10,000 Nuns here!
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
E = MC2
Enlightenment equals Motivation times the presence of Consciousness squared.
Whenever my motivation starts to flag, I remember the nuns of Yarchen Monastery. Their compound (in the shape of a giant bodhi leaf) sits on a peninsula in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province at 4,000 meters above sea level. That’s almost as high as Long’s Peak, the highest mountain in Colorado. Thierry Bornier, who took the main photo here, called it the ‘River of Ten Thous…and Souls’. The Nyingma nuns’ humble dwellings are grouped around Yaqing Temple under the guidance of Abbot HH Achuk Rinpoche. [Recognized by the Chinese government as the head of the Nyingma Sect in China.]
There are around 10,000 nuns here who study and practice in unbelievably harsh conditions for an average of four to 15 years. They spend much of this time in tiny retreat huts (seen in the foreground of the picture) that are not much more than a shanty box one or two meters square. They seldom lie down; they sit in meditation posture (awake or asleep) 24 hours a day, except for breaks. The box is just tall enough to sit in and usually has one small window through which they can do their tögal ‘sky gazing’ meditation. Nuns who cannot even afford a box, dig a hole to sit in, sometimes with a plastic tarp or a piece of corrugated steel propped up on sticks to keep the snow off their heads. These nuns, called Juemu, sit in their boxes and practice Buddhism day and night for months or even years at a time. Some Juemu live in these boxes for the rest of their lives. They have no other ambition than to practice Vajrayana Buddhism like Padmasambhava and Milarepa.
Within the complex, food, water, and clothing are in short supply, and electric power is only available from 7pm to 10pm every day. In such tight quarters, communicable illnesses are a problem and medical facilities meager, so the nuns depend on each other to survive. Winters can be very snowy and temps fall to minus 20-30 degrees C at night. There is no sanitation system, so the nuns have to resort to toilets in the open air beside the river.
So, the next time you catch yourself feeling stressed about your practice, think about one of those Juemu sitting alone in the snow at 13,000 feet. She won’t be watching the New England Patriots this weekend. She’s up there examining the innate nature of her own mind. She’s up there with her sisters on the roof of the world, praying day and night for all sentient beings to see through the illusion of samsara. That’s practice!
Written by Jon Norris
(Some editing done) (This has been reproduced here strictly to inspire practitioners around the world to pursue the spiritual path and don’t look for excuses to fail but to succeed. Tsem Rinpoche)
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High in the mountains of Sichuan province, hidden from the outside world by its geographical remoteness is the largest nunnery in the world. With an estimated 20,000 nuns, monks and lay practitioners living in the austere surroundings of the Yarchen Gar monastery. The Yarchen Gar monastery above 4000m sea level considered to be the largest concentration of monastics in the world dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture after the Cultural Revolution. Looking at those pictures tells us all, it’s a huge sea of Burgundy robes, one wouldn’t expect anything on this scale to exist or survive. With determination and will power they could live and do their meditation . Living in such an rudimentary conditions, they are devoted to following the faith and entering a life of sacrament.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
10,000 nuns staying is such a harsh environment is really astonishing. I can’t imagine the nuns having to live in the box where it is just fit to sit, not big enough to even stretch their legs. Amazing so many nuns sitting on a peninsula in the Sichuan Province at 4,000 meters above sea level. These nuns willingly live in such harsh conditions to be closer to dharma and understanding their minds. With no comfortable homes, cars, beds and even a toilet, they press on in their spiritual journey and never give up.In Malaysia, we are living in a very comfortable condition where clean water, electricity, comfy beds and flushing toilets are available to us. However, when we have obstacles in our spiritual journey, we complain and whine like nobody’s business. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for such an enlightening write up which i enjoyed reading. 🙏👍😍😘🌈
Coming back here for inspiration and indeed, how much hardship that they have to endure! Seeing these pictures really pierce away my flippant mind.
Amazing so many nuns sitting on a peninsula in the Sichuan Province at 4,000 meters above sea level. Looking at those wonderful pictures of nuns paints a thousands words. It shown how harsh the condition is yet they …the nuns stayed put clamped together, living in box so determine to practice dharma for benefit of other beings. That’s amazing and an eye opener for all of us. These nuns in deed an inspiring too.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
After looking at each photo closely, I have to agree with Jon Norris. The conditions to practice spiritual for these 10,000 nuns are bleak and uninviting to say the least, and yet the conditions do not waver their determination to practice Vajrayana Buddhism. Reflectively, we are sitting in the comfort of our home complaining about our practice and creating more negative karma that keep us very homey in samsara. These 10,000 nuns seriously put us to shame. The strength of their spiritual conviction is our role model and I hope we can all develop the same sense of responsibility and team spirit to advance together on our spiritual journey.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
10,000 nuns staying is such a harsh environment is really astonishing. I can’t imagine the nuns having to live in the box where it is just fit to sit, not big enough to even stretch their legs. This shows how determined the nuns are towards practising dharma and praying for benefit of other beings. They surely have a a strong mind in order to live in such conditions for years.
We on the other hand have some much comfort, not needing to worry about a place to live, food readily available, water are plenty and yet do not want to practise dharma. We need to be contented and learn to change.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this and it set a good reminder for us.
This blog post is totally an eye opener. These nuns willingly live in such harsh conditions to be closer to dharma and understanding their minds. With no comfortable homes, cars, beds and even a toilet, they press on in their spiritual journey and never give up.
In Malaysia, we are living in a very comfortable condition where clean water, electricity, comfy beds and flushing toilets are available to us. However, when we have obstacles in our spiritual journey, we complain and whine like nobody’s business. This shows how unstable our mind is and how our negative habituation dominates our mindstream. I have alot to learn from the nuns, where their perseverance and patience in learning dharma is amazing.
Chris
It is wonderful how much a person would let go when they are deep in Dharma :). They don’t live luxury lives like having a gigantic roof over their head when they sleep, have good cars, good money and good men. Instead, they live in small extremely small tents for months and sometimes even years. And the most amazing thing of all is that they look very pleasant with their lives like they have already achieved the stage where they have no attachments at all.
I was mind blown when I read that the temperature there during the winter might even drop to minus even 20-30. That is really terrifying because of the nuns only have clothes, fire and small tents to just keep them warm and I believe it will believe much colder at night. Some of the nun’s tents shows us that they will not even fit if they lay down in the sleeping position, which is extremely tough if you are there for months or years. Because I still cannot find the actual passion to learn the Dharma. Hopefully I will soon realize that Dharma plays an important role in my life and I will start to practice it purely.
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing this awesome article. It still blows my mind what the nuns would discard in their life just so that they can practice Dharma purely.
感谢仁波切的分享，看了这一篇文章我觉得太惭愧了。这么多的比丘尼为了修行只住在一个狭窄的空间里进行长时间的修行，根本就没有为艰难的修行找藉口离开。大家也很守望相助的协助大家在日常生活上，在这些比丘尼的生活里只有修行，那是多么的高尚的一种思维品德，她们也很清楚知道这样的修行才能达成有所成果，以及真正的修行是要舍弃一切的恐惧，害怕，自我与执着。
我们一生被懒惰困住，所以在修行上很慢的才达成心识转化，懒惰是我们的绊脚石，一定要将之摧毁。
以往一直听到说女众修行要达成成就很难，但是读了这一篇文章后我生起了强大的信心在修行上。只要有坚定的信念和强烈的上师依止心必定可以达成成就。
This post certainly increases my faith that practices do work. In my simple mind, if ten thousand nuns are willing to “endure” such conditions, I’m sure their practice is efficacious. Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
A solitary retreat is said to remain as one of the most “Poignant practice experiences.” To go on a retreat means to abandon all our usual routines, and enter into a world of simplicity with focused-meditation and inspired contemplation! While for those truly seeking realization are strongly recommended, while for those enthusists just entering the path will find such retreat perhaps valuable for experiential purposes. But, for those 10,000 nuns of Yharche Monastery, spending an average time of four to 15 years in such unbelievable harsh conditions is said to be unimaginable. All these brave nuns who are known as Juemu are not only “legendary” in nature, but also a real inspiration to many the World over for their deep faith, determination, courage, endurance and solid self-confidence. As said, “these Juemu sisters” have no other ambition, but only to seek enlightenment so as to benefit all sentient beings. As the holy words of Wisdom said, “Blessings by themselves are not enough. They must come from within. Without your own effort, it is impossible for them to come.” Om Mani Padme Hung.
The beautiful starry night photo make me click into this post…The starry night is so beautiful. From the write up I learn about the vary harsh conditions around Yarchen Monastery; how small and tight their quarter is; but when look at the faces of the juemu in the pictures, there are almost no traces of bitterness. They all look so simple and peace..Btw I guess may be with mind with less self-created “sufferings”, we can see beautiful starry sky like the one in the picture. Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.
To be able to subject oneself through such extreme conditions (which also reminds me of Tenzin Palmo) to train our mind shows how much we can overcome our attachment and perception through our senses, if we are willing to not let our sensory perceptions rule us.
To do what they do, these nuns prove that spiritual practice is the only thing that matters in their short time on Earth in this life and they waste no time in samsaric pursuits. There is nothing that’s impossible if we reinforce and tell ourselves that we can. We eliminate the fear within us which is what we bind ourselves to and hinder our own progression, whether it is in business, spiritual practice, development and so forth.
These nuns are inspirational, and have created a powerful community to encourage one another on each one’s spiritual path. This is akin to what we have and will continue to establish through Kechara – a spiritual community focusing on the training of the mind. This is what Kechara allows us to partake in, sans the tough, extreme conditions like what these nuns have to “endure”. We are so lucky.
I see 10,000 darkinis living in Heaven. This is their home their heaven where no one will disturb their mind. They only meditate and listen to Dharma. They know that the biggest sufferings is samsara, hence their ultimate goal is they must achieve Buddhahood in this life time which is the only chance for them to get out of samsara.. Of course by doing so, they must have merits, strong faith and guru devotion, pure guru samaya, holding vows in order to endure the hardship.
I see the important of Sangha community. The encouragement, help, care and to practice and work among Dharma siblings is something like the supplement of the mind. Dharma is the food. They are going to Heaven.
In samsara our unstable mind is fed with our ego, money, fame and relationships. our supplements are big house, big car, good food, vacations.
May I always be reminded by the nuns of Yarchen Monastery to able to do more and go all the way for my practice.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful and inspiring article.
Seeing these photos and the manner in which these 10,000 nuns can train their minds over and above their physical being is extremely inspiring.
It is so inspiring that these ladies are able to overcome whatever physical discomfort that exist to benefit sentient beings. Their practice is to create the energy and possibilities for others to overcome suffering of samsara.
To my untrained mind their “suffering” would be way beyond my ability and as I have mentioned it is only because of my personal feelings and attachments to the delusional norms of samsara.
The very least I can emanate is compassion and loving kindness which is so apparent with these great beings.
Whenever I fail in my practice, may I never forget the extremes these wonderful nuns are doing for an opportunity out of samsara.
Whatever we find difficult is because we reinforce it everyday by saying it is difficult. Tsem Rinpoche
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful place.
This is like a paradise on earth where all 10,000 nuns are together, endure external and internal hardship to dedicate their life in practice.
I feel very touched seeing the picture of the boxes that they live. It’s so simple and yet within this small box, their mind achieve high attainment.
We do not need material gain to gain happiness, we just need to tame our mind.
Two things stood out for me in this sharing.
1) The kind of conditions that these nuns willingly put themselves through in order to practice Dharma. Obviously it is very tough and trying; the extreme weather,the lack of basic ammenities and resources, the hole/box they have to sit in. Wow !! How do they do it ? The faith and devotion and state of mind must be so strong to withstand all these harsh conditions !
On the other hand 10000 nuns together, all with similar motivation and goals must result in an environment that is very conducive for practice.
2) It is great that at this time and age there are so many females who have the interest and intention to hold vows and to practice the Dharma. They have renounced from all the temptations of the samsaric world. I rejoice for all of them.
Thank you Rinpoche for this teaching. I am indeed grateful and fortunate to have the conditions to meet a great Guru and the opportunity to study and practice the Dharma.
谢谢！仁波切的分享 。 可知我们是多么的幸福。 我们不用自己造小屋来闭关和修持，不用受寒冷和大风吹， 还冷气开大大，椅子又舒服的，但是还是不满足，还不加把劲的修持佛法，真是感到很惭愧。
很佩服Juemu的坚持和耐力，因为明白到佛法的真理，就算在多恶劣的情况下，还是日日夜夜的为众生祈福，希望早日看破，离苦的乐。
这是我们要学习的部分。谢谢！
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful inspiring post of these brave Dharma sister warriors. The pictures are simply stunning and as I look at them I started questioning myself… would I be able with with stand such harsh conditions in order to practice the Dharma… the honest answer now is a N.O. But it is a great reminder of how comfortable, how easy we have it now in KFR under Rinpoche’s care and guidance. Yes there is no doubt, if it wasn’t for Rinpoche, most of us who “aspire” to become or even think about becoming a nun/monk would probably not happen with so much samsaric distractions to pull us back to our delusions. So what have we really got to bf/complain about? Nothing really, except to do our part and do it well at least. We have so so much to grateful for, we so much hence so much more to be humble about. I truly admire these nuns and their perseverance, their commitment, focus and determination. They really really put their mind in achieving perfection, perfection of wisdom and compassion. May they become great Buddhas and Boddhisattvas that return to liberate more beings. May I aspire to have such determination and courage. Thank you Rinpoche for another post that makes us contemplate.
These photos said a lot: If we want to put our heart into practice, nothing can stop us, even with such harsh condition and limited resources.
I feel very much ashamed for the excuses I gave myself for not doing my practice well. Yet at the same time, I feel inspired to do more with the abundance of resources I have here.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank You for sharing such an inspiring post about the Yarchen Monastery and its 10,000 nuns. Tibetan Buddhism is so effective to alleviate the suffering of beings. All traditions of Tibetan Buddhism has its own strength and depending on affinity the practitioners can choose whichever that is most suitable to practice.
Having said that, to have 10,000 nuns is this remote mountain monastery is amazing.
We can have the same scenario in Kechara Forest Retreat in the near future, where many will be able to practice the pure Dharma seeking Enlightenment in the quickest possible time to benefit beings just like the nuns in Yarchen.
May this manifest quickly and may Rinpoche live long and blesses us all with the Dharma to achieve this.
Thank You.
Yours faithfully,
Pastor KH Ng
I find this article specially inspiring because all these 10k nuns chosed this “lifestyle” and willingly endure hardship to develop their minds and control over their body. Amazing there is 10000 of them! I pray I can have their strength.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing such a inspiring article with beautiful pictures of how the 10000 nuns practise Dharma within such a harsh conditions and yet these nuns are determined to set their motivation to look into their inner spiritual development.
We in Malaysia are so fortunate and blessed to have beautiful and fully equipped facilities of Kechara Forest Retreat, Kechara House and all the 13 Kechara departments for our convenience to learn and practise Dharma under the guidance of Rinpoche and all the well trained Kechara Pastors.
Thank you Rinpoche once again to stay with us and I sincerely pray for Rinpoche’s long life and stable health to continue to turn the wheel of Dharma. May I too continue to learn the Dharma and serve for others more to benefit all sentient beings for achieving peaceand ultimate happiness.
With folded hands I pray,
kin hoe
谢谢仁波切的分享与教诲
觉得很感动的能够看见那么多的修心者（觉姆），用心与专注地在实践佛法，禅修与闭关，并且无论环境与资源上的缺乏，都不会动摇到她们修习佛法的心。
虔诚合十
JerrySito
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for sharing this amazing article with us. The number of monks and nuns represent how much is Dharma flourish there. Rejoice there is 10K nuns in Yarchen Monastery also salute to them doing their practice in the much comfortable conditions.
Big thanks to Rinpoche to create KFR for us, so we may get Buddha blessing and engage in Dharma practices in a such comfortable environment (with folded hands)
Your sincerely,
Casteven