Becoming a Buddhist Bhikshuni in Bhutan
The first Western Buddhist nun to be fully ordained in Bhutan tells us her story.
What does it take to break the glass ceiling in Buddhism and be fully ordained as a female monk or bhikshuni?
In 2022 the kingdom of Bhutan ordained 144 women in an unprecedented ceremony. Among them was Emma Slade, also known as Lopen Ani Pema Deki, from Kent in the UK. She was the only Western woman to take part.
Emma鈥檚 faith has been a part of her life since she was held at gunpoint and robbed in Indonesia in 1997. She studied in Bhutan and set up a charity that supports children with special needs in the country. Now she divides her time between the Himalayan kingdom and the UK.
For Heart and Soul, she talks to Julia Paul about life as a bhikshuni in the UK and Bhutan, her memories of taking part in the historic mass ordination and what it means for Buddhist nuns in Bhutan and other countries.
Producer / Presenter: Julia Paul
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
On radio
Broadcasts
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 04:32GMT大象传媒 World Service
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 13:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 18:32GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 23:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
Podcast
-
![]()
Heart and Soul
Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.
