By dint of comparison to the enormous number of monks and monasteries that existed in Tibet before the communist invasion of 1950–1959, the number of nuns and monasteries for nuns has been underestimated. Statistics recently gathered by the Council for Religious and Cultural Affairs of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dharamsa1a, reveal that the number was quite significant: a total number of 618 nunneries and 12,398 nuns altogether, making Tibet the home of one of the largest communities of Buddhist nuns in the world.

In their daily lives, the nuns concentrated on Dharma practice—study, chanting and meditation. Except for those engaged in strict retreat, each resident also took a share of the responsibility for the maintenance and functioning of the monastery. The chief administrator, or abbess (Khenpa), was always a nun selected from amongst their own number. Generally, education was provided by individual teachers, each nun taking responsibility for two or three students. In addition, there was one main scripture teacher for the nunnery as a whole, who was the nun most learned in the texts. This system functioned smoothly until disrupted by political events.

Geden Choling Nunnery
This is the largest Tibetan nunnery in India, and probably the largest functioning nunnery of the Tibetan tradition in the world, since most of the nunneries in Tibet itself have been destroyed and are no longer operational. It is located in a lovely wooded area near McLeod Ganj in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, and has an enrollment of almost 80 nuns. Due to limited housing facilities, only 60 are able to maintain residence on the grounds, while the remaining nuns live with relatives or on their own in the village, gathering at the nunnery for pujas (worship) and special teachings.

The majority of the nuns at Geden Choling are Tibetan. There is also a large representation of nuns who are ethnically Tibetan but whose homelands are mountain areas which are politically Indian, such as Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Sanskar and Ladakh. Since their language and customs are closely related, they fit into Tibetan communities very easily. Because of the excellent study program at this nunnery and its proximity to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence, with access to his teachings and blessings, dozens of nuns from these areas are anxious to gain admission, but are prevented by the lack of adequate living facilities. There is currently an influx of new nuns from Tibet, which has further intensified the demands on the existing nunneries. Arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, these nuns have high expectations for pursuing the Dharma in India, but have encountered great difficulties due to limited housing. Seeing their poverty and sincerity, Geden Choling has admitted eleven of these newcomers in the last year, and is putting them up in two overcrowded school classrooms.

The residents of this nunnery are generally young, most being under thirty. In fact, due to the lack of accommodations, admissions have been restricted to those in the lower age bracket. Another factor in this decision is that the younger nuns are capable of assuming their share of the work load, often possessing such useful skills as accounting or language facility in English, Hindi, Nepali, etc. The younger entrants are also at the right age to successfully pursue the traditional study curriculum, and even the senior nuns are increasingly realizing the value of education for ordained women. In Tibet, educational opportunities for women were limited, but this situation is changing markedly in exile.

The nuns of Geden Choling began to take an active interest in pursuing the monastic debate about three years ago. They took the initiative of seeking out a teacher in the village to instruct them in the basic logic texts. As interest and numbers grew, a senior student of the nearby Buddhist School of Dialectics was selected to teach these texts at the nunnery itself, and time periods for the debate sessions were allotted. Though the logic texts are very technical and profound, and generally their study has been deemed the prerogative of male scholars, the nuns have shown tremendous aptitude and great enthusiasm in this unique field of learning.

The daily schedule of the nuns begins with puja and prayers at 6 a.m. during which a breakfast of tea and bread is served. There is a work period devoted to the cleaning of individual and community living areas. Following this, classes in Tibetan grammar and literature are held, at intermediate and advanced levels. Younger nuns, ages eight to fourteen, study handwriting, Tibetan grammar at beginning levels, and reading, with older nuns who are assigned as teachers to them. From 10:00 to11:30 is the morning debate session, followed by a communal lunch, consisting of rice or steamed buns with dahl (lentil soup), potatoes, or vegetables. In accordance with Buddhist monastic discipline, no evening meal is served, but a nun may save half of her lunch to eat in the evening if she wishes. There is a rest period after lunch until logic class at 1 pm. Already a second logic class has been started to meet the needs of recent entrants, this class being taught by a capable nun from the more advanced class.

After classes, afternoon tea is served and then the nuns have time to study on their own. Most of their studies revolve around the basic logic texts, but there are also many texts and prayers that are traditionally learned by memory amongst the Tibetans. Each day, a nun takes up a certain number of lines for memorization and recites them before the elder nun who serves as her teacher. To retain previously memorized material also requires frequent recitation, and the nuns can often be heard until as late as midnight, reciting the texts aloud in the surrounding forest.

Although the above schedule is generally adhered to, it is all too frequently interrupted for extended pujas. These pujas, rituals and ceremonies are requested by various members of the lay community. They are valued as methods of practice which accumulate great merit, and are thought to have particular efficacy in removing obstacles for the sponsor, as well as for the practitioner herself. The donations offered by the sponsors of these ceremonies comprise the greater portion of the nunnery’s income. The nuns may also be offered a few rupees each as a contribution, which may be used for soap, clothes and other personal necessities. While almost everyone has faith in the value of these practices, they do tend to interfere with the study program, particularly when they extend over many days or weeks. However, the reality of the situation is that accepting requests for these ceremonies is at present an economic necessity.

Geden Choling, in the decade since its inception, has developed into an important practice and learning center, clearly responding to and reflecting a heartfelt longing of women to engage in intensive Dharma practice. As educational opportunities open up and living conditions improve, more and more qualified young women will inevitably be drawn to monastic life. The present nunnery has expanded so rapidly that it has far outgrown its existing facilities. Not only is living space totally inadequate; the main puja hall, classrooms, kitchen and sanitation requirements have all been eclipsed. There are currently no rooms available for guests, but plans for such have been proposed. Long-range goals include building a large new assembly hall, several new classrooms, additional washrooms and toilets, retreat huts, and as many more living quarters as can be constructed as soon as humanly possible.