VEN. TENZIN PALMO

BIOGRAPHY

Tenzin Palmo was born and raised in London. At the age of eighteen, while still in England, she became a Buddhist. In 1963, at the age of twenty, she decided  to go to India to pursue her spiritual path.

She met her Tibetan guru in 1964 and became one of the first westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. Tenzin Palmo studied under her guru, His Eminence the eighth Kamtrul Rinpoche, for six years. He then sent her to the Himalayan valley of Lahoul to undertake more intensive practice. For another six years Tenzin Palmo practiced in a small monastery and remained in retreat during the long winter months when it snows for half of the year.

Seeking more isolation and better conditions for further intense practice, Tenzin Palmo found a nearby cave where she stayed for another twelve years, most spent in strict retreat. She left the cave in 1988 and went to stay in Italy where she taught at various Dharma centres.

Before her guru passed away in 1980, he had on several occasions requested her to start a nunnery. In 1992, the lamas of her monastery again made this request. This time Tenzin Palmo was ready to take on the formidable task and committed herself to this mission.

Tenzin Palmo now lives in Tashi Jong, at the Monastery of her guru Khamtrul Rinpoche, in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery has been temporarily established at Tashi Jong with an initial twenty five nuns in short-term accommodation. The Nunnery Trust has bought land nearby and hopes to begin the first phase of construction of the Nunnery this September after the monsoons. We now have government permission is obtained to bring in funds collected by supporters outside India.

Tenzin Palmo travels for three months each year to give teachings and to raise funds for the Nunnery.

For more information visit http://www.tenzinpalmo.org.

SCHEDULE

October 13-14
PHOENICIA, NY
Conference- "Global Womens Gathering"
Venue: Menla Mountain Retreat and Conference Center, 375 Pantherkill Rd
Contact:
Lynn Schauwecker
lynn@globalwomensgathering.org
http://www.globalwomensgathering.org
http://www.tibethouse.org/menla

October 19-21
NEW YORK, NY
Teachings on Machig
Contact:
New York Shambhala Center
118 W 22nd St, 6th Floor
Tel: 212-675-6544
nyshambhala@shambhala.org
http://ny.shambhala.org

October 24
NEW YORK, NY
Day long teaching/retreat
Venue: Tibet House U.S., 22 West 15th Street
Contact:
tenzinpalmony@att.net

 

MEETING WITH HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
by Tenzin Palmo

On the morning of Thursday the 6th June 2002 the staff and nuns Dongyu Gatsal Ling all crowded into a local hired bus and set off for the two hour drive to Dharamsala. This audience had been set up by Liz Thompson, the Australian film-maker who is producing a TV documentary on the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery. The first part was an interview between His
Holiness and myself mainly concerning the issue of women's role in Buddhism such as the bhikshuni or higher ordination for nuns which is not available in the
Tibetan tradition. Liz asked him if women could attain enlightenment and His Holiness said "What a stupid question!" and went on to explain that since all beings have buddha potential, how could women not also? He was surprised when I
informed him that certain lamas had assured me that while women can certainly travel the bodhisattva path, at the last moment they would need to transform into a male body in order to attain buddhahood!

After the filmed interview which lasted nearly an hour, His Holiness emerged from the audience room to greet the nuns and staff who awaited him outside. He gave a short talk to the nuns, encouraging them to study and practise and assuring them that their female form was no impediment to spiritual advancement. Then he met each nun and staff member in turn, asking where they were from and handing each a large envelop containing photographs and blessed pills.

 

BOOKS