The Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP), a US-registered charity based in Seattle and in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India, has announced that its fundraising appeal to upgrade the water supply for the Buddhist nuns of Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute has achieved its funding target.*
“Wonderful news! The project has been fully funded!” the TNP said in an announcement shared with BDG. “This is a massive water project that was urgently needed for the nuns and teachers at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. The old water system did not provide enough water and, what little they had, was often polluted.
“The [project] includes the catchment, storage, chlorination, and piping of the water for 400 residents of Dolma Ling. The stable water supply will serve the entire campus, including the nuns’ housing blocks, the teachers’ housing, the medical clinic, and the guesthouse.” (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2005, Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics is located in Kangra Valley near Dharamsala in northern India. The nunnery was the first institute dedicated to higher Buddhist education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns from all traditions, and is fully funded by the TNP.
Some 400 nuns are fully engaged in study, practice, and nunnery work at Dolma Ling, as well as organizing self-sufficiency projects, such as tofu-making and producing handicrafts. In 2013, 10 of the Dolma Ling nuns made history when they took part in the first-year Geshema examinations.*
The TNP also announced a new fundraising appeal to provide a replacement car for the 101 nuns who reside and practice at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute near Dharamsala.
“The nuns at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute need a 10-seat vehicle for all their tasks transporting nuns and supplies. The vehicle will also be used to take nuns for medical care,” The TNP explained. “The nuns currently use a 13-year-old Chevrolet Tavera that is falling apart. The model was discontinued in 2017 and there are growing problems with repairs and maintenance. The nuns have done their best to keep their old vehicle running, but parts are very hard to find and extremely expensive.
“The total cost of a new multi-purpose vehicle is US$29,500—this includes taxes, registration, insurance, and warranty for repairs.” (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Shugsep Nunnery and Institute is one of two nunneries built and completely supported by the TNP. Affiliated with the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Shugsep traces its teachings and practices to some of Tibet’s most accomplished female practitioners. Many of the nuns studying in Shugsep Nunnery come from the original Shugsep in Tibet, which was home to one of the most famous Dharma teachers of her time, Shugsep Jetsunma. The nuns at Shugsep in Dharamasala are able to undertake a nine-year academic program of Buddhist philosophy, debate, Tibetan language, and English.
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, it supports hundreds of nuns from all Tibetan Buddhist lineages living in nunneries and elsewhere in India. 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 had little access to education and religious training.
For information on how to support the Tibetan Nuns Project, click here
* Tibetan Nuns Project Launches Urgent Water Appeal for Dolma Ling Nunnery (BDG)
See more
Tibetan Nuns Project
Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Shugsep (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Related news reports from BDG
Geshema Examinations for Tibetan Buddhist Nuns Begin in Dharamsala
Tibetan Nuns Project: First Group of Khenmos Enthroned at Sakya College for Nuns
142 Buddhist Nuns Receive Full Ordination at Landmark Ceremony in Bhutan
Tibetan Nuns Project Leads Transformation at Dorjee Zong Buddhist Nunnery in Ladakh
Tibetan Nuns Project Announces Fundraising Success for Dolma Ling Nunnery
Tibetan Nuns Project Raises US$16,000 for the Higher Education of Buddhist Nuns
Bhutan Nuns Foundation Announces Opening of the Training & Resource Center for Buddhist Nuns
Related features from BDG
Gelongma Dompa (dgeslongma’i sdom pa): The Blessing of Bhikshuni Ordination in Bhutan
My Journey Toward Sowa Rigpa – The Science of Healing
Khenmo Konchog Nyima Drolma: Serving the Dharma and Sowing the Seeds of Monasticism in the West
Ten Years of Empowering Female Monastics: Bhutan Nuns Foundation Extends Reach with New Training Center
Exclusive Interview: The 17th Karmapa and the Buddhist Nuns of the Tibetan tradition
Nuns in the Tibetan Tradition: Latest Developments and Future Prospects
