Choela (Samaneri) Tenzin Dadon

Bhutan

Choela (honorific term for nun) Sonam Wangmo (Tenzin Dadon) is a sramaneri from Bhutan who practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Venerable holds a Bachelors Degree in Arts (B.A) and BA in Buddhism from Jamyang Choling Institute, Master in Arts (M.A) degree in Buddhist Studies from Delhi University, India. Choela Sonam Wangmo became a novice nun at the age of 16 in 1993 and received her sramaneri (Tib. Getsulma) ordination from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in 1999. Choela spent 13 years at Jamyang Choling Institute (a non-sectarian nunnery institute) in Gharoh, Lower Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, North India learning Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan language and literature. Since 1995, she has participated in nine Sakyadhita International Conferences for Buddhist Women, as presenter, translator and moderator. She has also conducted workshops on environmental issues and animal welfare in the 11th Sakyadhita conference in Vietnam in 2010.Choela has a deep interest in animal welfare, environmental and women’s rights issues, especially among female monastic in the Himalayan region. At present, Choela is pursuing a Ph.D. on Gender and Religion at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Choela is fluent in English, Tibetan, Dzongkha (Bhutanese), Hindi, Nepali and several Bhutanese dialects.