Gebchak Gonpa
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Tibet's Heartland of Yoginis
Men and women have an equal right to enlightenment, but for women in Tibet that right often went unacknowledged.
In the remote mountain vastness of Nangchen, Eastern Tibet, there exists an extraordinary spiritual lineage of female-practitioners which originated at Gebchak Gonpa, a nunnery of 345 nuns and the heart of a renowned practice tradition.
Many great masters praise Gebchak Gonpa as being unrivalled in the training of female practitioners. Its yogini nuns are famed for their accomplishments in profound yogas and meditation. When meeting these remarkable women one is immediately touched by their love and compassion, which is the heart of all Buddhist practice.
HISTORY
The first Tsoknyi Rinpoche instructed his heart son, Tsang-Yang Gyamtso, to build nunneries so that women would have the opportunity to practice, thereby bringing balance to an unbalanced world. Tsang-Yang Gyamtso, along with the first Wangdrak Rinpoche, founded Gebchak Gonpa in 1892 and over time great numbers of women came from many parts of Tibet came to join in its unique system of practice.
Gebchak Gonpa's intensive retreat system includes a three-year retreat for all nuns followed by entry into one of sixteen retreat divisions, where they remain in practice for the rest of their lives.
During the cultural revolution of the 1960's Gebchak Gonpa was almost completely destroyed and the remaining nuns were dispersed, threatening to destroy the tradition entirely.
Today the nuns have returned to preserve this endangered tradition. Despite extreme physical hardships the few remaining elder nuns are striving to pass on their spiritual heritage to a new generation.
