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Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and eight geshemas of Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, Nepal following the ceremony on December 15, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lhundrup Topgye.
Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery has announced that four of their senior nuns, Ven. Lobsang Dolma, Ven. Thupten Choedon, Ven. Thupten Sangmo, and Ven. Lobsang Dolkar, graduated as geshemas on November 18, 2022. They were joined by six other nuns from nunneries in India, four coming from Jangchub Choeling Nunnery in Mundgod, and two from Geden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala.
All ten new Geshe-mas with His Holiness the forty-first Sakya Trizin, Bodhgaya, India, November 18, 2022. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery.
The four new geshemas are the latest group of graduates from Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery to complete their Geshema degree. They and the six other new geshemas received their degrees from His Holiness the forty-first Sakya Trizin in Bodhgaya, India.
The sangha of Kopan Nunnery shared their congratulations to their new geshemas:
“We, the congregation of Khachoe Gakhil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery), would like to convey our hearty congratulations to every geshema of 2022 from three nunneries. We sincerely rejoice for your success and may the Buddha Dharma continue to prevail & prosper for the sake of all sentient beings. May all the great spiritual masters live long to selflessly continue their guidance that the world needs most.”
According to the Tibetan Nuns Project, there have been 54 nuns to complete their examinations since women formally gained access to the full Geshema degree path in 2012. The first group of nuns to graduate was in December 2016, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama presiding over their examination ceremony.
The nuns during their final examination ceremony, Bodhgaya, India, November 18, 2022. Photo courtesy of Kopan Nunnery.
The Geshema degree is the same course of study as the Geshe degree, with the feminine “ma” added just to delineate gender. The path to becoming a geshema begins after completing 17 years of monastic study. Those that qualify and desire to move onto the geshema degree path must then complete four years of rigorous oral and written examinations, including a successful thesis defense.
Prior to the historic change in 2012, nuns did not have access to the four-year Geshe degree path as monks did. The first to achieve the title of Geshema was the German nun Geshema Kelsang Wangmo, who completed her degree at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD) in McLeod Ganj, India, a year prior in 2011. A nuns committee meeting was held in 2012, followed with the announcement by the Tibetan Administration’s Department of Religion and Culture that the full degree was now available to nuns.
Ceremony for the eight new geshemas at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery Nepal, December 15, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
On December 15 a ceremony was offered at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery to the four new geshemas as well as the four who completed their degrees in 2019. This ceremony started with Sixteen Arhat Puja with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi in attendance. Ven. Roger Kunsang made an offering on behalf of the entire FPMT organization and invited them to teach in the future.
Please join us in rejoicing in the accomplishments of these new graduates and all of the geshemas helping pave new roads of opportunity, equity, and leadership for women in Tibetan Buddhism, and their efforts in teaching and preserving the Mahayana tradition.
Geshema Namdol Phunsok Teaching at Detong Ling Nunnery, Spain
In 2016, Geshema Namdrol Phunsok was one of two nuns from Khachoe Ghakyil Ling to receive their Geshema degree at Geden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala, India. We are delighted to share that she will be teaching at Detong Ling Nunnery, Spain, from February 21- March 23, 2023. These teachings will have in person and Zoom options with Spanish and English translations. These teachings are appropriate for students who already have already a basic understanding of Buddhist concepts
Sponsorship is also available for all aspects of this event.
For questions and further information about the teachings with Geshema Namdrol Phuntsok or sponsorship of the event, please contact Detong Ling Nunnery.
The FPMT Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund offers opportunity to support nuns and monks in providing for their education, healthcare, food, housing and other essential needs.