Testimonials

Tsunma Sonam Lhamo – 2020 Testimonial

I was very lucky to get a grant from the ANHN last year in January 2020. Now I would like to report how I have spent the time since then and the funds that I received as per our agreement we made last year.

As the year 2020 has been quite an unusual one and the plans of probably almost all of us have been cancelled or changed around, my year also turned out a bit different from what I expected. However, I was most fortunate to find myself in a conducive environment where I had plenty of opportunities to study, reflect, practice, teach and also work on some written translations.

First of all, I spent five weeks in Sera monastery in Karnataka, South India, during December and January in the winter of 2019/20 in order to study Madhyamaka with Lharampa Geshe Chime Tsering there. This turned out to be a very meaningful and fruitful connection as well as learning experience during which time we covered the most important parts of Je Tsongkhapa’s ‘Illumination of the thought’ (starting with chapter 1 and continuing with parts of chapter 6).

Next, I travelled to Bodhgaya towards the end of January 2020 in order to attend the Kagyu Monlam as well as a practice retreat on the four preliminary practices held by my teacher Khenpo Kalsang Nyima (abbot of Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim). Khenpo la asked me if I could interpret for him during the retreat as there were several English speakers in the audience, which I happily did and which was a tremendous blessing, too.

As I had such a good experience in Sera monastery and Geshe Chime Tsering had more time available, I decided to return to Sera at the beginning of March and continue my studies with him. A few weeks later, the lockdown due to Corona came into force so that I was able to receive more teachings on Madhyamaka and other topics in the form of daily classes for three consecutive month (the monks’ classed were temporarily cancelled so Geshe Chime Tsering was available to teach me). Apart from continuing teaching me Madhyamaka by using Tsongkhapa’s ‘Illumination of the Thought’, Geshe la skillfully supplemented his classes with the following other topics such as the Four Noble Truths, The Three Objects of Refuge, Karma – Cause and Effect, The Three Principal Aspects of the Path, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Buddhanature, The Foundation of All Good Qualities, The Sutra on the Wisdom of Going Beyond, The Four Classes of Tantra, as well as the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. 

From June onwards it was not possible anymore to continue with those classes – partly due to Geshe Chime Tsering’s increasing teaching responsibility in the monastery and subsequent personal retreat and partly because we went into strict lockdown so I could not visit him anymore.

In the meantime, though, I had arranged classes with three other neighboring monks, teaching them English and discussing Tsongkhapa’s ‘Illumination of the Thought’ with one of them for a while, after which we continued to focus on Milarepa’s life story. I studied both Milarepa’s biography as well as Tsongkhapa’s ‘Illumination of the Thought’ in the Tibetan original with the help of the oral Tibetan commentary. These classes and additional conversations on various other topics almost on a daily basis have been really helpful for my spoken and written Tibetan language skills and have been a great joy, too!

Apart from that, I maintained my daily practice (Mahamudra), following instructions by Tai Situ Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche, listened to online teachings by masters such as Tai Situ Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Khandro Rinpoche and others, did a course on Translation Methodology by Thubten Jinpa, worked on written translations of oral teachings of my teacher Khenpo Kalsang Nyima, as well as attended online retreats, such as two retreats by Mingyur Rinpoche (on Dzogchen and The Path of Liberation).

RUSSIA TEACHING TOUR – Tsunma Tenzin Dasel and Tsunma Tenzin Yanki

Thank you to ANHN for sponsoring support for this Dharma teaching tour to 3 cities in Russia in December 2017-Januray 2018. Two nuns, an American and Russian, were able to visit remote regions of the Ural Mountain range to hold Dharma talks and meditation retreat weekends in Ekaterinburg, Nizhniy Tagil and Chelyabinsk.  We were able to give talks and guide retreats for more than 100 people over the course of a month.  Funding from ANHN covered transportation and VISA costs, without which this tour would not have been possible.  The Russian people were extremely grateful for our visit, and we wish to express gratitude to ANHN for making this all happen.

ANHN Grant Testimonial – Tsunma Tenzin Lhadzom

I am extremely grateful to the Alliance for offering me a grant which funded my trip back to the US for my Indian student visa. As I was required to apply for my new visa from my home country, I had no other choice than to make the trip which was financially outside of what I could afford at that time. Thanks to the Alliance, I was able to successfully obtain my new visa which enabled me to continue my Tibetan language courses at the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives in Dharamsala. These studies will serve as the foundation of my future Buddhist philosophy and monastic studies here in Dharamsala and will enable me to follow through on the advice I received from my Lama for my Dharma practice.

From my heart, THANK YOU to the Alliance for believing in us non-Himalayan nuns! Knowing that ANHN is here for us gives us a sense of safety, support and community that otherwise wouldn’t exist.

Retreats – Tsunma Drolma

“The Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns has supported me to do two different retreats for which I am immensely grateful.  Two years ago I was awarded money to attend a retreat at Sravasti Abbey in the US in order to learn about the Vinaya(monastic code of conduct).  Then this year, ANHN helped me to be able to go a retreat with Mingyur Rinpoche in South Korea.  Each one of these retreats gave me great inspiration to continue my commitment to staying a nun and devote my life to the Dharma.

As a non-Himalayan nun, it is often difficult to get financial and emotional support for a monastic vocation anywhere in the world.  I am on my own in supporting myself, let alone being able to attend teachings or retreat spaces.  Sometimes householders think they are the only ones who are concerned with financial and lifestyle questions.  From my point of view Western monastics are just as challenged with these issues.  In Asian societies, an ordained lifestyle has a built in support system which does not exist for myself and other monastics who are not from there. 

By being aware of this and choosing to participate in solving our unique problems, I can’t say enough about how grateful I am for the support of the Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns.  They are truly a gift to the spread and presence of Dharma in the world.”

Retreat Seminary  – Gezuelma Karma Jamyang Lhamo

My name is Gezuelma Karma Jamyang Lhamo (Stefanie Nowak)

First I’d like to thank the ANHN for your generous support which enabled me to attend the retreat seminar from 28.august until 19. September in Gomde France, given by the brother of Venerable Mingyur Rinpoche, Venerable Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, who is also in charge of Gomde France. This gave me the very precious opportunity to attend his seminar and retreat and also to make an auspicious connection to this place which indeed led to the most precious result which opened the door for being accepted to attend the three year long-term retreat starting in December 2021. I pray and aspire by having participate the retreat seminar mentioned above which leads me for attending the long-term retreat will help deepen my Dharma practice and understanding and being of benefit hopefully many beings.

The retreat seminar from 28.august until 19. September in Gomde France, presented me with the wonderful opportunity to study and practice some excerpts of the most precious Dzogchen teachings of the Kagyu Nyingma tradition, which also complements with my previous retreats and study of the Kagyu tradition and the Gelugpa tradition which enables me a more complete view of the teachings of the Buddha. For this support I am very happy and thankful to you it is so precious that you are supporting the nuns so they are able to be able to attend seminars and retreats which helps us all who needs support to develop our qualities which enables us to be of greater benefit and deepening our own realization of the path.

With my deepest Gratitude and thanks and praying that the ANHN is able to continue to benefit us nuns on the path I like to close this testimonial with my very best wishes