20-23 February 2025
In private study sessions, the nuns have been busy memorising textbooks for each level. These texts were specially compiled for the winter debates by the Gyalwang Karmapa, assisted by a group of shedra monks. They cover what a student should know in each topic, and are used by all Karma Kagyu shedra students, both nuns and monks. The nuns have also been practising their debating skills individually and in small groups over in the Monlam Pavillion, supervised and assisted by their teachers.
Now the competition has begun and they also have to debate in Tergar Shrine Hall in front of all of their teachers and the other nuns from the eight different nunneries that are attending the 9th Arya Kshema Dharma Gathering. There is also a panel of judges drawn from the shedra teachers who award marks for the skills the nuns demonstrate.
On 20th February, two groups from Lorig [Mind and Awareness], styled as Group K and Group Kha, according to the Tibetan alphabet, competed against each other.
On 21st February, Groups K and Kha from Tarig [Types of Evidence] competed.
On 22nd February, Groups K and Kha from Dupa [Collected Topics] competed.
Sunday 23rd was a holiday.
The debate competition does not include Pharchin or Tsema yet, as not all the nuns’ shedras have been established long enough to have taught the whole curriculum.
