Nagi Gompa, nestled in the Himalayan foothills above the Kathmandu Valley, is home to about 150 nuns devoted to one-pointedly studying, practicing, and meditating upon the Buddha’s teachings.

Since the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, the nuns at Nagi Gompa have faced a challenge: the absence of a retreat facility. 

Traditionally, these nuns have engaged in three-year retreats, a profound time of practice deeply rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. These retreats entail complete isolation, allowing practitioners to focus solely on realizing the Buddha’s wisdom. In the past, nuns at Nagi Gompa have emerged from such retreats steeped in compassion and a special type of spiritual intelligence, equipped to serve others through teaching and guidance. In fact, two-thirds of Nagi’s nuns have completed such retreats, earning the title of “Retreat Lama.”

When the retreat facility and other buildings were damaged in the 2015 quake, this continuity of incredible practice was brought to a halt. Plans for a new retreat center were drafted, but financial constraints delayed progress.

In August 2023, a significant step forward occurred when the Pema Chodron Foundation awarded the Shedrub Development Fund a challenge grant of $300,000 for the construction of a new retreat facility. To access these funds, a fundraising goal of $200,000 must be met.

Your donation of any size will help us meet the requirements of this very generous matching grant. We are quickly moving towards the construction of a new facility that will give our nuns the opportunity to resume their marvelous practices, and we warmly  invite you to join in supporting them.