Two nuns from Kopan Nunnery, nuns from Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, and nuns from Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, Nuns’ Jang Guncho, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

Monks have held the Jang Guncho for centuries. The first Nuns’ Jang Guncho took place in Dharamsala, India, in 1995. An annual event, the Nuns’ Jang Guncho is an opportunity for nunneries to gather together to train in and practice debate. The 2018 Nuns’ Jang Guncho took place at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery), a FPMT nunnery in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ani Choesang, a Kopan nun since 1994, from Chobhar, Kathmandu, Nepal, and Ani Dhekyong, a Kopan nun since 1997, from Solu Khumbu, Nepal, share about the 2018 Nuns’ Jang Guncho and the Geshema Graduation ceremony held at their nunnery.

Ani Choesang and Ani Dhekyong, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

The Nuns’ Jang Guncho (annual winter debate session) was established in 1994 under the guidance of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. It is being supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project and Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Religion & Culture. This year was the 24th annual Nuns’ Jang Guncho.

Nuns engaged in one-on-one debate during the Nuns’ Jang Guncho, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

This year the Nuns’ Jang Guncho was hosted by Kopan Nunnery in Nepal, and it was the second time here. About 710 nuns, 17 teachers, and some lay women from ten nunneries in India and Nepal gathered for one month-long training session in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. We intensively studied the subject pramana (valid cognition) and the commentary of Shree Dharmakirti, Parmanavartika, for a month in preparation for the debate.

The nunneries represented this year were Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute (Himachal Pradesh, India), Jamyang Choling Institute (Himachal Pradesh, India), Geden Choeling Nunnery (Himachal Pradesh, India), Jangchub Choeling Nunnery (Karnataka, India), Jangsem Ling (Himachal Pradesh, India), Jampa Choling Institute (Himachal Pradesh, India), Karma Samten Ling Nunnery (Pharping, Kathmandu, Nepal), Yangtchen Ling (Himachal Pradesh, India), Thukche Cho Ling Nunnery (Swayambhunath, Kathmandu, Nepal), and Kopan Nunnery.

This year’s Nuns’ Jang Guncho started on October 3 and ended on November 3.

Lay woman and nuns from Jamyang Choeling Institute, nuns from Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, and nuns from Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, Nuns’ Jang Guncho, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

Most days we followed the same schedule.

We woke up at 4:45 a.m. and then memorized from 5-6:30 a.m. After breakfast, we had philosophy class from 7-9 a.m. followed by morning prayers and one-on-one debates from 9-10:30 a.m. Classes then debated with each other for one hour and then we had a lunch break.

After lunch, we had four and a half hours of philosophy classes followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m.

After dinner, we recited prayers for half an hour followed by a big debate between two nunneries from 7-8 p.m. Then we had a thirty-minute break before we debated one-on-one for another hour. The final organized activity of the day was from 10-10:30 p.m. when classes debated with each other.

Evening debate session between lay woman and nuns from Jamyang Choeling Institute and nuns from Geden Choeling Nunnery, Nuns’ Jang Guncho, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

We hold two full-night debate celebrations during every Nuns’ Jang Guncho. This year the full-night debate celebrations took place on October 20 and November 2.

During each full-night debate celebration we debated from 6-10 p.m. We had four debates on October 20 and four debates on November 2.

On October 20 we assigned one class each from four nunneries to take the role of defender and assigned one class each from four nunneries to take the role of debater. The four classes in the role of debater then debated with the four classes in the role of defender.

We selected different groups of nuns for the four debates on November 2.

Lobsang Wangmo from Kopan Nunnery, Paldolma from Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, Lobsang Choesang from Thukche Cho Ling Nunnery, and Kelsang Choedon from Jamyang Choling Institute at the October 20th all-night debate celebration, Nuns’ Jang Guncho, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

The nuns engaged in debate in front of everyone who was attending the Nuns’ Jang Guncho. Many other geshe-las and monks from different monasteries in Kathmandu—including Kopan Monastery— came to watch the full-night debate celebrations. We celebrated the last full-night debate celebration on November 3 in the presence of our venerable abbot, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi.

The debate and discussion offers great opportunities to explore experiences and skills. The practice of debate combines logical thinking with a deeper understanding of Buddhist teachings. That will help nuns to preserve the Dharma and spread Buddha’s teachings in the modern world.

Nuns debated with the new geshemas during the Geshema Damcha, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

After the conclusion of the Nuns’ Jang Guncho we held a two-day celebration on November 3-4 during which we celebrated the Geshema Damcha, the final step in the geshema ceremony rituals. “Damcha” is the term given to the answering in the debate process.

Every nun from each nunnery debated during the two days of the Geshema Damcha celebration. The nuns debated on the subjects of the five major texts of Buddhist philosophy.

Geshema Graduation ceremony, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

On November 5 we celebrated the Geshema Graduation Ceremony 2018 at Kopan Nunnery. This year ten women became geshemas; seven of the new geshemas are from Jangchub Choeling Nunnery (Karnataka, India) and three are from Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute (Himachal Pradesh, India).

Geshema Tenzin Drolkar—who has been studying at Jangchub Choeling Nunnery since arriving from Tibet in 1996 at age 18—scored the highest marks and got first position out of the ten geshemas who graduated in 2018. Geshema Tenzin Drolkar took her turn, receiving a certificate from Mr. Tsultrim Gyatso, Central Tibetan Administration’s Coordinator for Tibetans in Nepal during the Geshema Graduation ceremony, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

On behalf of the entire Kopan family, we would like to extend huge congratulations to all the geshemas. We pray for them to have long lives, good health, and happiness. May their Dharma wishes be fulfilled without any obstacles.

The ten new geshemas, geshe-las from ten nunneries who served as the teachers, Tibetan Nuns Project staff member Nangsel, a nun from Thukche Cho Ling Nunnery, a nun from Jamyang Choling Institute, and an unidentified nun at the Geshema Graduation Ceremony, Kopan Nunnery, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2018. Photo by Kopan Nunnery.

You can find more information about Kopan Nunnery on their website.

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