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2007 Annual Report
Tenzin Lhadron (Assistant Director) Jamyang Choling Institute (Branch Office) P.O. McLeod Ganj-176219 Dharamsala, Distt Kangra H.P India
E-mail: jamchoe@gmail.com Website: www.jamchoe.org
Telephone: (91) 1892-221189, 221089, 277250
Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
2007 Annual Report of Jamyang Choling Institute
General Information: In 2007 we had 92 students, including 88 nuns and four lay students. Our studies went smoothly, as usual, throughout the year. Our teachers consisted of three regular philosophy teachers and three language teachers at Gharoh. We offered admission to one Australian nun and one Taiwanese nun in March 2007. They were the first international students to joint Jamyang Choling Institute as regular students, and they both passed their examinations in Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan language and memorization of philosophical root texts and prayers. Consequently, they were both able to gain admission into the first year of Preliminary Buddhist philosophy and debate (‘Collective Topics/Duetra) with the group of 33 students admitted in 2006. We later offered admission to four international monastic students, including one nun from Korea, two from Taiwan and one from Mongolia.
We hired two new philosophy teachers at Gharoh as two philosophy teachers left the nunnery. One teacher returned to Tibet due to commitments to his monastery to teach Buddhism in his hometown. We hope and pray that he was able to fulfill this wish. The other teacher went to Arunachal Pradesh due to health problems caused by the heat at Gharoh. The more temperate climate of Arunachal Pradesh will assist his recovery. He will also teach in a school in Arunachal Pradesh. We wish him well and a speedy recovery of his health.
Three of our philosophy teachers from the Institute of Buddhist Dialectic School (IBD) taught Buddhist philosophy, and our Canadian volunteer English teacher, Ms. Ann Waters, again taught the senior nuns English for three months. Again, we were also able to have the wonderful English volunteer teachers from the GAP volunteer program teach English at Gharoh. Further, three of our nuns continued to voluntarily teach Hindi at Gharoh.
Twelve of the senior nuns completed the second year course of Vinaya. One of the senior nuns was unable to take the annual exam due to ill health, and as she had been absent for previous examinations, she is not yet qualified to take the exam. However, she has offered to contribute to the nunnery by cleaning the prayer hall and undertaking other work required to manage our nunnery.
At Gharoh, students at each year level completed their classes and subject examinations. Seven nuns completed the Madhayamaka (Middle way) course and their examination at the end of year. However, two nuns from this class left the Institute in May 2007, and another chose not to take part in the exam due to concerns about its difficulty. She has offered to contribute to the nunnery by managing nunnery’s small shop, which stocks the nuns’ basic needs. Ten nuns completed the second year of Madhaymaka (Middle way) study. Two nuns from this class were also unable to take part in the exam due to study difficulties. These two nuns are attending their philosophy classes and also contributing to the nunnery as gardeners. Five nuns completed the fifth year of Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom) course. Twenty-three nuns completed the first year of Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom) course. Thirty-five nuns completed the first year Preliminary Buddhist philosophy and debate (Duslo) (course. Five of the permanent teachers at Gharoh taught throughout the year and we were able to invite one expert philosophy teacher from Loseling Monastery (South India) for three months. Further, four GAP volunteers taught English at Gharoh.
Participation in International Conferences: In January 2007, two of our nuns (Chopa Tenzin Lhadron and Lobsang Palmo) attended a five-day FOCUS Networking Conference in Chang Mai, Thailand, organized by the Norwegian NGO Forum for Women and Development (FOCUS). There were around 60 participants, including feminists, journalists, academics and activists coming from FOCUS' 30 diverse partner projects. Most of the participants were women's organizations representing survivors and victims of various forms of violence against women. The aims were to strengthen the coordination between organizations, especially from the Asian region, in addressing the issue of gender-based violence in the context of war and conflict.
Thanks to FOCUS’ financial support, we have gained a lot of experience by participating in this conference. We would like to take this opportunity to thank FOCUS for financially supporting our education program and the kindness they have shown us over the past few years. We also would like to thank our partner project, the Norwegian Tibet Committee Women Group, for their tireless support for the ongoing development of our nunnery. The Networking Conference also gave us an opportunity to personally meet FOCUS board and staff members who live in Norway.
In July 2007, two of our nuns (Chopa Tenzin Lhadron and Lobsang Chodron) also attended the 1st International Congress on Buddhist women, and a five-day teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (on the 400 hundred verses of Master Aryadeva's Middle Path to Enlightenment) in Hamburg, Germany with 12 other Tibetan nuns coming from India and Nepal. During this conference we learned great deal about the kind of responsibility we should take as Tibetan Buddhists. The Congress also provided the opportunity to learn about the different perspectives that Buddhist women around the world have about the unavailability of full ordination for nuns in some Buddhist traditions, and the different methods proposed for its introduction. His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over the last day of the conference and gave detailed guidance about how this issue should be resolved. We felt that Tibetan nuns must also give this matter serious attention because involves nuns’ ordination. However, we also feel that this issue should be carefully researched according to the Vinaya, which is the teaching of Buddha, rather than simply relying upon on the bhiksuni (fully ordained nun’s) lineage histories in various Buddhist traditions or scholar's suggestions.
In September/October 2007, twenty-seven nuns participated the annual Tibetan nuns’ debate session (Jang Gunchoe) at Dolma Ling Nunnery. This is a wonderful opportunity for nuns to share knowledge and wisdom, also to deepen our understanding of Buddhist reasoning and logic.
After completing the annual exams (December 2007), 72 nuns and five teachers attended a two-week teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in January 2008 at Drepung Loseling Monastery, in the Tibetan refugee settlement of Mundgod, South India. We returned to Jamyang Choling Institute on the 20th of January 2008. Four nuns then went to Bangalore to study English for one month, which went very well.
How we used your financial contribution: Your financial contribution has been very beneficial to our lives. We have able to provide educational facilities, food, accommodation, and healthcare cover the basic needs of all 88 nuns and four lay students. We purchased philosophical textbooks and language textbooks relevant for each individual’s studies. Further, all students were provided with stationery materials, such as pens pencils, notebooks and so on.
As the core of our study program is Buddhist philosophy, it teaches us non-violence, however, we need other sources of information to learn about other facets of the world. Consequently, we have been purchasing newspapers, magazines and monthly video news. Through the news we can learn about the dynamics of violence in the world and consider how we, as Buddhist nuns, can make our small contribution to the peace and happiness of our community and the larger world. It will certainly take time for Tibetan Buddhist nuns to complete their training and enter into the broader or global community to contribute to peace building, but many of our nuns would really like to participate as peace brokers or peacemakers. To become a true force in society, the nuns also need language skills, such as English, Hindi and so on. So, here at Jamyang Choling we are providing these skills.
Administration: With a nine-member Board, comprising a director (our principal philosophy teacher) and eight senior nuns, takes full responsibility for the management of Jamyang Choling Institute, including administration, education, healthcare, problem solving, and decision-making and planning for the Institute’s future. Jamyang Choling Institute is unique and among the first Tibetan Buddhist women's educational projects that is fully managed and administrated by its own nun community. All nuns have a role and contribute to the community, ranging from chores to co-directorship. In addition, the Board meets every two to three months to discuss community issues and reach decisions via majority vote.
Many of our senior nuns are close to completing their highest degree in Buddhist philosophy. We began our study program many years ago and some of us have now become leaders and teachers of our community. Great progress has also been made in terms of creating a suitable environment for a nunnery. Our nunnery and educational program started in leaky cowsheds in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, in 1988, and we are now about to complete the basic accommodation and classroom facilities in Gharoh. Consequently, we are planning to provide educational opportunities for as many young nuns and lay girls as many as possible. These successes and contributions to our monastic education and lives have been made possible due to the kind assistance of our supporters and friends. We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation for your kindness. Our relationships with our supporters and friends have been very rich and rewarding. We truly appreciate your help and support, which has made a great change in our education, well-being and the smooth functioning of the Institute.
Future plan: We are looking forward to providing further educational opportunities for as many Buddhist women as possible, so that we can provide other nuns and laywomen with a good foundation in Buddhist philosophy and peace building. We are also planning to provide short introductory courses into Buddhist teaching, meditation and Tibetan languages for college students of Tibetan, Indian Himalayan and international backgrounds who are interested in Buddhist studies. We feel this is an important, beneficial project, however, it will necessitate extra funding for the extension of the classrooms and library at Gharoh. We thank all our friends and supporters for your generous and caring support for our educational program, which we value so much. We are also grateful to those who have donated their time and energy to our nunnery, and to those who have encouraged and appreciated our work. Your support is indispensable for our ongoing success, and we give thanks and prayers for the well being of all our supporters and friends each day. We wholeheartedly thank you for your continuing support for Jamyang Choling Institute.
Tashi Delek to all,
Tenzin Lhadron
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