Why do we need a Nunnery ?

There are around 400 nuns in Ladakh, and their living condition is appalling. Ladakhi nuns are much less fortunate than their brothers. There are no proper nunneries for communal living, no formal religious education for ordained women, and no financial support from villages. This is a serious obstacle towards the practice of Dharma especially for nuns from poor family background. They have to live in their parents’ home and are often exploited to perform menial labor. The nuns in Ladakh are practically unmarried servant daughters for whom religious community life is but a dream. Unless nunneries are built and education offered, very few women will remain as nuns. Indeed, there is a danger of the tradition of nuns dying out completely in Ladakh.

Elderly nuns of Ladakh

Background

The Nunnery was established with generous initial donations and support from BLIA (Fo-Kuang Shan), Taiwan to begin construction work in 1996. H.H. Dalai Lama visited this campus and inaugurated the Nunnery in 1997. His Holiness blessed the Nunnery with the name Phandey-Ling, which means "beneficial place for all", in the hope that the nuns will be able to contribute substantially to the Ladakh community upon completion of their training.

The Program

Buddhism does not discriminate between the potentiality of men and women in achieving enlightenment. The Phandey-Ling Nunnery was built to enable young women to gain a deep understanding of the Dharma. The nunnery currently accommodates 11 nuns. The period of study is seven years covering a comprehensive secular and religious education. The courses include Buddhist history and philosophy, meditation, comparative religion, Tibetan, Pali, Sanskrit and English languages. In addition, nuns also perform regular community service, social work, spiritual and humanitarian services, and assist in the administration of MIMC. Mahabodhi nuns go through a comprehensive spiritual and academic training program to enable them to become effective administrator of humanitarian and spiritual programs in the future.

Our Vision

Upon completion of their studies and training, some of the nuns will assume leadership positions to help implement MIMC’s various educational, medical, spiritual and charity projects. Depending on the individual’s aspirations, some of them may go on long retreats while others will dedicate themselves to improve the position of nuns and women in villages. They will offer short Dharma and meditation courses, as well as implement social welfare programs throughout the region. They will also attend international conferences and workshops to share knowledge and experiences with their overseas counterparts. In the long run their work will enhance the status of nuns and women and enable them to play a significant role in promoting the welfare and preserving the cultural heritage of the Ladakh community.

For the future of the women and nuns of Ladakh, Mahabodhi nuns are studying with joy to improve themselves.

Women's Literacy Program

Less than ten percent of Ladakhi village women are educated. MIMC has developed a women’s literacy program to raise the self-esteem of Ladakhi women and provide them with greater opportunities for livelihood. Participants are taught how to read and write English, Ladakhi and Hindi as well as basic mathematics and handicraft training. A pilot project involving 30 women began in Stakmo village in June 1998. Due to the overwhelming response, the project has been extended to Sabu and Gompa villages. However, the women generally only have free time for studying during the freezing winter months, so the purchase of expensive heating fuel is essential for the success of the project. Eventually, we hope that the Mahabodhi nuns will be able to take over the role of teachers in this project, but until the nuns’ program of study is complete we will continue to hire outside teachers.

Dharma Center for Lay Women

The Nunnery plans to build a Dharma Center for local and foreign lay women who wish to study Dharma and to practice meditation.

Nuns in front of the newly-constructed Phandey-Ling nunnery

Appeal for Donations

We take this opportunity to earnestly appeal to all generous-minded brothers and sisters to help implement this key project. A contribution of US$34 will cover food, clothing, medication and education of a nun for one month. We also need funds for the expansion of the physical facilities such as a prayer hall, classrooms and accommodations to take in more nuns in the future.