On August 19, the monastics of Pema Chöling, in Crestone, Colorado — which describes itself as “a new kind of monastic community — one based on the Vinaya that acknowledges the challenges and choices that living as a Buddhist monastic in the West can bring” — helped Pema Chödrön confer lifetime novice nun’s vows to an aspirant at Vajra Vidya Retreat Center (VVRC). This was the first time she’d done so in her 50 years as a nun.
The subject of the ceremony was longtime VVRC resident Amanda Atwood of Harare, Zimbabwe. According to a release from Pema Chöling, Pema Chödrön agreed to lead the ceremony, as long as a liturgy in English could be provided. Then, “Ven. Konchog Norbu initiated a search and discovered that the monastics at Nalanda Monastery in France had produced a nearly complete translation of the rite” and created a liturgy from that, which was met with approval.
Amanda Atwood was given a new name as per tradition: Karma Pema Jinpa. As Pema Chöling explains: “ ‘Karma’ is given to all monastics in the Karma Kagyu lineage; ‘Pema’ was chosen to connect her to Ani Pema as her preceptor, and ‘Jinpa’, which means ‘generosity,’ was given as her uniquely personal name.”
Lion’s Roar offers congratulations to Karma Pema Jinpa and the Pema Chöling community.
See more photos from the ceremony via Pema Chöling; credit: Karma Choying.
