THE NUNS OF TAYUL GOMPA

Tayul in Tibetan means "chosen place". Gompa is a Buddhist place of learning and lineage. Tayul Gompa one of the oldest Drugpa Kagyu (a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism) establishments in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. It sits in the beautiful Himalayas, 6km above Satingri village.

Photographs by Karen Kotze, Sep 2010

In September/October 2010, Karen went on a pilgrimage with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, author of her biography (Cave in the Snow) Vickie Mackenzie, and 19 other pilgrims, to visit the "cave in the snow". The purpose of the pilgrimage was to raise funds for Jetsunma's nunnery, Dongyu Gatsal Ling (DGL) in the Kangra Valley.

Tayul Gompa is where Jetsunma spent 6 years before going higher in the mountains to spend 12 years in solitary retreat in a cave.

The nuns at Tayul Gompa are seventy to eighty years of age, and are the same nuns that were there during Jetsunma's stay. Because the gompa is so far off the beaten track (a 3km steep walk from the road), they receive few visitors, and therefore live from very meagre means. DGL supports the nuns by providing them with care, food and clothing.

The generosity of Bodhi Tree customers raised enough money for us to purchase top quality Australian Outdoor Ugg Boots for the nuns of Tayul Gompa, and also the four nuns (all 80+ years old) who live at Lobsang Gompa on the opposite mountain - a sister gompa to Tayul.

One of the stories that Jetsunma told us was that on the rare occasions that the nuns received visitors, if they were given money (usually the equivalent of $5), they would straight away walk down the mountain, and up the other to share the money with their sister nuns.

It is our hope that the ugg boots will keep the nuns feet as warm as their hearts.

Watch Jetsunma's reunion with the nuns.

We would also like to thank Jo Winkleman of Down Under Boots for the generous discount on the Ugg Boots.

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