Record Number of Buddhist Nuns Taking Geshema Examinations in Dharamsala
The Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP), a US-registered charity with offices in Seattle, Washington and Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, India, has declared that the geshema examinations for 2023 have started in Dharamsala, India on July 21st.
An unprecedented 132 Tibetan Buddhist nuns from seven educational centers in India and Nepal are participating in the exams.
“This year, a record number of Tibetan Buddhist nuns are taking the rigorous written and oral examinations—38 more nuns than last year’s record 94,” the TNP said in an announcement shared with BDG.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the geshema degree, the highest academic degree in Gelugpa tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, was not available to Buddhist nuns in 2020 and 2021.
However, 54 nuns have already achieved this degree, which is roughly equivalent to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist studies.
The examinations for the degree take four years to complete and are held annually. In 2022, the exams resumed after being cancelled for two years.
