By Ueli Minder

I first came to Kopan in 1978, having met Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa in Italy in 1976. And I have returned as often as I can over the years since then. At this place, where all the lamas’ work started, I feel at home. For me, Kopan is the mother of the FPMT activities throughout the world.

Back in Switzerland, I am so grateful to know that Kopan exists. The strong and peaceful energy that was planted by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been nourished by all the precious lamas there. Thanks to their never ceasing effort, thanks to the dedicated work of all the monks and nuns, all the Dharma practitioners and the workers at Kopan, it is possible to experience this special atmosphere.

It’s due to all their effort that this year on the Kopan hill there are 260 monks at the monastery and 150 nuns at the nunnery, and that there exists accommodation for easily 70 visitors and even 200 during the November course. Thanks to them so many people have made contact with the Dharma, and so many practitioners are able to deepen their understanding and to transform their minds – what a rare opportunity!

I think it is useful to remember the role that Kopan has played in the spreading of Buddhism in the East and the West. And it is still playing this important role, the role of mother.

 

Kopan’s Sisters at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery

Lama Yeshe invited the first nuns to study at Kopan in 1979. Tibetan nun Thubten Dekyong, known as Tsenla, directed the growth of the nunnery in its first years, raising the money to buy land at the foot of the Kopan Hill and to build the nunnery. There are now 150 nuns at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, and the place is overflowing. Three nuns work together to take care of the nunnery: Vens. Jangsem, Shedup and Tsapel.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed the wish that a long-term retreat compound be built. Successive groups of nuns will be able to do three-year retreat there, after which, as Rinpoche says, “they will go straight on to Pure Land.” Land has been bought and a very generous sponsor has provided most of the funds for building.

The next stage of building will also include a guest house on the opposite side of the gompa for visitors. Already many people, mainly women, have expressed a wish to stay at the nunnery.

At this stage, the nuns are still supported by Kopan, but a fund was established several years ago, the interest from which will eventually allow the nunnery to become independent. A sponsors’ scheme provides the main contribution towards this fund.

 

Five Tibetan Nuns Make Sand Mandalas in Europe

By Trisha Donnelly

Last year, ten nuns studied the art of sand mandalas. Mandala talked to five of them, Vens. Tsapel, Chödron, Khachoe, Lhamo and Ngawang, who created mandalas in France and Belgium last year at the invitation of the Friends of Tibet.

“We were in Europe for almost three months. We created sand mandalas in six towns in France and Belgium, as well as Instituut Vajrayogini, the FPMT center near Toulouse. The first one was in San Tropez in the south of France, where we made the mandala in a holiday resort center. The tour and exhibitions were organized by the Friends of Tibet. In every place many people came to visit and see Tibetan nuns and look at a sand mandala. During each exhibition we would hold a question-and-answer session; people would ask mainly about Tibet, the monastery in Nepal that we come from, a little bit about sand mandalas and Buddhism.

“Many people had never seen a mandala before and didn’t know anything about it. Mainly people were very interested in us as women, then as nuns, and they would ask if we were really from Tibet. Then they would want to know about our villages in Tibet and our life stories. This was the first time Tibetan nuns had toured Europe or publicly exhibited sand mandalas, so people were fascinated. The women especially said they were very happy to see that now Tibetan men and women are equal, and that nuns were doing things that before only monks could do. They asked us why we don’t do Cham dancing, and we explained that in Tibet the nuns were allowed to do the dakinis dance during long life pujas, but were never taught Cham dancing. But if our abbot, Lama Lhundrup, gives us permission we will be very happy to go back and present nuns’ Cham dancing!

“We were very impressed with the cleanliness, especially our rooms were very nice. At first we thought the food was strange but soon came to enjoy it very much. There wasn’t anything we saw that we didn’t like. What surprised us most positively, however, was that although French people are so busy working for themselves and their families that they hardly have time to eat or have conversations, still they put so much time and effort into the Tibetan cause. We had heard that Westerners are like this, but we were very surprised and happy when we actually saw it.

“During each exhibition the organizers collected signatures for the release of the young Panchen Lama and some Tibetan nuns who are in prison in Lhasa. Many people signed and after each exhibition the list of signatures was sent off to the Chinese government. We saw how their efforts were very successful. What the Friends of Tibet were doing was using the sand mandala exhibitions to gather support for the Tibetans.

“Some people would visit the exhibition and even drive twelve hours to visit us at the next one! We were extremely happy in Paris because we met Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with whom we had an interview. His Holiness asked us where we were from and what mandala we were making. He was very happy to hear we were making a Chenrezig mandala. Our sponsors in San Tropez had made a video of the sand mandala and offered it to His Holiness in Paris.

“The Friends of Tibet said they would like us to come back, and next time they will organize exhibitions throughout Europe. We would be very happy to go again.”