Annual Inter-nunnery Winter Debate Begins October 4, 2013 2:45 pm Kalon Pema Chhinjor and Kasur Rinchen Khando at Dolmaling nunnery during the inauguration of winter debate 2013. DHARAMSHALA: A month-long inter nunnery winter debate (Tib: Jang Gun Choe) for the year 2013 began today at the Dolmaling Nunnery and Dialectic Institute near Dharamshala. More than 500 Buddhist nuns from 8 different nunneries including 200 from Dolmaling, are participating in the session. Dignitaries present at the opening ceremony include Kalon Pema Chhinjor of the Department of Religion and Culture and Kasur Rinchen Khando, founder and chairperson of the Tibetan Nuns Project. In his address, Kalon Pema Chhinjor explained that Tibet’s most valuable wealth is Tibetan Buddhism and it’s our duty to retain this wealth. He said, “even in the face of oppression, Tibetans inside Tibet has steadfastly upheld our Buddhist traditions. We, in the free world, should take it as an inspiration and work towards learning and understanding the rich knowledge that has been preserved in the Buddhist scriptures.” “The tradition of the winter debate session has gained widespread popularity in central Tibet over the years. Now it has also reached eastern Tibet, especially in Kham where the winter debate is being practised increasingly,” he said, advising the young nuns to study hard. Kasur Rinchen Khando spoke about the importance of education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns. She encouraged the nuns to study hard and excel in the Geshema degree examinations. The decision to confer Geshema degree (equivalent of a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy) on Buddhist nuns was made in 2012. She also stressed on the need for an in-depth knowledge of Tibetan language to learn the true meaning of Tibetan Buddhism, expressing her hope that Tibetan nunneries could become major centres of learning for Tibetan language. The winter debate or Jang Gun Choe originated in central Tibet, especially in monasteries and nunneries west of Lhasa. It is an inter monastic/nunnery debate session which is held for one month. “Nuns spend months preparing for the debate. One of the subjects for learning during the debate is Pramana, one of five principle treatises under the monastic academic course of Buddhism. The debates serve the purpose of helping them improve their study of Buddhist philosophy,” said one senior nun, who is participating in the debate this yeNuns at the inter nunnery winter debate on 4 October 2013.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 09:05:08 +0000
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