Zangskari
Nunneries Needs Assessment Survey
October 30, 2007
By
Jennifer O'Boyle
During
July and August 2007 two volunteers, Jennifer O'Boyle and
Lauren Galvin, visited 9 of the 10 Zangskari nunneries supported
by Gaden Relief Projects. Zangskar Project Coordinator Kim
Gutschow asked Jennifer and Lauren to carry out a needs
assessment survey. The detailed survey results are found
here: Zangskari Nunnery
Survey. Below is Jennifer's summary report. -Ed.
During
the months of July and August 2007 I visited nine of the ten
nunneries in the Zangskar region of Ladakh, India, at the
request of Kim Gutschow. Longtime researcher and supporter
of the Zangskari nunneries, Kim is working towards the establishment
of a registered Indian NGO called the Zangskar Nuns Association
(ZNA), which would provide a support base for the ten Zangskari
nunneries. Kim was unable to visit the nunneries in 2007 and
as her volunteer substitute, the purpose of my visits were
as follows:
- Explain
why ZNA is being established and how ZNA will be organized;
summarize the ZNA Constitution; suggest how ZNA can benefit
the nunneries;
- Remind
the nuns that donations distributed by Kim come from a Canadian
NGO called Gaden Relief; briefly explain this organization
and their support to the nunneries;
- Emphasize
that as a result of new laws, the nunneries must provide
receipts and detailed accounts for expenditures of donations
received from Kim in 2006 and for all future donations;
- Assess
the needs for future funding by interviewing the nuns and
surveying the facilities to better understand the conditions
under which the nuns live and study.
The
nunneries all received advance notice about the survey visit,
except for two nunneries which were visited on two separate
occasions – the first time without advance notice and
the second with notice. The goal was to have all members of
the nunnery present during these visits, but at all nunneries
there were a few to several nuns who were absent.
The
nuns were also informed in advance to prepare their receipts
for the 2006 donation money. Despite the advance notice, some
nunneries still had no accounts prepared and we had to explain
what was needed so they could provide something to us at a
later date. Some nunneries had an itemized account book or
a stack of receipts that I was shown during my visit, but
often the accounting scheme was unclear and the receipts were
vague or illegible. In most cases the nuns took a few more
days to itemize their spending and then delivered new documents
to me instead of the originals.
Besides
myself, most of the nunnery visits were undertaken with Skalzang
Lhamo, President of ZNA, Lauren Galvin, an American student
living at Sani Kachod Ling, and Sonam, a nun also from Sani.
The interviews required an interpreter (usually Lauren) or
in some cases two interpreters of different languages and
as a result I am not fully confident in my understanding of
the interviews. There were also situations where the nuns’
answers were contradictory or confusing and for the two nunneries
that I visited twice, a few answers (or perhaps the translation)
changed completely between the first and second visit.
I
have written complete survey results for each nunnery to document
the interviews and evaluations from my visits. This report
provides a summary description of each nunnery. In general,
all of the nunneries are quite small, ranging from 5 to 28
nuns each, and most have no teachers of Buddhist philosophy
and rituals. All nunneries are part of the Gelug Buddhist
tradition, except for one that is Nyingma and another that
is Drukpa Kagyu. Some nunneries receive a lot of support from
donors and/or their villages, while others receive very little
support even from their own families. The two issues that
seem most pressing are the need for teachers (both secular
and Buddhist) and for water storage during the winter time
when most streams near the nunneries are frozen.
Bya Dolma Choling is very small and isolated.
Comprised of five young nuns, the nunnery is a 2 to 3 days
walk from the main Zangskar valley and is even a 45 minute
walk from the nuns’ village along a narrow cliff-side
trail. The nunnery itself is perched precariously up against
a giant rock outcrop; they selected this site because an image
of Tara appears in the rock. The nuns are very determined
to expand their nunnery, but most villagers will not allow
their daughters to become nuns because there is no education
available at the nunnery. In 2007 the nuns, with the help
of their families, built a new prayer hall and the nuns are
quite desperate to complete it with carpets, paint, prayer
books and butter lamps, but they have no source of money other
than donations from Gaden Relief. The nuns engage in daily,
monthly and annual prayer rituals and they are eager to obtain
more prayer books to expand their knowledge. There is no electricity
and they have only one solar panel.
Karsha
Chuchikjall Kachod Grubling is situated high above
the village, connected by a winding concrete pathway and also
by a road. Stunning views of the surrounding valley and mountains
as wells as views of the famous Karsha Monastery await visitors.
This nunnery is the largest in Zangskar with 28 nuns in the
assembly - 20 currently residing there, while the remainder
are doing advanced studies in other parts of India. A large,
well-decorated prayer hall is used each morning for prayers
as well as all day for six days of the month and a 21-day
puja in the spring. Nearby is a school building which contains
two classrooms, a small kitchen, and a residential cell for
the teacher, who is a monk supported by the Central Institute
of Buddhist Studies. There are 27 young girls enrolled in
the school from several nearby villages and courses include
math, English, and Hindi. Also on-site is an amchi (traditional
Tibetan medicine) clinic available to the nuns and villagers.
During winter the nuns must go downhill to search for running
water. There is no electricity available, but several solar
panels are used for communal rooms and outdoor lighting. The
nunnery is in need of a guesthouse for visitors and a new
kitchen - the current one is small, window-less and blackened
from open-pit fire stoves.
Manda
Padma Choling is a relatively new nunnery located
very close to the village and the main road. The nunnery is
comprised of seven young nuns and the buildings are 6 to 7
years old. The nuns built a prayer hall and continue to expand
this building with new construction. There is no kitchen and
the nuns have created an awkward cooking space in the enclosed
entrance to the prayer hall. Presently all the residential
cells are shared until the families of the youngest nuns build
new rooms for them. The three youngest nuns attend school
in the village during the day. There is no philosophy teacher
available to the nuns, except at the nunnery in Skyagam, where
a few of the Manda nuns studied previously. This nunnery has
no electricity and no solar panels. Most of their food comes
from their families and the nuns spend 1 to 2 days per week
helping their families in the village. Prayer sessions are
held on a daily, monthly and annual basis. The nuns have a
strong desire to expand the nunnery and get a teacher, but
in the short term they are in need of prayer books and supplies
to complete the prayer hall.
Pishu
Namgyal Choling was built at the base of a multi-colored
mountain not too far uphill from the village, which is reached
by crossing a bridge from the main road and then trudging
for 45 minutes across undulations of loose rocks and sand.
There are eleven nuns in the assembly, including three charming
and quick-witted elderly nuns. One prayer hall existed long
before the nunnery began and the other buildings have a broad
range of ages. A newer building constructed in 1998 contains
a small prayer hall, assembly room, kitchen, and teacher’s
residential cell. Two guest rooms will be completed next year.
Although there has been no teacher at the nunnery since 1981,
a few of the elderly nuns received very good teachings of
the Nyingma tradition in the past and have been able to pass
these on to the younger nuns. Young girls from the village,
who intend to become nuns, can attend school at the nunnery
in Zangla, but it is uncertain which nunnery they will join
after completing their studies. Prayer rituals are undertaken
on important days each month and for a full month during the
spring. The nunnery has a very difficult problem with the
water supply, which often runs dry by August and during the
winter when the local supply is frozen the nuns must travel
a long way down to the river to get water. The nuns have four
solar panels, but no electricity. They would like to receive
more solar panels and also need funds to repair older buildings.
They expressed a need for ongoing support for basic necessities
because they do not get enough donations from the village
or their families.
Rizhing
Dorje Dzong requires a steep climb uphill to reach
and is far from the main part of the village, although a road
has been built to provide easier access to the nunnery. Several
old chortens crowd around the buildings and the two prayer
halls are both several hundred years old. There are now only
eight nuns in residence, but the nunnery used to be almost
twice that size. Lack of a teacher has forced several nuns
to leave the nunnery and attend philosophy schools in other
parts of India. The remaining nuns are disorganized and somewhat
discouraged, explaining that they spend a lot of time in the
village with their families since there is nothing to do at
the nunnery without a teacher. The nuns only hold prayer sessions
two times each month along with month-long rituals for two
months of the year. Recently the nunnery received a heritage
site grant from the Indian government and the nuns purchased
a new set of prayer books. No electricity is available, but
they do have two solar panels, and unlike most of the nunneries
they have water available year-round. Also uncommon is the
fact that the nunnery owns land on which they grow peas and
barley.
Sani
Kachod Ling is located high on a rocky mountain slope,
a 30 minute walk from the village, but with easy access to
the main road. The nunnery is relatively new and already quite
large with an assembly of 22 nuns, ranging in age from 5 to
42. The youngest remain with their families in order to attend
school in the village so only 13 nuns reside at the nunnery
at this time. The nuns receive very good support from their
families and foreign donors. Residential cells have been built
over the last several years. Now the nuns are constructing
a prayer hall and have plans for a kitchen, retreat rooms,
and greenhouse. The nuns have a philosophy teacher from a
nearby monastery and are studying in the Drukpa Kagyu tradition.
However, the current construction work serves as a major disruption
from studies and prayers. All of the nuns undergo a three
month retreat during the winter. In the future the nuns hope
to start an income generation project by making carpets. The
nunnery is fortunate to have access to running water all year
supplied by a good system of pipes and there are also several
irrigation ditches to water the newly planted trees and small
vegetable gardens.
Skyagam
Phagmo Ling is at the edge of the village, just off
the main road. There are 17 nuns, ages 16 to 43, and they
recently acquired a well-educated young monk from South India
as their teacher. He has established a detailed study schedule
for the nuns that includes debate and Tibetan writing and
now the nuns are eager to obtain more books to supplement
their studies. They would also like to build a proper classroom
because currently they have class in the glass-enclosed entry
way to the prayer hall and it is too cold in the winter. Although
the residential buildings were built around 1998, all of the
rooms leak when it rains and one roof has already collapsed.
Normally the nuns are able to grow some vegetables or get
produce in the village, but recently the region has been plagued
by insects and residents have been unable to sustain crops.
The nunnery has only one solar panel and no electricity. Prayer
sessions are held on a daily, monthly and annual schedule.
Tungri
Phuntsog Ling can be reached after a short hike up
from the village, which is a short distance from the main
road. The nunnery compound is relatively large so the buildings
are spread apart and big chortens sit on the perimeter. Although
only eleven nuns live at the nunnery, 16 nuns are part of
the assembly - a few younger nuns are at school in the village
and a few older nuns have left to receive necessary care.
A new prayer hall, guest rooms, and a spacious kitchen were
built around a 500 year old prayer room. One guest room is
still empty because the nuns could not afford to buy any furniture.
Many of the nuns’ homes are in need of repair and some
rooms have even collapsed. Since there is not enough money
in the nunnery funds for repair work, a home can only be repaired
if the individual nun is able to secure the help of her family.
Two elderly sisters (ages 73 and 76) inhabit a home that is
in great need of repair and they themselves are lacking in
proper mattresses, blankets and warm clothes for the winter.
One sister is blind and deaf and the other must collect food,
water, and cooking/heating fuel for both of them. Water is
a problem at the nunnery because their pipe broke and now
they must go uphill to collect water and always need to go
down to the village during the winter. Day-long prayer sessions
are held for seven days each month and a one month puja is
performed in the winter. There has never been a teacher at
the nunnery and it is very important to the nuns to acquire
a teacher in order to learn rituals, prayers, meditation,
and the Tibetan language.
Zangla
Byangchub Choling is nestled into a mountainside
at the end of the village road. A concrete courtyard surrounded
by tall flowers is at the center of the nunnery, which has
an unusually large 500 year old prayer hall with freshly painted
wood floors. Twenty-one nuns are members of the assembly,
ranging in age from 15 to a spirited 85 years old. Only fourteen
nuns live at the nunnery and the remainder are doing advanced
studies elsewhere. Fifteen girls, ages 7 to 9, attend the
school at the nunnery sponsored by the Central Institute of
Buddhist Studies. Their coursework includes math, English,
Hindi, and Buddhist philosophy. There has been no ritual instruction
available to the older nuns for several years since their
last teacher died. The nuns eat most of their meals communally,
prepared in a kitchen that was intended to be a guest room,
until their originally kitchen collapsed. They would very
much like to build another guest room and also get mattresses
and tables for the large prayer hall, which is used when important
monks visit the nunnery. They are also in need of a classroom
since the students are currently taught outside or in a room
intended for prayer sessions. Group prayers are offered every
morning, all day on special days, and for 26 days in the winter.
Electricity is available, but only when the water for the
hydraulic system is not frozen so the nuns rely on four solar
panels for almost 8 months of the year.
|
