Jetsunma tenzin palmo biography of christopher columbus book

She headed north to Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh, where she had arranged to work with an expat Englishwoman named Freda Bedi, who had opened a school for young reincarnated lamas among the exiled Tibetan community. Diane recognized him immediately as her Guru and asked him if she could become a Nun. Only 3 months after arriving in India, the newly named Drubgyu Tenzin Palmo became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monastic.

In she received the sramanerika ordination at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim from H. As full ordination is not yet available for women in the Tibetan tradition, in she travelled to Hong Kong to obtain the bhikshuni ordination at Miu Fat Temple.

Into the Heart of

Tenzin Palmo was based with Khamtrul Rinpoche and his community first in Dalhousie and later at the monastery of Tashi Jong, near Palampur, Himachal Pradesh for six years until , when he directed her to the Himalayan valley of Lahaul in order to undertake more intensive practice. She stayed in Tayul Gompa, a small Lahauli monastery for the next 6 years, remaining in retreat during the long winter months.

Then in , seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, she found a cave a couple of hours hike from Tayul, at 13, feet above sea level. The cave was enhanced by building enclosing walls, creating a living space around 6 feet 1. In the summer months supplies were delivered from Keylong and she grew turnips and potatoes nearby.

She stockpiled for winter, when the cave was snowbound. She slept and meditated upright in a meditation box. Despite many hardships and life-threatening experiences, Tenzin Palmo thrived in her solitary spiritual practice and lived in the cave for 12 years, from the ages of 33 to For the first 9 years she occasionally had visitors or took trips away from the cave, while the last 3 years were spent in strict retreat.

Her retreat ended in summer and after 24 years in India, she returned to Europe to stay with friends in Assisi, Italy.