Five years after the COVID-19 outbreak, the monastery reopens
At the reopening of Druk Amitabha Monastery in Nepal, a dozen 17-30-year-old kung fu nuns demonstrated their martial arts prowess, including hand chops and high kicks, to celebrate the institution’s reopening five years after the COVID-19 outbreak. These nuns, part of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa lineage, are the sole female order in the patriarchal Buddhist monastic institution, which grants nuns the same status as monks.
Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy member Gyalwang Drukpa has founded a nunnery that teaches women kung fu to improve their physical and mental health. The nunnery, which has 300 members aged six to 54, aims to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. The nuns, who are from Bhutan, India, and Nepal, practice kung fu for strength and self-defense, aiming to keep themselves mentally and physically fit. The nuns are trained in Chinese martial art for strength and self-defense.
A 24-year-old nun from Nepal, Jigme Yangchen Gamo, aims to help young girls build their strength through kung fu. The nunnery’s return to spiritual roots involves physical strength, gender equality, and respect for all living things. They have undertaken long treks through the Himalayas to promote eco-friendly living and generate funds for disaster relief. A 30-year-old Indian nun, Jigme Konchok Lhamo, aims to become enlightened like Lord Buddha, who established Buddhism 2,600 years ago.
