A Buddhist nun, scholar, and social activist: Karma Lekshe Tsomo

USD theology and religious studies professor shares her life story

Megan Shannon / Contributor / The USD Vista

Karma Lekshe Tsomo, a Buddhist nun who teaches at the University of San Diego in the theology department, has life endeavors stretching far beyond the classroom. Her Buddhist path has taken her around the world, where she has studied the history and teachings of Buddhism and become an advocate for female advancement. Tsomo is a woman of faith and fortitude, as her path has led her on a pursuit to cultivate a world of peace, compassion, and gender equality. 

Born in 1944, Tsomo was raised in Malibu, California, where she spent her early life attending school and surfing in the Pacific. Her birth surname, Zenn, was a misspelling of the German last name Zinn, a mistake made on a relative’s passport long ago. Although only slight, this misspelling had considerable impact on the trajectory of Tsomo’s life. 

“My name was like a birthright that led me to my path,” Tsomo said. In elementary school, she was frequently teased by her classmates. They called her a Buddhist, as her last name correlated with Zen Buddhism. Not knowing what a Buddhist was, Tsomo was moved by her innate curiosity to visit the local public library, where she checked out two books on Buddhism. 

Aftering reading both books front to back, she found that Buddhism answered many of the questions she had about life. Even at a young age, Tsomo noticed the superficiality of the world around her, where people saw money and material goods as sources of happiness. She was deeply disappointed with the world around her, and Buddhism was her escape. She was drawn to the Buddhist teachings of inner peace and living a life of compassion. 

At twelve years old, Tsomo announced to her mother that she was a Buddhist, and since then has dedicated her life to the faith. After graduating from high school in 1962, Tsomo attended Occidental College only to drop out a year and a half later with aspirations to explore Buddhism in Asia. 

“I had a karmic affinity to Asian culture from a young age, but I wasn’t finding it in California at that time,” Tsomo said. 

After working to save up money for a ticket, at just 19 years old Tsomo set off on a boat heading to Hawai’i and then Japan. Leaving the U.S. in 1964, Tsomo wandered Asia, surfing and seeking out the teachings of Buddhism. During this time, she struggled to find a monastery for women. Regardless, Tsomo continued to develop an interest in becoming a Buddhist nun. 

“I was on a boat, at the age of 20, on the way from Yokohama to Singapore and I had this dream,” she said. “In the dream I was in a community of religious seekers, and I got the wish to be a nun.” 

This desire would stay nested inside her for 13 years before officially joining the monastic community. During these 13 years, she partook in many adventures such as being a yoga instructor, a musician, and an artist. Finally in 1977, Tsomo became a nun in France. In the same year, she moved to Dharamshala, India to attend classes taught by the Dalai Lama. 

During this time, Tsomo again noticed the limited amount of monastic communities for nuns. Once Tsomo did find these female communities, she quickly noticed the disadvantagements of nuns compared to monks. Many nuns were poor, as the lay Buddhist community only supported the monks. In addition, many nuns had no educational opportunities and did not know how to read or write. Through these observations, Tsomo began developing a deep feminist awareness of the inequalities of men and women in Buddhism. 

Eager to support fellow nuns, Tsomo taught a group of Tibetan nuns how to read in 1985. She was amazed by the nuns’ motivation and eagerness to learn, as they quickly mastered reading in two months and moved swiftly onto grammar. In the early beginnings of Buddhism, women were not allowed to join monastic life. Similar to many other cultures, women were tied to the home and the family. 

“For the Buddha to allow women to leave their families and go off to seek the spiritual path was a radical move,” Tsomo said. 

Although women were eventually welcomed into the monastic community, gender inequality continues to influence the lives of nuns. 

“If women have equal potential for awakening they should have equal opportunity to pursue that,” Tsomo said. 

In 1985, Tsomo founded the Jamyang Foundation, which supports educational opportunities for girls and women in remote developing communities, particularly in India and Bangladesh. The foundation has established schools for girls and study programs for women in monastic communities.

Inspired to learn more about the experiences of nuns in Buddhism, Tsomo wrote letters to nuns from all over the world, inviting them to a conference in Bodhgaya, India to discuss the female experience in Buddhism. In 1987, the conference resulted in the founding of Sakyadhita International, in Sakyadhita meaning “Daughter of the Buddha.” 

Sakyadhita  International  is  an independent nongovernmental organization that aims to unite women around the world to work toward the advancement of women in Buddhism. This organization welcomes both laywomen and nuns and holds conferences every two years in different parts of Asia. 

In addition to being a founder, Tsomo was the president of Sakyadhita International for eight years and organized the first 15 conferences. As a result of these conferences, the organization has published books based on topics and conversations pertaining to women in Buddhism. 

“Women’s stories have not been heard, and they’ve been neglected in the tradition,” she said. “Rarely were their lives and accomplishments known. So we wanted to change that and bring their accomplishments to light.” 

These books have inspired women to create schools for girls, retreat centers, women’s shelters, and fund continued research on women in Buddhism. The work Tsomo has done with Sakyadhita International has given women in Buddhism a voice, influenced the advancement of female education, and cultivated a compassionate and empowering community of women. 

The most recent book she edited, “Bridging Worlds: Buddhist Women’s Voices Across Generations,” was published in 2018 and is available to download on the University of San Diego website. 

In 2000, while finishing up her doctorate in Comparative Philosophy, Tsomo was encouraged by two friends to apply for a postdoctoral annual position at the University of San Diego. Hesitant at first, she eventually decided to apply and ultimately secured the job. In time, the position became a full-time job, and since then Tsomo has been a professor in the Theologies and Religious Studies Department at USD. She has taught a variety of classes including Buddhist Thought and Culture, World Religions, and Negotiating Religious Diversity in India. 

“There are two things I love about teaching,” Tsomo said. “I love working with young people, and second, it has given me all the conditions I need to do research.” 

In addition to teaching, she has taken advantage of the resources available at USD to continue to research topics such as women in Buddhism, Buddhist feminist ethics, and Buddhism and bioethics. Tsomo has continued to develop her curriculum to keep it current and up to date with modern religious and political events. Due to the virtual format of USD during the 2020-2021 school year, she is currently living and teaching from O’ahu, Hawai’i. 

“My most recent endeavor is the La’i Peace Center, which is going to be a learning center for peace,” Tsomo said. 

At the peace center, courses will be held on topics such as conflict resolution, peace-building skills, women empowerment, substance abuse, and Hawaiian healing herbs. At the center, guests will be able to participate in meditation, yoga, and tai chi. Currently in development, the La’i Peace Center is situated on five acres of land. 

Tsomo spends her days preparing the center by planting trees and creating beautiful spaces for people to learn. She plans for the peace center to be a free resource for all attendees. After retiring from her role as a full-time professor in two years, Tsomo plans for the La’i Peace Center to be her “post-USD endeavor.” 

Karma Lekshe Tsomo has lived a life of curiosity, compassion, and advocacy for women. Her curiosity led her to discover her path towards Buddhism. Tsomo’s compassion can be seen in all she continues to do to cultivate a peaceful and just world through the founding of the Jamyang Foundation, Sakyadhita International, and the nearly completed La’i Peace Center. 

Through her research, teachings, and publications, she continues to advocate for women in Buddhism and inspire women around the world to take part in female advancement. 

“There is still a lot of change that needs to happen to establish equity for women around the world,” Tsomo said. “If everybody holds up one little piece of the sky, I think it will make a difference.”