Kung Fu Nuns of Nepal (1 Viewer)

[Linda]

You read the title right. My friend, Yvonne, sent me this story.

The Druk Gawa Khilwa (DGK) nunnery in Nepal now includes the study of martial arts for their Buddhist nuns. The spiritual head of the Drukpas, or Dragon order, to which this nunnery belongs, started this program after visiting Vietnam and seeing women participating in martial arts. Gyalwang Drukpa credits his mother with his awareness of the second-class lives the nuns lived and a determination to make a change.

The nuns of DGK are taught to lead prayers and given basic business skills. They run the guest house and coffee shop at the abbey, as well as drive to Kathmandu to get supplies. Over the last 12 years, these changes have had a remarkable effect on the number of nuns entering DGK - going from 30 to 500 women.

The 5-minute video shows the women practicing martial arts, as well as interviews with some of the nuns and Gyalwang Drukpa.

 

[Snowmelt]

I'm all for the nuns practicing martial arts. If the study goes deep enough, after mastering external moves, you can master your internal chi and chi storage organs. Being female, they may be able to bring some unity between masculine and feminine principles, with meditation being the yin and their chosen martial art the yang. And as everyone knows, thanks to the symbol, there is a little bit of each in its opposite.

Also, with signs of chaos and instability worldwide, this skill would be a handy thing to know!

 

[Linda]

In the Youtube interview, some of the nuns said the practice of martial arts improved their meditation.

 

[Samara]

I used to do Aikido for a little while (never was really good at it though) and I really agree with martial arts being awesome for the soul and the energy in your body
It makes you concentrated and centered and at peace with yourself
seeing this makes me think maybe I should start something like that again.... but then again I stopped because everything was too much in my life (and that isnt much better yet with 4 kids and everything lol) and I feel somehow stiff and unflexible lol (well now thats a stupid argument, that would change if I would practice regularly several times a week)

I kinda would like doing this in a group every day... wish I had the time and motivation...