur 85 nuns Shugsep The nuns are pursuing their regular studies. Last December, most of the nuns 84 nuns went to the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh The nuns sat their year-end exams in Gaya and participated in the debate December 2017, after which the nunnery sessions as part of the event. The nuns closed for its winter break. The nuns found that, although they were initially travelled for teachings in Bodh Gaya and nervous, the debates really helped them also attended the Nyingma Monlam, to gain confidence and faith in their which is an important event each winter. abilities. They had a one-month summer They returned to Shugsep at the break in July during which some visited beginning of March. In April, the nuns their families while others remained at Geden Choeling elected committee members who serve the nunnery. Doctors from the Tibetan 171 nuns year-long terms as chief administrators Medical Institute visit Tilokpur once a of the nunnery. To celebrate the Maha The academic year started smoothly month because it is difficult for the nuns Parinirvana Anniversary of Shugsep Jetsun and the nuns have been sticking to to travel to that clinic for treatment. Rinpoche, the nuns offered a special their routines. A few nuns from the ritual, the Chöd Feast Offering for the nunnery had the opportunity to attend entire day. Every year, the Shugsep nuns science workshops provided by different read the entire Kangyur, the 108 volumes organizations. Two nuns participated of the words of the Buddha, to mark Saga in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative Dawa, the birth, enlightenment, and workshop for the second consecutive year. paranirvana of the Buddha. On the day While taking the workshop at Drepung of the Maha Parinirvana Anniversary of Loseling Monastery, the nuns were also Mipham Rinpoche, the nuns engaged in taught mathematics. Seven nuns also debate and written competition. participated in a two-week Modern In July, the nuns had the oath-taking Science Workshop organized by the ceremony for the annual summer retreat, Department of Religion and Culture at during which they had another debate the Tibetan Reception Centre. and speech competition. The nuns One of the attending nuns said she completed their mid-term examinations in Dolma Ling was interested in subjects such as physics, the summer and now continue with their 247 nuns biology, and neurobiology. She said, day-to-day studies. Dolma Ling hosted the annual inter- “Science tells how to see reality through nunnery debate, Jang Gonchoe, in the fall wider experiment, and helps us to of 2017. A total of 376 nuns and 14 teachers understand the truth. Quantum physics took part, with 169 of the nuns coming helps us to see that things do not have from other nunneries. In December 2017, independent existence.” She enjoyed the the nuns had their final examinations explanation of biology and the fact that followed by a two-month winter break. we have common ancestors, as in Charles The new academic year began in March. Darwin’s metaphor of the tree of life. In Each summer since 2014, nuns and neurobiology class, she learned much monks have had the opportunity to take about our physical world and health, part in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, especially about the five senses which help a four-week program held at Drepung us understand how the brain processes information. The 2018 Geshema Exams and Results From August 15 to 26, 44 nuns from four taking their first- and nunneries (Geden Choeling, Jangchup second-year exams were Choeling, Kachod Gyakhil Ling, and tested on Perfection of Dolma Ling) sat for the Geshema exams Wisdom (Pharchin) at Dolma Ling Nunnery. The Geshema and Middle Way degree is equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan (Madhyamika), while Buddhism.
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