Many of the Khachoe Ghakyil nuns are daughters of poor Tibetan families. These young women have fled from Tibet to Nepal with nothing but the clothes on their back and the wish to deeply practice their spirituality. To continue their spiritual lives, the nuns realize they must become a self-supporting community. To that end, they are attempting to raise funds through their performances to ensure that housing, medical care and food can be provided to all who seek the life of a practicing nun. At present, there is no independent funding for the nunnery, and the financial future for the nuns is fragile.
Since the occupation of Tibet in 1959 by the Communist Chinese, Buddhist spiritual practitioners have been imprisoned, tortured, and killed for practicing their faith. Ancient monasteries and nunneries have been plundered and destroyed. Numerous Tibetans, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, have fled to Nepal and India, to freely exercise their religion.
The making of the sand mandala by the Tibetan nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery illustrates the remarkable efforts made by the Tibetan people to preserve and reconstitute their rich culture following the takeover of Tibet by the Communist Chinese. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated that Tibetan cultural preservation is the foremost task confronting the exile community in India and Nepal.
We invite you to join us in supporting these serious students of Buddhist teachings whose primary wish is to evolve to enlightenment to help other beings do the same. Practice with them as they use sacred arts to transform our minds, and thus our world, to a realm of loving-kindess, compassion, wisdom, and tranquility.