JETSUNMA TENZIN PALMO

Tenzin Palmo was raised in London and became a Buddhist while in her teens. In 1964, at the age of twenty, she decided to go to India to pursue her spiritual path. See her official website.

There she met her Guru, His Eminence the Eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche, a great spiritual master, and became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She remained with Khamtrul Rinpoche and his community in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, for six years and then he directed her to the Himalayan valley of Lahaul in order to undertake more intensive practice. Tenzin Palmo stayed in a small monastery there for several years, remaining in retreat during the long winter months. Then, seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, she found a nearby cave where she remained for another 12 years, the last 3 years in strict retreat. She left India in 1988 and went to stay in Italy where she taught at various Dharma centers.

Before H.E. the Eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche passed away in 1980, he had on several occasions requested Tenzin Palmo to start a nunnery. She understood the importance of this and remembers:

'When I was staying at a small monastery in Lahaul I saw for myself that nuns, however intelligent and devoted, had no opportunity to study and no access to higher teachings. It made me so sad because the monks were given all the teachings and put into retreats while the nuns were overlooked and treated as servants.'

In 1993, the Lamas of the Khampagar monastery in Himachal Pradesh India again made this request. This time Tenzin Palmo was ready to take on the formidable task and she began slowly raising interest worldwide.

On the 10th day of first month of Tibetan Earth Mouse Year, Tenzin Palmo will be accepting the title of Jetsunma, which means Venerable Master, given by His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, in recognition of her spiritual achievements as a nun and her efforts in promoting the status of female practitioners in Tibetan Buddhism. Read the interview with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo in the November 2007 issue of The Dragon "Femailes Quest for Enlightenment".

To be a witness to this historical event, please contact Druk Foundation Ltd.
Room 1503 The Phoenix
 No.21-25 Luard Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel. (852) 6148 9089    Fax (852) 2887 6880
Email: info@drukpa-hk.org