The Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP), a US-registered charity based in Seattle and in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India, has announced that Shugsep Nunnery and Institute in Dharamsala will hold its first-ever khenmo enthronement ceremony for 19 nuns on 18 February, the first day of the Tibetan New Year.
A khenmo is the most senior scholarly title for female monastics in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, equivalent to the khenpo title given to male monastics. Unlike the geshema degree, there is no written examination to receive the title khenmo. Instead, eligibility is based on education, years of service, leadership, and moral conduct.
“The 19 nuns being enthroned this year completed their loponma studies between 2004 and 2022, the TNP noted in an announcement shared with BDG. “Since then, they have fulfilled their required years of service: some have taught Buddhist texts, some have managed administrative duties, some have guided study and revision programs for junior nuns.”
To be considered eligible for the rank of khenmo, a nun must have completed nine years of rigorous study and received the loponma degree—equivalent to a master’s degree in Buddhist studies. She must then have served the nunnery for at least four years by teaching, administration, guiding students, or other responsibilities. She must also have maintained pure discipline, with no record of serious violations.
Noting the significance of this historic milestone for Shugsep Nunnery, the TNP explained that traditionally, only male monastics were enthroned as khenpo because a full ordination lineage for female monastics (gelongma) was not historically present in Tibet.
“Without full ordination, nuns could not receive the same monastic titles,” the TNP observed. “In recent decades, Tibetan Buddhist leaders [have] recognized this historical gap and created a new system. Instead of requiring full gelongma ordination, nuns who complete higher studies and long-term service can now be enthroned as khenmo. This change [has] opened the door for nuns to receive equal recognition as scholars and spiritual leaders.”
Affiliated with the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, Shugsep Nunnery and Institute traces its Buddhist heritage and practices directly to Tibet and some of Tibet’s most influential female Vajrayana practitioners. In the 20th century, the original Shugsep Nunnery was home to the celebrated female master Shugsep Jetsun Rinpoche (1852–1953), one of the most illustrious female practitioners in Tibetan history and a recognized incarnation of the revered tantric yogini Machig Labdron (1055–1149).
Although the original Shugsep Nunnery in Tibet was destroyed in 1959 and the resident nuns forced to leave, the nunnery was re-established in India and officially inaugurated in December 2010. Along with Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Shugsep Nunnery and Institute was built and is completely supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. Shugsep is now home to about 100 nuns, who have the opportunity to participate in a nine-year academic program of Buddhist philosophy, debate, Tibetan language and English
“The Shugsep nuns story is one of perseverance, dedication, and hope,” the TNP emphasized. “Many Shugsep nuns escaped from Tibet with nothing, not knowing how to read and write, traumatized in the prisons, beaten by the prison guards, and with many health problems.”
The khenmo enthronement ceremony on 18 February will be led by Khenchen Pema Sherab Rinpoche, who will serve as chief guest and main preceptor.
“After receiving the khenmo title, the nuns will take on greater responsibilities,” the TNP remarked. “Some will continue teaching advanced Buddhist studies; some will lead administrative management of the nunnery; some will enter long-term retreat. During major events, khenmos will represent Shugsep Nunnery in religious gatherings and official functions.
“Their role is not only scholarly, but also leadership and representation. This Khenmo enthronement will strengthen leadership among the nuns, raise educational standards in the nunnery, ensure self-sufficiency in teaching and training, inspire younger nuns to pursue higher studies, and promote gender equality in Tibetan Buddhism.”
The Tibetan Nuns Project provides education and humanitarian aid to refugee nuns from Tibet and Himalayan regions of India. Established under the auspices of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration, the TNP supports hundreds of nuns from all Tibetan Buddhist lineages and seven nunneries. Many of the nuns are refugees from Tibet, but the organization also reaches out to the Himalayan border areas of India, where women and girls have little access to formal education and religious training.
See more
Tibetan Nuns Project
Shugsep (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Historic First Khenmo Enthronement at Shugsep Nunnery (Tibetan Nuns Project)
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