Sakya
Nunnery is situated in an elevated position
near Dehradun, few kilometers from the Palace of His
Holiness Sakya Trizin and the Sakya Monastery. The Nunnery
has over 165 nuns ranging from the age of 9 to 40. It
has a staff of 15 including both teaching and non-teaching
staffs.
Some of the nuns come from Nepal, Bhutan and neighbouring
Himalayan region. However, most of the nuns come from
Tibet and have left behind family and friends. The
Nunnery is their home and it is almost impossible
for them to return, or even visit Tibet. Many have
traveled by foot through dangerous circumstances and
difficult mountain passes.
In 1993 a small group of nuns arrived from Tibet
and were housed near the monastery. This group quickly
grew and the need for a permanent Nunnery became pressing.
It had long been the wish of His Holiness Sakya Trizin
that a Nunnery be build for the Sakyapa nuns. The
Sakya Nunnery was officially established in 1998 with
his blessings.
Initially, the Nunnery was under the auspices of
Sakya Centre who managed and met all the expenses.
Now the Nunnery is registered as a non-profit Society
and managed independently and relies on donations
and sponsorships. It is the only Sakya Nunnery in
exile and provides a welcoming and nurturing environment
in which the nuns can study and practice core Buddhist
teachings.
Senior
nuns oversee the Reception Room and also assist
in the office. All kitchen activities are done
by the nuns on a four days rotating roster. The
nuns themselves look after general cleaning and
maintenance, storekeeping and purchasing.
The
nuns follow a curriculum including primary and secondary
level education. There are five teachers who teach the
following subjects: 