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Jangchub Choeling Nunnery Partnership
The Center for Buddhist Philosophy and Science
Winter 2024 – Spring 2025
Description: “Architectural Rendering of the Academic Block of the Center for Buddhist Philosophy and Science”. Image Courtesy of Jangchub Choeling Nunnery
The years of dedicated effort to dream, plan, fundraise, design and build are finally coming to fruition for the nuns at Jangchub Choeling. Together with the support of the nunnery, Wisdom Lotus Foundation, the Tibet Fund and many generous donors and friends, the Venerable Ani Tenzin Choyang vision is finally coming to fruitions. The design for the center is finalized and ground has been broken for the Center for Buddhist Philosophy and Science.
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We are delighted to share that we have completed the design and pre-construction phase. The project and administrative teams are working together to ensure the success of the next phases including procurement and continued construction. Phase 1 construction, focusing on the academic block, is ongoing and scheduled to be completed in April 2025.
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We have come to realize we are not just constructing buildings for preservation, study, and learning for nuns, women of the region, and the general public, we are building a beacon of hope that serves as part of our legacy to benefit successive and future generations to come.
Venerable Ani Tenzin Choyang & Jangchub Choeling Nunnery
2023-25 Partnership
Wisdom Lotus Foundation is proud and delighted to be partnering with the Ven. Tenzin Choyang and others to help build a library and learning center (including a science and computer lab) at the Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, Doeguling Tibetan Settlement. The direct beneficiaries of the program will be 285 nuns of Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, nuns living in dozens of secluded nunneries of the Himalayan region, and lay women of Doeguling Tibetan settlement. The Ven. Ani Tenzin Choyang, who has been studying Buddhist Philosophy for the last 20 years, was selected in 2017 to attend the Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholar Program at Emory University as part of the Emory Tibet Science Initiative. In 2022 she participated in a research internship at Northwestern University where in-depth training was conducted in theory and methods of human neuroscience. She was one of the first nuns to be recommended for the degree of Rapjampa. This degree is the highest level of training one can recieve in the nunnery and is equivalent to Doctor of Philosophy in Tibetan Buddhism. We are excited to have embarked on this important, inspirational, and empowering collaboration together with our Wisdom Lotus Foundation partners!
THE SOUL POD: Dr Lisette Cooper Interview: 2022
Podcast with Gary Lewis
Our very own Dr. Lisette Cooper was interviewed by Gary Lewis for his podcast The Soul Pod. Gary first met Lisette on a silent meditation retreat in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, where Lisette served as Gary's meditation instructor. Lisette describes what has motivated her to study the dharma and live a mindful lifestyle. She explains the qualities she feels are most important when a meditation student is seeking out a teacher. Lisette also talks about how she finds the time in her busy schedule as a manager for a large financial firm to practice meditation. Through her many years of studying dharma and practicing meditation, Lisette has befriended many of the modern influential scholars and practitioners of Buddhism and spirituality. Gary and Lisette also discuss what it means to be a compassionate person and why self-compassion is the foundation to be able to practice compassion toward others. Lisette discusses why she feels the body is the key to moving through trauma and, consequently, letting go of the clinging to self that hinders our soul’s evolution.
Facebook/Meta: Activism & Shareholder Engagement: 2018-2024
Women's Inclusion Project
Our work towards fighting for greater safety protections for children online is at the forefront of what we do. In Meta Platforms Inc.'s 2022 Shareholder proposal we we co-filers in asking the board to address issues regarding Facebook's issues with Child sexual exploitation online (and Child Sexual Abuse Material—CSAM). Over the past several years we at Wisdom Lotus Foundation have worked closely with Proxy Impact and other significant partners (Maryknoll Sisters, Stardust Fund, etc.) to actively work to protect children, and not end-to-end encryption.
Women's Inclusion Project: 2018-2024
Partnership with Proxy Impact
Wisdom Lotus Foundation is working closely with the Women's Inclusion Project and Proxy Impact to utilize gender lens investment strategies to support women and girls. Together we engage companies to increase board gender diversity, expand the number of women in senior management, eliminate gender pay disparities, and stop online child sexual exploitation.
Great Perfection Initiative Third Annual: 2020 Gathering
Partnership with the Contemplative Sciences Center at UVA
Wisdom Lotus Foundation is working closely with David Germano and the Contemplative Sciences Center at UVA to coordinate, organize and, execute the third Great Perfection Gathering in Berkeley, California in September 2020. Photo taken by Sarah Nitschke. June 2018