Blessings: Three Thousand Remarkable Buddhist Nuns

When most westerners think about Tibeten Buddhism, they envision figures like the Dalai Lama and rows of bald-headed men dressed in yellow robes. It's not often that we hear about groups of women, especially from traditional cultures, who are accomplished spiritual practitioners.

That's why I was excited to come across this gorgeous trailer for the film "Blessings" (via Elephant Journal). I was really struck by the strength, beauty and dedication of these nuns and happy to discover that the filmmaker chose to explore Tibeten Buddhist culture through their eyes:

Blessings, which was produced by Chariot Videos, tells the story of three thousand nuns living in the remote nomadic region of Nangchen in Eastern Tibet who practice an ancient yogic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Despite near extinction during the destruction of the Cultural Revolution, these women emerged to rebuild their monasteries by hand.

From Pundarika.org:

Nuns from both large and small nunneries in Nangchen speak about why they became nuns and what it is like to live a life dedicated to spiritual practice. Their stories of the suffering that prompted them to walk away from the security of traditional roles as wives and mothers and devote themselves to seeking liberation are vivid and universal.

You can purchase the DVD here and contribute to an endowment fund for the Nuns here: www.pundarika.org