Drikung Nuns Leadership Program

Empower Himalayan Tibetan nuns with 21st Century skills: Campaign for Acharya Kunsang
The Drikung Nuns Leadership Program provides a year long fellowship in the US for Tibetan Nuns in India.        They acquire an international world view along with education and skills, that are unavailable to them in India, to improve lives of the 90 nuns that work, study, and practice at Drikung Samtenling Nunnery.  Each fellow co-designs a project based on her areas of interest and the current and future needs of the nuns of Samtenling. A  team of experts, gathered by Vajra Dakini Nunnery, create training modules for her to reach her goals, which she implements upon her return to India.
 
Acharya Kunsang will be our second Leadership Fellow, staying in the US during the year of 2020. Acharya       Kunsang is coming with a working proficiency in English, allowing us to concentrate on building Dharma             English, public speaking skills and creating opportunities for her to teach. She will also visit monasteries where nuns hold positions of authority, and, as noted above, create solutions for current needs at Samtenling                Nunnery in India.
 



The Acharyas honored for their academic achievement.  Acharya Yeshe  and Acharya Kunsang are to              Khenmo Drolma's left.  Drikung Kagyu 800th Celebration in Dehradun India


Acharya Kunsang will be our second Leadership Fellow. Her program will be in 2020, from February to                December. Acharya Kunsang is coming with more English and computer skills, so we can concentrate on                 building Dharma English, public speaking skills and creating opportunities for her to teach.
·      We focus on public Dharma presentation
·      Observing monasteries where nuns hold the positions of authority
·      Creating solutions for current needs at Samtenling Nunnery in India
 
Acharya Kunsang will apply for the meditation teacher training HH Drikung Kyabgon is teaching in Nepal and come to Vajra Dakini directly after. Vajra Dakini is specializing in presenting this new curriculum so she will be able to assist Khenmo Drolma in teaching.
 
We will visit Aloka Vihara again and also both Acharya Kunsang and Acharya Yeshe will join Khenmo Drolma at the Shravasti 2020 Varsa retreat in India. This means they will witness Abbesses of many countries                      conducting the monastic ceremonies and rituals and leading all the teaching. (As Tibetan nuns do not have full ordination, they are not able to lead these monastic ceremonies, and are dependent on the monks for the rites to be conducted) 
 
Also, as Acharya Yeshe became more fluent, she and I could discuss the needs of Samtenling Nunnery.    Dental  public health training would be very helpful. We have arranged for Acharya Yeshe to consult with a public.         health dental hygienist while she is here. We will also visit significant monasteries, run by nuns, as we did with Acharya Yeshe.
 
The first year of our program exceeded my expectations. I was a college professor for 20 years, so my                    evaluation is that of a professional educator. The change of Acharya Yeshe in confidence and capacity for           public teaching/speaking was remarkable and noticed by all who interacted with her. Listen to Acharya Yeshe’s            “graduation” Dharma talk 
 
In visiting many centers, she was able to bring attention to our Drikung nuns and draw interest to their work and development. This is important for all our futures!
 
We so appreciate your contribution to this program in 2018 and hope you will consider a similar donation this year.