The Buddhist Monks and Nuns of FPMT

The Sangha, the community of Buddhist monks and nuns, is the oldest monastic tradition going back at the time of the Buddha, nearly three thousands years ago. By becoming a monk or a nun, one abandons the ways and appearance of a lay person and adopts the appearance and ways of an ordained person by keeping a number of vows. The Sangha of the FPMT includes the Himalayan Sangha and the Sangha of the International Mahayana Institute.

The core of the Himalayan Sangha is Kopan Monastery, the original monastery of the FPMT. Nearby is the Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, home to the community of nuns associated with the Kopan monastery. Monks and nuns from the age of seven come from all over Nepal and the Himalayan countries such as Tibet, India, Bhutan, Sikkim, and even Mongolia to attend this Gelugpa monastery, one of the best in Kathmandu valley, to receive a classical monastic education.

The International Mahayana Institute was established by Lama Yeshe for the benefit of Western students who were inspired to dedicate their lives to the practice of the Buddhist path by taking the vows of monks or nuns. The IMI includes several monastic communities.

The Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund was established to provide the minimal needs for food and shelter to IMI Sangha Members. Donate to the IMI Sangha/Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund

Links to Monasteries

Links to Nunneries