True-Life Warrior Nuns Study Martial Arts at a Nunnery in the Nepalese Mountains
Inspired by his mother, who worked to break down gender stereotypes, the Gyalwang Drukpathe, head of a 1,000-year-old Buddhist sect put nuns in leadership roles.
Since 2010, eight hundred Himalayan Buddhist nuns ranging in age from 6 to 80, have been practicing kung fu as a part of their daily routine at Druk Amitabha Mountain nunnery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
About ten years before Netflix’s fantasy web television series Warrior Nun aired, Jigme Pema Wangchen, the Gyalwang Drukpathe, head of the 1,000-year-old Buddhist sect Drukpa, set out to change the areas traditional discrimination towards women.
“For centuries, women in the Himalayas who sought to practice spirituality equally with men have risked being ostracized. They are forbidden from leading prayers, singing or being fully ordained. Tasked with the chores of cooking and cleaning, nuns are told if they’re “well behaved” they can come back in their next lifetime as monks — and only then can they become enlightened,” NPR.
Inspired by his mother, who worked to break down gender stereotypes, he put nuns in leadership roles. According to NPR, Jigme Pema Wangchen, “works to promote gender equality by establishing schools, medical clinics and meditation centers throughout the Himalayas”.
To instill confidence, he suggested in 2010, the mountain nunnery study kung fu, the ancient Chinese martial arts practice that was off-limits to women in Nepal for more than two centuries.
“He encouraged me to take charge of my life and pursue opportunities that are not usually afforded to women in this part of the world,” says Jigme Yeshe Lhamo, Drukpa nun.
Read the full NPR feature Here
