“The expression of Dharma through the female form is an important and unique contribution. Qualities such as gentleness, loving care and energy are so strong in the female form, and very healing for the world.” – Tsoknyi Rinpoche
To coincide with the birth of Buddha and the date of his enlightenment, from 22nd – 29th May I will be fundraising for a cause that is close to my heart – a school in Nepal for young girls who have fled abusive families or sought refuge from impoverished farming communities.
In March I had the incredible honour of going on silent retreat with Tsoknyi Rinpoche 3rd, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. I had come across Rinpoche a few years earlier when I found one of his book in a charity shop. Rinpoche is an incredible teacher with a remarkable ability to understand people’s experiences, adapt his teachings in a way that is relevant to the group, and transmit profound teachings in a clear and simple manner. Not only that but he loves to laugh! Rinpoche is well respected amongst many prominent teachers and practitioners including Richard Gere, Pema Chödrön, Sharon Salzburg and Joseph Goldstein.
During the retreat, I found out about Rinpoche’s heart project the establishment of Tsoknyi Gechak school in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Up to 7000 girls (as young as 11) are trafficked out of the country annually.
- The median age of marriage is 16.
- Women’s literacy averages 26% (compared to 83% for men).
Tsoknyi Rinpoche has created a school that combines the study of the Buddha Dharma with the cognitive strengths of western education in a sublime marriage of east and west. This integrated approach provides the girls a normal education (so they can reintegrate into society should they choose to leave at any time) together with the rigour of monastic studies.
The vision to bring women into the traditionally patriarchal training reserved for men originated from Tsoknyi Rinpoche 1st, long before women had the right to vote. The school provides a home to any girl that turns up, many of whom come from poor farming families. Some have fled abusive families and Rinpoche has even given jobs to some of the mothers in order to keep mother and daughter together.
The United Nations has consistently advocated that educating girls has a larger impact on the developing world than any other initiative
Coming from a culture that has traditionally devalued girls to the degree that families would abandon babies by the roadside, this initiative really touches me for the beautiful combination of supporting girls and women to become proponents of the Buddha Dharma, infusing the teachings with the feminine energy of love and compassion, as well as supporting women in their place in the world, both of which are important and timely in our current climate.
I hope you will support me in supporting my teacher, all the girls at the school and the teachings of the Buddha Dharma
There are 3 ways you can help:
- I will donate 20 percentage of my earnings for all my classes from 22nd – 29th May. The more people that attend, the more I’ll donate so please come to class and bring your friends too!
- I will be in reception after those classes with a donation tin. If the tin is filled with £2 coins (less than the cost of your daily coffee or smoothie), it will raise £650!
- You can also make a donation at here.
Please join me and other notable Buddhist teachers such as Pema Chödrön and Roshi Joan Halifax in supporting this wonderful cause! My gratitude to everyone at triyoga for supporting me with this event.
To find out how much is raised and to hear of other developments about the nunnery and school, please follow me on social media @ruthvoon.
Ruth teaches at Camden, Chelsea, Ealing and Shoreditch. To view her schedule and book a class, click here.
