Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery

Kathmandu, Nepal

Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery in Kathmandu is one of a new generation of nunneries established in exile. It was founded in 1986, under the direction of Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, part of the world-wide Buddhist network the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). The nuns of KGN have had the doors of a classical Buddhist education opened to them in a way that was unheard of in old Tibet. Not surprisingly, once given access to scholastic training, Tibetan nuns have shown an intense determination to excel in their studies. In fact, there is a legend that centuries ago Tibetan nuns were educated in philosophy and debate. But one day a brilliant young nun defeated a famous scholar in the debate courtyard of his own monastery. Soon there came down an edict: Henceforth nuns were not to be trained in debate!

This story may be apocryphal, but the current suppression of religious freedom inside Tibet has caused hundreds of nuns to flee Tibet in recent years. This influx of nuns seeking religious freedom has brought a rapid increase in the population of the Nunnery from the original five nuns to the current count of two hundred. One of the primary reasons for their North American Tour is to raise funds so that facilities can be expanded to suit the ever-increasing needs.

 

 

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Khachoe

is the name of the Pure Land of the Dakinis. A dakini is a "Sky-Dancer":a dynamic, dancing, female emanation of enlightened mind. In The Dance of the Dakinis, the KGN nuns perform a twirling ritual of homage and praise to the divine feminine principle symbolized in the Sky-Dancers of Tibetan Buddhism.


Ghakyil

means joy-swirl or bliss-swirl, a Tibetan Buddhist symbol which resembles the yin-yang symbol of east Asia.


Ling

simply means "place" or "[Dharma] centre".

(Just a note: if you have trouble pronouncing Khachoe Ghakyil, say "Catcher gah keel" instead. That will be close enough!)