Dharma Talk with Karma Lekshe Tsomo
About our special guest:
While on a trip in India, Lekshe heard the teachings of Dalai Lama. She was convinced that she wanted to become a nun, and dedicate her life to service. Except for one problem: no monastery would accept her, because she was a woman.
So, Karma Lekshe started her own nunnery in the Himalayas and sure enough, became a Buddhist nun.
Today, decades later, she has drastically altered Buddhism’s view of women. As a PhD in comparative philosophy, author of several books, founder of a Himalayan nonprofit, professor at University of San Diego, president of International Association of Buddhist Women, Karma Lekshe is actively involved in interfaith dialogue and grassroot initiatives for empowerment of women.
Professor Tsomo received a B.A. in Oriental Languages (Japanese/Chinese) from the University of California, Berkeley; an M.A. in Asian Studies, an M.A. in Religion (Asian), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa. In addition, she studied at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives and the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India for 15 years. Since 2000 she has been an Associate Professor at the University of San Diego.
Scholarly and Creative Work
Professor Tsomo’s doctoral research focused on death and identity in China and Tibet. She is the author of Sisters in Solitude: Two Traditions of Monastic Ethics for Women and Into the Jaws of Yama, Lord of Death: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death. Click here for all the titles by Lekshe Tsomo
She has produced several educational videos: “Sacred Ground: Consecrating a Village Temple in Spiti Valley,” “Women in Buddhism: Unity and Diversity,” and “Living and Dying in Buddhist Cultures.” click here for a full bio
Before coming to Chiang Mai she will be speaking at Little Bang Sangha http://www.littlebang.org/special-events-with-ven-karma-lekshe-bhikkhuni/
Green Papaya Sangha 
Hello, my name is Tony MacGregor. I’m the organizer of a recently established English-language Buddhist group in Chiang Rai, the Chiang Rai Buddhist Group. It would be nice if Karma Lekshe Tsomo could talk to us also. We meet every Sunday at 9:30 am in the Buddhist college here, Mahachulalongkorn. My number is 089-207-7806. Who is teh contact for Green Papaya Sangha?