Sakya College for Nuns

Sakya College for Nuns ~ Tsechen Sheddub Samten Phuntsok Ling

The Sakya College for Nuns is a new college established by His Holiness Sakya Trizin especially to train nuns in the higher Buddhist philosophical studies. Located in a beautiful, large monastic facility in Manduwala, India, it has dormitory and classroom space for 100 nuns.

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin is directly in charge of the College, assisted by Venerable Khenpo Gyatso, who has worked very hard to establish the institution. The Principal of the College is the learned nun Acharya Ani Dechen Wangmo, and Venerable Khenpo Jampa Khedup is Abbot.

The new Sakya College for Nuns is an important complement to Rinchen Choling Sakya Nunnery near Dehradun, which currently provides training in ritual studies to 200 nuns.

The College curriculum rests on the 18 classical texts that comprise the course of study in the Sakya monastic colleges. Based on available funds, twenty outstanding nuns have been chosen from among many applicants to become the first class of students. They began their studies in September 2009 after an official inauguration and blessing by His Holiness Sakya Trizin.

Surrounded by forest, the Sakya College for Nuns in Manduwala is less than an hour by car from the headquarters of the Sakya Order in DehraDun and is located just around the corner from two other important Sakya monastic facilities, Ngor Ewam Chodan Monastery, and Ngor Vajrayana College , both of which are for monks.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin has explained the reason for the new Sakya College for Nuns:

“Buddhist philosophical studies are very deep and profound. In order to understand them, thorough study is required. Therefore, the establishment of a nuns’ college is very important. There are 6 main subjects of study in the Buddhist college curriculum, which encompass both the Buddhist philosophical view and the stages of the path. They are:

1. Logic
2. Abhidharma
3. Vinaya
4. Prajnaparamita
5. Madhymika
6. The Three Vows

“Providing an opportunity for nuns to study these subjects is important for them to be able to teach others and for their own practice.”