Special Dialogue with Venerable Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Presenter: Ven Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Wed 12 April | 7-8pm AEST

Location: In person at Metta Centre (Bankstown) or Online (Zoom link below)

Cost: By Donation

Metta Centre is deeply grateful to Venerable Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo for accepting our invitation for a special dialogue with us, despite being retired from formal teachings. Please join us for a one hour session with Venerable Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo on Buddhist practice in our hearts and life.

About the Speaker: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo ordained in 1964 when she was 21 years old, and became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monastic. In 1976, Jetsunma in seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, found a cave a couple of hours hike from Tayul, at 13,200 feet above sea level. The cave was enhanced by building enclosing walls, creating a living space around 6 feet (1.8 metres) square. 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 45. 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 1988 and after 24 years in India, she returned to Europe to stay with friends in Assisi, Italy. There she rediscovered her western roots and started to accept requests to teach.

Tenzin Palmo has been instrumental to supporting female monastics and practitioners. She is the Founding Director of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, and also took on the President’s role of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women. She is the Founding Director of the Alliance of Non Himalayan Nuns; Honorary Advisor to the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Founding Member of the Committee for Bhiksuni Ordination. To find out more about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s life and teachings, see: https://tenzinpalmo.com

Hybrid event: Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive session with the speaker in person at the Metta Centre (Bankstown). You are welcome to join the session in person at the Metta Centre or online by clicking on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09 Alternatively, you can dial in from your telephone (call charges apply): +61 2 8015 6011 | Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824| Passcode: 718905