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The Committee of Western Bhikshunis

The Committee of Western Bhikshunis

Ven. Jampa Tsedroen, Ven. Heng-Ching Shih, Ven. Lekshe Tsomo and Ven. Chodron.
Old friends who have known each other for decades happily meet once again. (from left to right: Ven. Jampa Tsedroen, Ven. Heng-Ching Shih, Ven. Lekshe Tsomo and Ven. Chodron ). (Photo by Sravasti Abbey)

The Committee of Western Bhikshunis was formed in the autumn of 2005, after His Holiness the Dalai Lama told Bhikshuni Jampa Tsedroen that the Western bhikshunis should be more involved in helping to establish the bhikshuni ordination in the Tibetan tradition. The members remained in contact via email and met in March 2006 at Sravasti Abbey in the USA, to research the manner of giving bhikshuni ordination and to prepare a paper which was circulated at the meeting of vinaya experts in Dharamsala in May 2006.

Members

  • Venerable Bhikshuni Tenzin Palmo, India
    (Getsul ordination in 1964, Gelongma ordination in Hongkong 1973)
    Details: Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery (the official Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo website)
    Address: Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, Vill. Lower Mut, PO Padhiarkhar via Taragarh, Distt. Kangra, H.P. 176081, India
    Ph: +91-1894-242617, Mobile +91-9816134032
  • Venerable Bhikshuni Pema Chodron, Resident teacher/ director (abbess) of Gampo Abbey, USA
    (Getsul ordination 1974, Gelongma ordination in Hongkong 1981)
    Details: Pema Chodron biography
    Address: c/o Gampo Abbey, 1533 Pleasant Bay Road, Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia B0E 2P0, Canada (until the end of March)
  • Venerable Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, President of Sakyadhita International, Assistant Professor in San Diego, USA
    (Getsul ordination 1977, Gelongma ordination in Korea and Taiwan 1982)
    Details: Karma Lekshe Tsomo page, USD
    Address: Theology & Religious Studies, University of San Diego, 5889 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492, USA
    Ph: (619) 260-4600, Fax: (619) 260-2260.
  • Venerable Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, USA
    (Getsul ordination 1977, Gelongma ordination 1986)
    Details: Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron site
    Address: Ven. Thubten Chodron, Sravasti Abbey, 692 Country Lane, Newport WA 99156, USA
    Ph: (509) 447-5549 (fax for the Abbey is the same as the phone, but you have to call first so that they can turn on the fax machine)
  • Venerable Bhikshuni Jampa Tsedroen, Tibetan Centre Hamburg
    (Getsul ordination 1981, Gelongma ordination 1985)
    Details: Jampa Tsedroen site
    Address: c/o Tibetisches Zentrum e.V., Hermann-Balk-Str.106, D-22147 Hamburg, Germany
    Ph: +49-172-900-8989, Fax 49-89-1488-153529)
  • Venerable Reverend Ani Kunga Chodron, Secretary/Treasurer at Tsechen Kunchab Ling Temple, Seat of His Holiness Sakya Trizin in the U.S. and Assistant Professorial Lecturer at The George Washington University Department of Religion
    (Getsul ordination 1987)
    Address: 354 Prelude Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20901 USA
    Ph: (301) 906-3378
    Email: Tsechen Kunchab Ling Temple

Advisors

Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.