His Holiness the Dalai Lama met nuns from eight different nunneries who have gathered at the Dolmaling nunnery for this year’s Gan Gun Cho, the Great Winter Debate. On the matter of bikunshi ordination, the Dalai Lama said it was not something that he could decide as it requires “a consensus within the monastic community”. He reiterated that nuns have an equal right to study, which is why almost 40 years ago he encouraged nuns to embark on the study of philosophy.