Scenes from the 2025 Jang Gonchoe Inter-Nunnery Debate

Here is a video made by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns showing aspects of the 2025 Jang Gonchoe Inter-Nunnery Debate in Bodh Gaya, India.

From October 5th to November 8th, 460 nuns and 23 teachers from 10 Tibetan Buddhist nunneries in India and Nepal gathered in the holy city of Bodh Gaya for one month of intensive training in monastic debate. Monastic debate is of critical importance in traditional Tibetan Buddhist learning. Through debate, nuns test and consolidate their classroom learning. Although the nuns practice debate daily at their nunneries, the annual Jang Gonchoe debate event provides essential training and practice that is vital for nuns who wish to pursue higher degrees.

This year, we have 10 nunneries participating as follows: 
1.    Geden Choeling – 3 teachers + 64 nuns = 67
2.    Jamyang Choeling – 2 teachers + 37 nuns = 39
3.    Dolmaling – 3 teachers + 92 nuns = 95
4.    Jangchub Choeling – 4 teachers + 77 nuns = 81
5.    Kachoe Gakyil Ling – 4 teachers + 64 nuns = 68
6.    Thukche Choeling – 2 teachers + 32 nuns = 34
7.    Jangsemling – 1 teacher + 17 nuns = 18
8.    Jampa Choeling – 1 teacher + 11 nuns = 12
9.    Yangchen Choeling – 1 teacher + 26 nuns = 27
10. Sherab Choeling – 2 teachers + 39 nuns = 41

Monastic debate is of critical importance in traditional Tibetan Buddhist learning. Through debate, nuns test and consolidate their classroom learning. Although the nuns practice debate daily at their nunneries, the annual Jang Gonchoe debate event provides essential training and practice that is vital for nuns who wish to pursue higher degrees like the Geshema degree.

The Jang Gonchoe for nuns was first initiated in 1995, making this year its 30th anniversary, though there was a year-long gap during the Covid pandemic when the event could not take place. Because of that missed year, the committee has decided to count this as the 29th Jang Gonchoe instead of the 30th.

Prior to 1995, there was no Jang Gonchoe for nuns and this learning opportunity was only open to monks. The Tibetan Nuns Project, with the wonderful support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, played a critical role in opening up this learning opportunity to women. Establishing a comparable debate session for nuns has been an integral part of the nuns reaching their current level of excellence in their studies.

The inter-nunnery debate has been supported since 1997 by the Tibetan Nuns Project, now through our  Jang Gonchoe Endowment Fund which covers costs such as transportation, food, and accommodation for the nuns who wish to attend.