Equivalent to a Doctorate in Buddhist Philosophy, the Geshema degree represents the highest level of training in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism -- a level of training previously only available to men (in whose case the degree would be a Geshe degree). But that's changed now that twenty Tibetan Buddhist nuns have become the first to pass all the exams necessary to earn [...]
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First-of-its-kind nuns’ training to take place in Washington State
On January 22, Fifty Buddhist nuns from nine countries will meet at Sravasti Abbey, near Newport, Washington, for a 16-day training program on the Vinaya, the code of Buddhist monastic discipline. Living Vinaya in the West is the first training program offered in the U.S. for Western nuns with English translations and resources. Ven. Master Wuyin, founder and abbess of [...]
Karmapa announces plan to restore nuns’ ordination
Via the Kagyu Office comes the news that the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa has "made the historical announcement that, beginning next year, [His Holiness] would take concrete steps towards restoring nuns’ vows in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition." From the Kagyu Office news release: "Beginning with the restoration of the novice ‘getsulma’ and training ‘shikshamana’ nun’s vows next [...]
Hope and joy in photos of the first nuns to earn “doctorates” of Tibetan Buddhism
The geshema degree, equivalent to a doctorate, represents the highest level of training in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was previously only awarded to men. Photos by Olivier Adam; story by Dominique Butet. Early in the morning, on the 22nd of December, in Mundgod, India, many monks, nuns, geshes and lay people gathered in profound silence at Drepung Monastery [...]
The Dalai Lama awards historic Geshema degree to 20 Tibetan Buddhist nuns
His Holiness the Dalai Lama awarded 20 Tibetan Buddhist nuns with Geshema degrees yesterday at a ceremony at Drepung monastery in Mundgod, South India, according to Central Tibetan Administration. The nuns are the first female monastics to complete the necessary training and examinations to earn the degree. As Lion's Roar previously reported, the Geshema degree is the [...]
8 North American Buddhist nuns, including Pema Chödrön and Thubten Chodron, receive “Global Bhikkhuni Award”
Eight North American Buddhist nuns, including Pema Chödrön and Thubten Chodron, have been awarded the Global Bhikkhuni Award for their achievement in promoting, protecting, and preserving the dharma. According to a press release from Sravasti Abbey, the award was established this year to recognize Buddhist nuns' achievements in teaching, establishing temples, encouraging [...]
Artist Miya Ando auctions unique mandalas to help Tibetan Nuns Project
Artist Miya Ando has created a series of five mandalas to be auctioned online that will raise funds for the Tibetan Nuns Project. According to a press release from the Tibetan Nuns Project, all proceeds from the auction will be donated by the artist to help provide food, shelter, education, and healthcare to over 700 Tibetan Buddhist nuns living at seven nunneries in [...]
Twenty-six Tibetan nuns expelled from nunnery
Twenty-six nuns have been expelled from their nunnery in eastern Tibet. According to a release from the Dra-Sog-Drisum Association–a group of Tibetan exiles in India–Chinese officials cracked down on the nunnery in September because it refused to denounce the Dalai Lama. The crackdown–which comes as part of a "patriotic education" campaign–led to the nuns' removal. For more [...]
38 nuns progress toward geshema degrees
This week thirty-eight nuns in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition are undergoing exams toward their geshema degree, the monastic equivalent of a Ph.D in Tibetan Buddhist studies. Until a few years ago, the degree was only bestowed on monks (it’s known as a geshe degree when awarded to men). In 2011, German Kelsang Wangmo, who spent twenty-one years training in India, became the [...]
American nuns bless Capitol Christmas Tree
Ven. Thubten Chonyi reports on a group of American Sravasti Nuns who gave a blessing during a Christmas tree ceremony. Small town Newport, Washington was the send-off point for this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree, which is displayed annually at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. Newport is also home to Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in the Tibetan tradition, and [...]
