Tibetan Nuns Achieve Historic Gains in Advanced Buddhist Studies
DHARAMSHALA, INDIA – A growing number of Tibetan Buddhist nuns are attaining the highest levels of academic qualification in their tradition, marking a significant shift in a historically male-dominated religious landscape. Since 2012, nuns have been eligible for the Geshema degree, equivalent to the Geshe or Khenpo degrees traditionally held by monks. as of this year, 73 women have earned the Geshema title, with more pursuing advanced studies across all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
For centuries, advanced monastic degrees where largely inaccessible to nuns, limiting their roles in teaching and leadership within the Buddhist community.The change reflects a decades-long effort to promote gender equality within Tibetan Buddhism, championed by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. This advancement not only empowers women within the monastic system but also strengthens the preservation of Tibetan culture and enhances Buddhist education for lay communities.
The Geshema degree, awarded within the Geluk school, requires 17 years of rigorous study of Buddhist texts and a passing score of 75% on complete exams. in 2016, the Dalai Lama personally conferred the Geshema degree upon 20 Tibetan nuns, following the formal recognition of higher degrees for nuns four years prior. Prior to the establishment of the Geshema program, only one nun, the German Kelsang Wango, had received an equivalent degree.
Following the Geluk school’s lead, nuns in the Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu schools are now also pursuing advanced degrees, earning the title “khenmo.” these degrees, like the Geshema, qualify them to teach Buddhist scriptures. In 2022, the dalai Lama offered blessings to newly ordained Khenmo in the Sakya school.
The increasing number of highly-educated nuns is expanding their capacity to lead within both monastic and lay communities, contributing to improved education and the ongoing preservation of Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
