Rejoicing in living at Sravasti Abbey
Bhikshuni Thubten Jampa 
Life at Sravasti Abbey 
Nov 7, 2014 
Venerable Thubten Jampa has lived at Sravasti Abbey for three years now and recently went to her native Germany for a visit. After a month she had a Skype call with the Abbey community to catch up and share, and afterwards she wrote the following to the community.
I am only able to practice now as best as I can and therefore I am able to be joyful because I learned it all from you and with you. Let’s take an example:
I realized that people here in Hamburg sometimes look a bit longer at me because I’m wearing robes. What do you think I do or think then? I SMILE! I smile and then they sometimes smile back. Or I see people walking towards me, for example when I am in the park for a walk. Elderly people especially do not look so happy here. And it is amazing what happens when I smile at them. I am sure you know, but for me it’s new and amazing. They become my grandma, my neighbor, my friend. Smiling makes the park a big family where we feel some closeness to each other and some joy when walking by each other.
Before my training at the Abbey I seldom smiled at people I did not know and I never greeted them. I was selfish and not interested in them. I was anxious or proud. But now I am more open, confident, and interested in them. I have the wish to connect with them and to do something good for them. This is much better than any cake!! Really, it is so satisfying! And I learned it all from you! Thank you!
Bhikshuni Thubten Jampa
Bhikshuni Thubten Jampa is from Hamburg, Germany. She took refuge in 2001. Bhikshuni Jampa studied politics and sociology for 5 years at the Humboldt-University in Berlin and received her master in Social Science in 2004. Afterwards she worked for the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) in Berlin till 2007 and for the Tibetan Center Hamburg from 2007-2011. She completed monastic training at Sravasti Abbey, USA from 2011-2022. Today she lives in Hamburg again as a fully ordained nun (Bhikshuni) and studies full-time at the Dharma College at the Tibetan Centre. She occasionally offers lectures, retreats, regular meditations and a study group at the Buddhist Society Hamburg and if requested at the Tibetan Centre, among other places. Bhikshuni Thubten Jampa is also involved in the Hamburg Buddhist Society (BGH).
