Rinchen Chöling Sakya Nunnery and the new Sakya Nuns' Institute

This Sakya Nunnery was founded in 1994 by His Holiness Sakya Trizin and is the first and only nunnery of the Sakya Tradition outside of Tibet. It houses, provides for and teaches 180 nuns, but so far they have not been able to raise the money to build a temple. As the community continues to grow, it also encounters increasing problems with maintenance and management. Without the use of a temple, nuns have to use the dining hall as a temple and the classroom as dormitories.

Traditionally, the temple is used for teaching and once the temple is built, the nuns can then use the present classrooms as permanent dormitories, providing space for a further 80 nuns.

Khenpo Gyatso, the Abbot of the Sakya College for monks in Dehra Dun, has now also established the first Sakya College for nuns, an Institute for Advanced Studies. It will start in 2008 with 25 nuns, and hopes to undertake the education of nuns with a staff of qualified nun-teachers in 10 to 15 years, independently of monk-teachers or abbots. Although financially supported by the Tibetan Nuns' Project in Dharamsala, the Institute still faces a huge challenge in securing its long-term future, having to cover costs like wages, water and electricity, office equipment etc.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin and Dhagmo Kaladania are the respective president and vice president of this nuns' institute, with Khenpo Gyatso as secretary.

More info:
Sakya Rinchen Choling website