Tibetan nun speaking at abbey

Tibetan nun Geshe Chopa Tenzin Lhadron will give a public talk on loving kindness and compassion in daily life on June 24 from 2-4 p.m. at Sravasti Abbey, the Buddhist monastery near Newport, Wash.

Geshe Lhadron teaches in English and the public is invited to meet and celebrate this pioneer scholar of Tibet. Registration is not required to attend the talk.

Last December, Geshe Lhadron was one of 20 Tibetan women who made history as they became the first class of Buddhist nuns to ever receive the prestigious geshe degree, equivalent to a doctoral degree in Buddhist philosophy. Historically, the geshe degree, the highest level of academic achievement in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, has been conferred on males only.

The degree requires over 17 years of rigorous training to master the five great canonical texts as well as logic, debate and other related topics. The group of 20 nuns have mastered these great texts and officially received their degrees in India from the 14th Dalai Lama.

Ven. Chopa Tenzin Lhadron’s journey to receiving the geshe degree is inspiring. She became a nun at a very young age and in her early teens joined Jamyang Choeling Institute, an educational institution for women serving the Tibetan refugees in India. In addition to her Buddhist studies, Geshe Lhadron also participated in intensive science workshops organized by the Emory Tibet Science Initiative. She has also held various administrative positions at the Jamyang Institute.

Geshe Lhadron’s talk will focus on a fundamental principle of Tibetan Buddhism: the source of happiness and well-being is within the mind. Buddhist believe that practicing loving kindness and compassion are the keys to developing contentment and joy. Geshe Lhadron will talk about how to develop these beneficial states of mind.