Lawrence residents occasionally have had the opportunity to learn about Buddhism from visiting Buddhist monks.

But from Tuesday through May 23, those interested in learning more about this ancient belief system will be able to study with a pair of Buddhist nuns from Nepal.

“Mostly when we have teachers here, they have been men. It’s more unusual to have female teachers traveling from the East,” says Marian O’Dwyer, who has taught Tibetan Buddhism in Lawrence for about 20 years.

“I am just very interested to meet two women of my age who have shared the same spiritual tradition, but from an Eastern culture.”

Sister Molini Rai and Sister Dhamma Vijaya, both Theravadin nuns from Nepal, will visit Lawrence and offer several opportunities for Buddhist study as part of a teaching tour of the United States. Theraveda is one of the traditional schools of Buddhism.

The nuns have spent the past few months teaching at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio; and the Yellow Springs Dharma Center in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Their visit to Lawrence has been organized by O’Dwyer, owner of the Phoenix Gallery, 919 Mass.; and Subarna Bhattachan, co-owner of Zen Zero, 811 Mass.

O’Dwyer is a longtime practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and a member of the Rigpa Fellowship, an international organization whose guiding teacher is Sogyal Rinpoche.

She leads a Tibetan Buddhist study and practice group that meets weekly in Lawrence.

Bhattachan is a Nepal native.

Sister Dhamma Vijaya will also be visiting a member of her family while the nuns are in Lawrence. Her nephew is Suman Kansakar, 27, a Kansas University graduate student in computer sciences who is from Kathmandu, Nepal.

“To be a Buddhist nun is a big sacrifice in itself. She got ordained as a Buddhist nun in L.A. in 1988, and that surpassed all of us in our family,” Kansakar says.

“It was a big thing. It means you are leaving all your normal life behind and going into this religious order.”

Kansakar says he plans to attend some of the events his aunt will teach.

The nuns’ visit to Lawrence offers a rare opportunity to those who are interested in Buddhism — a chance to study with especially learned teachers.

“They are both highly qualified. They have been Buddhist nuns for more than 20 years, they have doctorates in Buddhist studies and one of them has a doctorate in women’s studies,” O’Dwyer says.

Among the topics the nuns will discuss are: awakening compassion; the three yanas, or schools, of Buddhism; and women and spiritual practice from a Buddhist perspective.

“They both speak five languages, are well traveled and really well studied,” O’Dwyer says. “It’s unusual to have (Buddhist) visitors like this in town. They will be able to speak very much to their tradition.”

Schedule set for Lawrence tour

Sister Molini Rai and Sister Dhamma Vijaya, Theravadin Buddhist nuns from Nepal who are on a teaching tour of the United States, will offer the public several opportunities to study Tibetan Buddhism from Tuesday through May 23 in Lawrence:

l 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 3305 Creekwood Drive. The event is hosted by the Lawrence Tibetan Buddhist community.

l 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oread Friends Meeting House, 12th and Oregon streets. The event is hosted by the Free State Sangha.

l 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, Kansas Zen Center, 1423 N.Y. The event will feature a panel discussion, “Women and Spiritual Practice: A Buddhist Perspective.” The discussion will be followed by a reception.

l 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. May 22, Unity Church of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Lane. The nuns will present an introduction to the Theravadin tradition of Buddhism.

l 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. May 23, Circle S Guest Ranch & Country Inn, 3325 Circle S Lane.

Suggested donation for the retreat is $50 per person. Retreat includes lunch and a snack catered by Zen Zero, 811 Mass.

All of the other events are free and open to the public.

For more information, call the Phoenix Gallery, 919 Mass., at 843-0080.