CHANDIGARH: The first batch of 21 Buddhist-Tibetan nuns taking the final Geshema Examination will receive their degrees from the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in October 2016. For ages, the four-part examination—equivalent to a PhD in Buddhist philosophy—was open only to Tibetan monks.
The decision to allow female monks to pursue the academic degree was taken during a meeting of representatives from six nunneries, Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Tibetan Nuns project, held in Dharamsala in May 2012. A regulation on the conferment of Geshema degrees to Tibetan nuns studying at nunneries and Buddhist learning institutes was also formulated. It was decided that nuns who pass the final examination after completing a total of 21 years of studies will be conferred a Geshema degree.
For many years, the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, had advocated that a Geshema programme for nuns be established. After seeing nuns debate during the prayer festival in March, 2012, he expressed his happiness at their level of knowledge—displayed during debates—and strongly recommended it was time to include nuns in the Geshe process.
In total, there are thirty-eight candidates taking the current examination: eleven in the first year, six in the second year and twenty-one in the third year. After taking the fourth examination in Geden Choeling Nunnery, Dharamsala, in May 2016, these nuns will complete the degree.
The third Geshema Examination was held in May in Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, Mundgod, Karnataka. The examination includes a debate and a written test based on the major Buddhist texts. The evaluation of the debate test is done by four Geshe Lharamapas invited from Sera Jhe, Sera Mey, Gaden Shartse and Drepung Gomang monasteries.
Sources said these nuns have to get an aggregate of 75 per cent in the memory examination to qualify for the degree. After completing the degree, the nuns will be certified teachers and will also be eligible to be appointed as academic directors.