THRANGU TARA ABBEY - A NUNNERY FOR BUDDHIST NUNS - SWAYAMBUNATH, NEPAL
HISTORY
Thrangu Tara Abbey is a monastery that was established for Buddhist nuns by Thrangu Rinpoche. It is located in Swayambunath on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Swayambunath is a very special spiritual place named after the famous Swayambu Stupa. There are many monasteries, temples and a large community of Tibetans and other Himalayan people in this area.
In 1991, the first group of 17 nuns arrived from the province of Manang in Nepal near the Tibetan border. The nuns were affiliated with Thrangu Rinpoche. The head nuns, Ani Tsomo and Ani Karma Drolma are the sisters of one of Rinpoche’s main lamas, Lama Aju. Their ancestors were founders and keepers of the Buddhist tradition in Manang since ancient times.
When the nuns first arrived, they lived in rooms in a monastery owned by the Manangi community. In 1992 the land was purchased for the nunnery. In 1995, the nuns moved into the first wing along with a kitchen and temporary shrine room. A second wing was finished in 1998 along with a new larger temporary shrine room.
Due to the generosity of sponsors, construction of the temple began in January 2001. The temple was built between the two wings. The temple is almost complete. In the temple are a large shrineroom, library, a Nunye shrineroom, Tara shrineroom, a small suite for Thrangu Rinpoche and some housing for special guests plus the nuns’ dining room on the ground floor. The temple consecration will be in 2008.
The nuns have a playground with a court for basketball, volleyball and badminton.
Most of the them come from the northern areas of Nepal but there are also many from Tibet, India and Bhutan. Sometimes nuns from Asian countries and the west come to stay at the Abbey. Tara Abbey now has more than 230 nuns.PURPOSE
Thrangu Rinpoche had long held the intention to establish a monastic center for women in order to make available to them the full range of monastic, liturgical, philosophical and meditation training that is available to monks. With the full range of training available to them, they will be able to teach both in the east and the west thereby helping to preserve and propagate the Buddha’s teachings. In a world where women are becoming stronger, more educated and more involved in all spheres including religion, the development of female teachers is important. As the nuns increasingly become both scholars and yogis they will be a source of inspiration to both women and men.
PRAYER SCHEDULE
The nuns have a regular prayer schedule with daily prayers morning, afternoon and evening which includes recitation of Green Tara and Mahakala. They perform all day prayers on special days such as Gyalwa Gyamtso (Red Chenreyzig) on the 8th day of each month of the Tibetan calendar, Kunchok Chindu (Guru Rinpoche) prayers on Guru Rinpoche day which falls on the 10th of each month and eight other all day prayers which need to be recited monthly. There are also special ceremony programs such as performing Vajrasattva, Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini prayers that last for several days and are performed during special times of the year. The Kangyur, which is the collected sutras of the Buddha, is also recited yearly from the 3rd day of the 3rd month. The nuns, taking turns, are holding continuous Nunye (Thousand Arm Chenreyzig) practice that others can take part in.
EDUCATION
HIGHER BUDDIST PHILOSOPHY
TheTara Abbey Monastic College for Higher Buddhist Studies (shedra) was inaugurated in March 2004. The shedra studies are a seven year program. The first students have now entered into their fourth year of studies. Their curriculum is the same of that of the Vajra Vidya Insitute for monks.
The shedra teachers are nuns of Tara Abbey who hold Acharaya degrees from Central Tibetan Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies in Sarnath. Currently there’s seven nuns studying in the 9 year program at the Buddhist University in Sarnath, India.
SECULAR EDUCATION
There are many new young nuns from the remote mountain regions of Nepal who have had no education because there are no schools in their villages. Fourty-five nuns are attending Thrangu Rinpoche’s school for children, Shree Mangal Dvip, in Boudhanath. When their schooling is finished, those who are interested can study in the monastic college, become part of the nunnery administration staff or become teachers at the school or nunnery. There are classes at Tara Abbey for new nuns and some older nuns to achieve literacy in three languages (Tibetan, English and Nepali).
DOCTORS OF TIBETAN MEDICINE
Ten nuns have completed their studies of traditional Tibetan medicine with a doctor who was trained under the famous Shakar Rinpoche (known as Shakar Amji) who passed away here several years ago. They are now holding medical clinics at the abbey and also make traditional Tibetan medicine and incense. They have been going on field trips in the Himalayan regions to find medicinal plants. During these expeditions, they sleep in tents and cook outdoors for themselves.THE RETREAT CENTER
Ten nuns are in their second year of the traditional three-year retreat at their retreat center at Sher Gonpa in Manang near the famous Milarepa caves. The retreat has a wonderful view of the snow mountains of Tibet. When the first nuns came to Kathmandu to help establish the Abbey, several of them had already completed three-year retreat at that place. Since then, three retreats have been completed. Sher Gonpa has recently been rebuilt and the consecration ceremonies were held in August 2005.
The retreat schedule is the same as that of the monks in three year retreat at Sekar Retreat Center, the retreat center for monks in Nepal.SPECIAL PROJECTS
DHARMA KARA PUBLICATIONS
Some of the nuns have learned to use computers including use of a Tibetan program to use Tibetan fonts. They are transcribing Thrangu Rinpoche’s teachings, given in Nepal and abroad, as part of a project called “Dharmakara Publications” which was initiated by Thrangu Rinpoche’s scholar monks. The tapes, which have been collected over many years, were translated into English and mostly transcribed in English. Now all these many commentaries will be available in Tibetan. The nuns are also now working on a project to input many texts into the computer.INCENSE
The medical nuns make very special incense. The one ingredient is from precious trees growing in the mountains around Tsurphu Monastery, seat of the Karmapas in Tibet. The legend is that the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje blessed the mountains with his hair and trees rose up from the hair. These trees are widely known in Tibet for purifying obstacles, expelling evil spirits and being good fortune. The incense, which is becoming quite popular, is now being sold in several centers in the west.You may also purchase this incense online though Essence Of The Ages: http://www.essenceoftheages.com/thrangu/tara1.htmlFUTURE
In the future, as more room becomes available, there will likely be many hundreds of nuns living at the Abbey. There is a long waiting list of girls and women wishing to enter. It is hoped that Thrangu Tara Abbey will be a source and inspiration for all women who wish to lead a religious life and not only for woman from the Himalayan regions and India but also for women from other parts of Asia and from the west. Due to having a shedra for nuns with nun khenpos as teachers and their education being directed by Thrangu Rinpoche, the Abbey will become an important center for the study of Buddhist philosophy as well as ritual and prayer.
ABOUT THRANGU RINPOCHE
VV Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the senior teacher and Abbott of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. After leaving Tibet, he was appointed Abbot of Rumtek Monastery, the seat of HH Gyalwa Karmapa in Sikkim and was teacher of the Regents of the lineage. He is now main tutor of HH 17th Karmapa, Urgyen Thinley Dorje.
Thrangu Rinpoche has established a monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal, a monastery, monastic college and retreat center at Namo Buddha, Nepal, a three-year retreat center near Bhaktapur, Nepal, The Vajra Vidya Insitute for Buddhist Studies in Sarnath, India, Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School for Children in Boudhanath and the nunnery in Swayambunath. As well, Thrangu Rinpoche has many foundations and Buddhist centers in Europe, North America and Asia.
For the future, Thrangu Rinpoche believes that it is extremely important for people to have secular education and the opportunity to engage in Buddhist studies.
PLEASE HELP!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. GENERAL DONATIONS2. INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP OF NUNS
- FOR FOOD AND CLOTHING
Of 206 nuns, 126 currently have sponsors.
The cost of everything in Nepal is soaring.
- DONATIONS FOR MEDICAL NEEDS
About ten nuns have TB at any time. The medicine can be expensive. The nuns with TB are now isolated in a separate house and are getting special food. Some nuns have different types of hepatitis requiring medicine and special food. Sometimes hospitalization and operations are required when nuns become seriously ill. Some require vitamins.
- FUNDS FOR FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS
For furniture and curtains for rooms, desks, puja tables, rugs, library shelving etc.
- DONATIONS FOR BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY
- TEXTBOOKS AND NOTEBOOKS FOR THOSE STUDYING IN THE NUNNERY
- If you sponsor a nun, your nun will write you letters in English if you wish to have correspondence. Sponsorship of a nun is $240 a year. More info
3. SPONSORSHIP FOR SCHOOL FEES FOR A YOUNG NUN ATTENDING SHREE MANGAL DVIP SCHOOL (See Tara Abbey Education Fund)
- To cover school fees, lunch, textbooks and notebooks etc.: $240 per year.
4. DONATIONS FOR BUILDING:
- Plans are underway to build a small retreat center for nuns to complete the Four Foundations “Ngondro”. Construction of the monastic college has begun. The college will have classrooms and rooms for the nuns who are attending. More housing is needed because the nunnery is overcrowded.
For information regarding sponsorship of a nun or for sponsoring a nun for school fees you can contact:
Debra Ann Robinson debraannr@mac.com (310) 395-6616THE NUNS OF THRANGU TARA ABBEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE TO ALL THE SPONSORS WHO
HAVE HELPED THEM IN THE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT HAVE CHANGED THEIR LIVES AND HELPED
THEM TO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO MEDITATION AND STUDY. THANK YOU!Please refer to the following list of non-profit charitable foundations for the activities of Thrangu Rinpoche.
For general information contact:
Gloria Jones, Tara Abbey Coordinator in Nepal: gloriaj@mail.com.npIf you are visiting Nepal and would like to visit the Abbey, you can call Gloria Jones or the Abbey. Tel: 428-7428
IN THE U.S.A.
Himalayan Children's Fund
P.O. Box 15644
Beverly Hills, California 90209
Director: Debra Ann Robinson
Telephone: (310) 395-6616
E-mail: debraannr@mac.comNun Sponsorship
Debra Ann Robinson: (310) 395-6616
E-mail: debraannr@mac.comDonations to the Building Fund
THRANGU NUNNERY FUND
c/o Sylvia Bercovici
2731 N. Beverly Glen
Los Angeles , CA
U.S.A. 90077
(310) 470-1158
E-mail: sylviabercovici@gmail.com
IN CANADA
Vajra Vidya Foundation (Canadian non-profit charity)
Public Foundation Reg. No. 888437621 RR
c/o Treasurer
PO Box 46898, Stn. D.
Vancouver, BC CANADA V6J 5M4
Kate Ayers: Communication/MembershipIN EUROPE
Karma Kagyu Charity, (Special Account Tashi Choling)
Tibetisch-Buddhistische Religionsgemeinschaft
Vajra Vidya Centre
Wackerstr. 47d Lindau
Germany
Tel: 49-8382-6807
E-mail: VajraVidya@gmx.deIN BRITAN
Stuart Tett, Treasurer
THRANGU RINPOCHE TRUST
42 Magdelen Road
Oxford OX4 1RB, UK
Make cheques payable to: "Thrangu Rinpoche Trust"
For donations to Thrangu Tara Abbey: make payable to "Thrangu Rinpoche Trust-Tara Abbey Fund"
Phone: 44-1865-24l555 Fax: 44-l865-790096 (0l865 inside U.K.)
E-mail: main@thrangu.clara.net
Please specify what the donation is for.
To wire money directly to the bank:
Sort Code: 301251
Account Number: 7444333
Address: Lloyds TSB Bank, Cowley Branch
1 Pound Way, Cowley
Oxfordshire, OXF 2EB, UK
