With women now receiving the same highest monastic vows traditionally held by men, Bhutan is helping restore an ancient practice that had disappeared for centuries across much of the Buddhist world. As part of the concluding events of the Global Peace Prayer Festival, the country is set to host yet another spiritually historic event, the Gelongma or nuns’ ordination ceremony. His Holiness the Je Khenpo will preside over the ceremony at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation’s training centre at Tshalumaphey from Saturday.
Preparations for the ordination are underway at the Tshalumaphey centre, where the temple is being refurbished and temporary facilities are being arranged to accommodate the large gathering.
His Holiness will ordain three nuns at a time, with around sixty receiving ordination each day.
Close to 270 nuns, including Bhutanese and foreign participants from 14 countries, will be ordained during the five-day event.
Although the ordination itself will be conducted behind closed doors in the temple, public can visit the centre to offer donations, volunteer, and help serve meals.
“Finally, we are recognising women’s participation not only on the global stage but also in the spiritual journey. A meaningful platform for women’s involvement has been created. The inclusion of nuns’ ordination in the Global Peace Prayer is especially significant because I believe women inherently bring peace. They have never been the creators of war throughout history,” said Tashi Zangmo (PhD), the Executive Director of the Bhutan Nuns’ Foundation.
She added that ordination, or Gelongmai Dhompa, represents the highest level of vows in the Buddhist monastic order. According to the Executive Director, receiving full ordination is considered a once-in-a-lifetime fulfilment of spiritual aspiration.
She said, “From now on, their lives take on deeper meaning, as they have committed themselves fully to spirituality and a life of celibacy. Without this ordination, their spiritual journey would remain incomplete. With it, they attain the highest level of precepts, and a whole new world of opportunities and fulfilment now opens before them.”
This marks the continuation of Bhutan’s efforts to revive and promote full ordination for women in the Buddhist monastic tradition. The first such ceremony was held in 2022.
The ordination is an international spiritual initiative that highlights the message of compassion, harmony, and women’s empowerment in Buddhism.
Namgay Dema
Edited by Phub Gyem
