Karma Lekshe Tsomo

Karma Tsomo has dedicated approximately 30 years to education, specializing in Buddhist studies and philosophy. She earned a bachelor's degree in Asian languages with a focus on Japanese and Chinese, followed by two master's degrees from the University of Hawaii in Asian Studies and Asian Religion, and a doctorate in Comparative Philosophy from the University of Hawaii. She also spent 15 years studying in India with Tibetan lamas, which inspired her work in meditation and philosophy. As a nun living off the grid on Oahu, Hawaii, Tsomo directs four nonprofits focused on Buddhist women's education and empowerment. These include the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women, which she helped found about 40 years ago, its local chapter Sakyadhita Hawai'i, Jamyang Foundation supporting 12 monasteries in the Indian Himalayas, Visakha Girls' School in the Cbittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, and an India-registered nonprofit for Himalayan women's education, Sanghamitra Institute. She is developing La'i Peace Center on five acres on the North Shore of O'ahu, where she organizes community events and peace education programs. Tsomo attributes her impact to the timely need for change in a historically male-dominated tradition, the power of education to build confidence, a commitment to serving others, sheer determination, and collaboration across borders. She advises young women to avoid discouragement, surf the waves of life, and prioritize benefiting others over self-interest.