Adopt a nun

Nun’s’ day in photo

A place of study for women

At Pema Choling nuns can study Buddhist Dharma for nine years (from elementary to Master), it is the first and only school of Buddhism for women in Bhutan.

Pema Choling, the day starts before 5 am and ends after 8 pm

It is 4:45 a.m. and the bell sounds for morning practice in the temple area.  Everyone goes quietly, slipping off their footwear before they enter. It is as cold inside as it is out, but they settle in their places and prepare for their prayers and practice.  Wafts of incense mix with the sweet smell of the butterlamps on the altar; a warm flickering glow illuminating the room.  Dawn breaks while they practice together and slowly the room fills with morning light – a new day.

In the Bumthang region of Bhutan, ordinary Bhutanese women with extraordinary aspirations come from across the country for an unprecedented opportunity. Grateful and dedicated, they live and study in a new facility for girls and women in order to become the nuns (anims) of Pema Choling Institute.

Who are the nuns

Many Bhutanese women have hard lives and are bound by cultural limitations, which do not encourage or provide education for them. Most of the students come from impoverished subsistence farming families, and may endure social hardship as a result of their resolve to leave their villages and move beyond familial expectations. Most of the 130 nuns are between 16 to 30 years of age, although a few are as young as 13 and as old as 60.

One brick after another

The Institute has a beautiful Bhutanese architecture. A central courtyard is surrounded by housing, where the nuns live. The structure is decorated with colorful symbols. Electricity is freshly available. Solar panels are being studied to compensate for energy costs and water collection systems for irrigation of the garden. A computer lab is planned as well as a guest house that could accommodate women from all over the Himalayas and other countries offering a place for learning and meditation.

Rice, chilli and onions

The meal is simple: rice, chili and onions. It is the same at noon and dinner; the same for the next days and weeks. No meat or eggs, vegetables are not available in the cold months. When the soil in the garden will be warm enough will be cultivated.

The condition of the woman in Bhutan

According to the founder of the monastery, Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche: “Women who study can bring benefits to Bhutan and serve sentient beings everywhere. Legally, nuns and lay women in Bhutan have equal rights. But because of tradition, women are not very educated. For this reason, they are less courageous and suffer from low self-esteem. Although women seem to be stronger than men, a lack of education equals a lack of determination. A courageous approach is necessary. Study and teaching will allow them to look at life directly, without hesitation”.