Gyalwang Karmapa Tests Gelongmas

December 16, 2007, reported by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Karma Lekcho

As part of the on-going programme to train up monks and nuns in the new codes of conduct, the Gyalwang Karmapa personally tested gelongmas in his private shrine room this morning. Twelve nuns presented themselves at the examination : two from Australia, one from mainland China, one from Hong Kong, two from Switzerland, five from Taiwan and one from the U.K.

Everyone was obviously quite nervous at first, but Gyalwang Karmapa put them at ease as he ran them through the various sections of the codes of conduct, giving explanations, instructions and showing them how to do it when necessary. The nuns demonstrated that they could wear the robes correctly, sit correctly, accept food and drink correctly, and prostrate correctly.

Gyalwang Karmapa recommended that they keep the Sojong Vows during the Monlam unless they had health problems. He repeated how glad he was that they had all come to Kagyu Monlam and congratulated them all on training so hard and passing the test, joking that he wasn’t so sure what score they would have given him if he were to be tested.