Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche & No Female Tibetan Rinpoches

[T. Chokyi]

I asked Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche why there were no female Tibetan Rinpoches? My Dharma sisters have been discussing this issue for a while. They feel like they have no future in Tibetan Buddhism, and that as women, they will never be given the respect to teach like their male counterparts. I personally view my dharma sisters as equals to my dharma brothers.

I also asked Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, why does he travel around the rest of the world and teach when even in Tibetan Buddism they could not get rid of the disturbed mind which views women as ones of lower rebirth, and that this is having a negative impact on the dissemination of dharma around the world and subsequently the treatment of women according to Tibetan Culture.

He has about 15 Tibetan male tulkus studying at Shechen but not one is female. Also his Nuns which are in Bhutan make prayers to become men. He said that it is because of karma but did not wish to elaborate on the matter.

I asked him why his grandaughter from his previous life, Rabjam Rinpoche's mother, does not teach dharma even though she has attained the same realisation as him, and he said that her job was to be a mother not a teacher.

Mindroling have a female Tibetan Rinpoche so why doesn't Shechen?

It does not really change anything to complain to a young male Tulku that his organization isn't producing women Rinpoches, the question is more like how many women teachers are you going to send to teach us from your predominantly monastic institution? There will be nine that graduate the 3 year retreat at Shechen, those are nine women who potentially could teach you something within your own tradition (see first link below*), nothing is really stopping you from inviting one or two of them to come teach in the West if you seriously want to arrange it. It would be wise for the institution send women teachers to the West, giving them that equal opportunity, but perhaps if they aren't thinking about giving those opportunities to the women then you can think about starting to ask them from the practitioners side.

You've said there are 15 males Tulkus and many monks as well, so as you know the male teachers will be coming to teach whether you invite them or not, usually the institution chooses a few star male monks based on their learning skills (potential as teachers) or Tulkus and just supports them to come over to the West, airline tickets bought, tour arranged, papers in order, places to stay, many institutions are like this, but most monks and Tulkus at Shechen and elsewhere won't have women pop into their heads when they think about who they are going to send to the West on the next teaching tour. Shechen's core is monastic, so it's not so much because a woman can't teach, or that there have been no realized women's voices, but it does have quite a bit to do with offering equal opportunities, as in so many things, if there's not much "demand" for women teachers then why would a monastic institution be thinking of sending a woman teacher to teach you.

*http://shechen.org/spiritual-developmen ... g-nunnery/

There have been numerous accomplished women teachers:
Chadud Rinpoche has said: "My mother was revered throughout Tibet for her extraordinary powers as a lama, but she was more famous for being a delog (pronounced DAY-loak)"
http://www.tibetantreasures.com/product ... duct=16924

The Sangyum: Recognized as a manifestation of White Tara and of Yeshe Tsogyal
http://www.tersar.org/sangyum-rikzin-wangmo/

Read some of the previous Dharma Wheel Topics on closely related subjects:

Dakini Power: Buddhist Women Speak Out
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=17654

related:
"Dakini Power" by Michaela Haas w/Lama Tsultrim Allione
https://vimeo.com/64409587

Dudjom Sangyum in Thukdam
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=17434

Female Masters of the past.
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=7777

Which Buddhist tradition has treated women the best?
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=18329

eligibility for enlightenment based on gender -- question
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=20046

[kirtu]

This is absolutely hilarious. Are you blind to the treatment of women in Tibetan Buddhism? Why are there so few Tibetan Female Teachers that of course teach the entire path? .....

In Tibet, female tulkus were not given the title Rinpoche, and therefore did not get the specialized training and support which is tailored for the Rinpoches.

I wasn't aware of that. That there were few female tulkus was of course known ....

Women were not allowed to enter the Geshe or Khenpo programs.

Until recently.

Comments are welcome, ....

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Tibetan culture is not enlightened. Things are changing slowly.

However as we know there have been some teachers and some current male teachers have studied with them.

Kirt

[Malcolm]

However as we know there have been some teachers and some current male teachers have studied with them.

Kirt

A few, mostly obscure, and known to us only through their renowned male students, consorts or relatives. Tibetan Buddhism, despite its many virtues, is still grounded in a heavily patriarchal and sexist system which reflects the acute gender biases which predominate Tibetan culture as a whole. Of course, we in the West need to understand the flaws and strong traces of patriarchy and gender bias which informs ourselves as well.

[Adamantine]

Seems that in the West there's a good trend of empowering western women as teachers by prominent Rinpoche's in at least the Dudjom tersar lineage. The majority of Lamas that Dungse Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche enthroned are women, 4 out of 6 to be exact; the main Westerner that Lama Tharchin Rinpoche has publicly promoted as a teacher is Lama Yeshe Dechen Wangmo http://jnanasukha.org/about/; and of the two Lamas that Archarya Dawa Chodaak Rinpoche enthroned, one is Khandro Kunzang, his own consort http://saraswatibhawan.org/lamas/khandr ... chodron-2/.

Also, I almost forgot-- Chagdud Tulku empowered both Chagdud Khandro, his consort, and Lama Tsering Everest as Lamas, and they are the primary teachers that continue his lineage in the Americas.

Of course, this is primarily a non-monastic lineage. In monastic lineages, gender divisions will naturally be harder to break down.

[T. Chokyi]

Seems that in the West there's a good trend of empowering western women as teachers by prominent Rinpoche's in at least the Dudjom tersar lineage. The majority of Lamas that Dungse Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche enthroned are women, 4 out of 6 to be exact; the main Westerner that Lama Tharchin Rinpoche has publicly promoted as a teacher is Lama Yeshe Dechen Wangmo http://jnanasukha.org/about/; and of the two Lamas that Archarya Dawa Chodaak Rinpoche enthroned, one is Khandro Kunzang, his own consort http://saraswatibhawan.org/lamas/khandr ... chodron-2/.

Also, I almost forgot-- Chagdud Tulku empowered both Chagdud Khandro, his consort, and Lama Tsering Everest as Lamas, and they are the primary teachers that continue his lineage in the Americas.

Of course, this is primarily a non-monastic lineage. In monastic lineages, gender divisions will naturally be harder to break down.

Lama Tsering can be seen in this video, hopefully it will work for a while:
https://skyfiregcs-a.akamaihd.net/exp=1 ... 802207.mp4

The video can also be found here, also hopefully it will work for a while, sometimes pages change:
https://taramandala.org/9798/chandra-ea ... a-mandala/