A 90-minute Documentary Film DVD
Directed by Victress Hitchcock

In the summer of 2005, renowned Buddhist teacher, Tsoknyi Rinpoche III, accompanied by a handful of western students, traveled to the Nangchen region in Eastern Tibet.

The purpose of the trip was to document the lives and assess the needs of the Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns - 3000 remarkable women who live and practice an ancient yogic tradition in nunneries and hermitages scattered across this remote, mountainous region.

BLESSINGS: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet tells the story of this extraordinary journey.

“An inspiring film, BLESSINGS is a magical journey to a land where meditation is a way of life, and dedicated, accomplished nuns in the remote mountains of Tibet embrace what is truly meaningful in life.”

~ Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence & Tara Bennett Goleman, author of Emotional Alchemy

Narrated by Richard Gere, the video explores the unique world of the nuns who study under Tsoknyi Rinpoche's guidance. Their lives are seen through the eyes of the western women who accompanied Tsoknyi Rinpoche to Nangchen and are attempting to make their own link with the often strange, but hauntingly familiar, world of Tibetan Buddhism.

Compelling interviews with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Tsultrim Allione place the practice Nangchen nuns in the context of the largely male dominated history of Buddhism in Tibet.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche III tells the remarkable story of the first Tsoknyi Rinpoche, whose revolutionary vision of women receiving the same teachings as men initiated the lineage of Tsoknyi Nangchen nuns more than a century ago.

During the Cultural Revolution, all 40 nunneries of this thriving tradition were destroyed and the nuns scattered. Some returned to their nomadic homes, some were sent to work camps. Many didn’t survive. But a few retreated into caves to practice and wait. Twenty years later, this handful of remaining nuns emerged and began to rebuild.

The video shows the reconstruction of the nunneries and explores the lives of the growing numbers of nuns who have come together and are now living and practicing together in nunneries, large and small, across Nangchen. The women speak about why they became nuns and what it is like to live a life dedicated to spiritual practice. We see the exchange between them and the western women who have come to offer their help and who find their lives immeasurably enriched by the wisdom, simplicity and good humor of the Nangchen nuns.

“In BLESSINGS, travelers from our world pass into a new dimension as through the eye of a needle by shedding deeply ingrained preconceptions and enduring unaccustomed physical hardships…..This well-made film is deeply moving and at the same time, deeply still.”

~ Sherab Chödzin Kohn, author of Awakened One: A Life of the Buddha

BLESSINGS explores the roots of the nuns wisdom and compassion and shows how we, as ordinary human beings seeking happiness in a modern world, can find that same thread of sanity and inner strength in the everyday confusion of our lives.

The video speaks to anyone interested in simplifying and transforming their minds and lives in a world that is increasingly chaotic.

It inspires all of us….women and men…to overcome the limitations of our fears and hesitations and to open ourselves to the blessings of a full and authentic life.

To learn more about Tsoknyi Rinpoche & the Nangchen Nuns go to: www.pundarika.org

To make a donation to the Nangchen Nuns Preservation Project, go to Nangchen Nuns Donation Form

“For westerners already drawn to the dharma, this film is a meditation in itself, slowing us down, allowing us to reflect on the depth of our commitment to practice and on the ‘blessing’ of the dharma in our own lives. The value of this remarkable film, as a record of the Buddhist practice of nuns in Tibet and as a source of inspiration for Western viewers cannot be overstated.”

~ Victoria Mudd, Producer and writer of Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion and Broken Rainbow

“I have never viewed such an alive, present, and forthright portrayal of Asian religion.”

~ Steve Fisher, producer/National Public Television environmental and historical films for over 35 years

“A touching and powerful film.. very rich and clear. I’m sure it will be of great benefit for others as it was for me.”

~ Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, author of The Power of an Open Question. (September, 2010)

The extraordinary photographs of the Nangchen Nuns featured on this page and on the cover for BLESSINGS are by James Gritz, the photographer who accompanied the film crew on their journey to Nangchen. To view his moving photographs of the nuns and the people of Kham, visit www.jamesgritz.com.

To learn more about the work of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, go to www.tenzinpalmo.com

To learn more about the work of Tsultrim Allione, go to www.taramandala.org.

Click here to view a clip from BLESSINGS.

Click here to view a selection from the BLESSINGS Illustrated Booklet.

The Tibetan Village Project has received a generous challenge grant that will match your contribution dollar for dollar up to US $25,000. This money will be used to purchase much needed tents for families (including the families of the Nangchen Nuns) affected by the earthquake that devastated Yushu in April. Please learn more and join our effort.

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