Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery in Katmandu is one of a new generation of Tibetan nunneries established in exile in India and Nepal, where the doors to a classical Buddhist education have been opened to nuns. Today, the women at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery train in the grand tradition of the Tibetan monastery culture, and in several years we will see the first fully qualified nuns receive their Geshe Degree, or Doctor of Divinity.

Under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan community in exile strive to preserve and reconstitute their rich culture, a culture on the verge of extinction in Tibet itself following the takeover of Tibet by the Communist Chinese. The North American tour of the nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling is an inspiring example of these remarkable efforts. Turtle Island is the name given to the North American continent by Native Americans.