Thimphu [Bhutan], November 17 : Bhutan has begun its second Bhikkhuni, or Gelongma, ordination ceremony, marking another major moment for Buddhist nuns across the Himalayan region who have waited decades for access to full monastic ordination as the final programme of The Global Peace Prayer festivals.
The Bhutan Nuns Foundation (BNF), in partnership with Bhutan's Central Monastic Body, is conducting the five-day ceremony from November 15 to 19 at the BNF Training and Resource Centre in Tshalumaphey, Thimphu. Bhutan's Je Khenpo is conferring the ordination.
This year's programme is being held to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and forms the concluding chapter of the Global Peace Prayers, which have been underway since November 4.
According to the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, more than 261 nuns from 14 countries, including Bhutan, India, Australia, several European nations, and the United States, are participating. The event is not open to the public and is taking place behind closed doors.
The current ordination follows the landmark 2022 ceremony, when 142 nuns from six countries received full Bhikkhuni ordination at Ramothangka in Paro.
That event, endorsed by the Queen Mother Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck and the Je Khenpo, was the first of its kind in the Himalayan region.
At the time, many nuns described it as a life-changing moment. One newly ordained Gelongma had said she "never thought this would be possible in this lifetime," sharing that she once believed she would need to be reborn as a man to pursue full ordination.
Organisers say the continuation of Bhikkhuni ordinations fulfils an important aspiration in Buddhist tradition, creating a complete fourfold sangha of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen, allowing the Dharma to flourish equally.
BNF says that Bhutan now stands as a rare place where the Buddhist path is fully accessible to women and men alike, "a true central land" in the spirit of early Buddhist teachings.
At the ongoing ceremony, the Je Khenpo has bestowed Dharma names, blessed the participants, and distributed sacred monastic robes and alms bowls to all the nuns.
This is the second time BNF is organising full Mahayana Bhikkhuni ordination in Bhutan.
Tashi Zangmo, Executive Director of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, said the event is a result of years of dedication and the guidance of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, whose support has helped pave the way for women seeking higher ordination in the Vajrayana tradition.
The Foundation said the merit of the ordination is being dedicated to global peace, equality and the advancement of women in spiritual life.
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