About Us

Vajra Dakini Nunnery is a contemplative community in the Drikung Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The Drikung Kagyu Order was founded in 1179 by Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön. It is headed by the two Kyabgön Rinpoches: His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang and His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgön Chungtsang.

While H.H. Chungtsang Rinpoche resides in Lhasa, H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche has established the Drikung Kagyu seat in exile in Dehra Dun, in the northeast of India.

Complete Bio of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön

Vajra Dakini Nunnery was founded with the blessing and patronage of His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche; it is dedicated to peace, practice, and service. Vajra Dakini works to strengthen the feminine within Buddhism through supporting Tibetan nuns and providing leadership internationally. VDN is a community of nuns and laywomen in training, established for the purpose of providing food, housing, and a suitable religious environment for those nuns. Equally, Vajra Dakini is a source of compassion training and practice for the public: women and men, old and young. Vajra Dakini regularly offers both traditional retreats and also compassion training in diverse settings including businesses, hospitals, hospices, colleges, and universities. 

Our home, Liberation House (named so by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche), is a small residence for Khenmo Drolma, our Fellowship Nuns from India, and visiting nuns. It also houses our office and online programs. 

We are governed by our Abbess, Khenmo and a volunteer Board of Stewards who meet for planning. In summer 2022, Tiffany joined as administrative assistant to help with our expanding programs. You can contact us here or by mail at P.O. Box 6135, Falmouth, Maine 04105.

Please take into consideration that we are a small organization and will respond as soon as we are able.

Vajra Dakini Inc., a 501(c)(3), is incorporated for exclusively religious purposes.

We acknowledge that Vajra Dakini Nunnery is on the traditional unceded land of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the stewards of this land for many centuries before European settlement. We honor all Indigenous People’s beliefs, cultural heritage, their relationship with the land, the knowledge of their Elders, and the spirit of the Ancient Ones. This recognition of Indigenous Territorial Land and beliefs is a small step along the long road of recognizing the truth of our shared history and moving towards reconciliation. We will continue this journey with our Indigenous neighbors as we weave our paths together in right relation.