"One of the true yoginis of our time, a woman who has dedicated her life to Buddhism, Tenzin Palmo brings her years of experience in a cave to offer us a down-to-earth, inspiring approach to spiritual path. Her example empowers each of us to wake up, calling forth a modern practical approach to a precious ancient tradition. Tenzin Palmo's is a voice we need to hear, a woman who has fully experienced what she speaks about with an absolute honesty, delightful humor, and real insight." - Tsultrim Allione
Reflections on a Mountain Lake, Ani Tenzin Palmo, Snow Lion Publications, 254 pages, $27.95
Venerable Tenzin Palmo was born in London in 1943. She traveled to India when she was 20, met her teacher, H.E. the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, and in 1964 was one of the first western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. After six years of study with her teacher, he sent her to the Himalayan valley of Lahoul to undertake more intensive practice. She lived with a small group of nuns in a monastery there for another six years, doing frequent retreats in the long winter months. Seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, Tenzin Palmo found a nearby cave where she stayed and practiced for another twelve years, the last three years in strict retreat. The story of her life and experiences in her remote Himalayan cave is described in the book Cave in the Snow by Vicki Mackenzie. Today Tenzin Palmo lives in Tashi Jong, Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where she has established Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery for young women from Tibet and the Himalayan border regions. She frequently teaches around the world.
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Contents: REFLECTIONS ON A MOUNTAIN LAKE - Teachings on Practical Buddhism |
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Preface |
7 |
1. |
A Western Yogini |
9 |
2. |
Motivation and Practice |
29 |
3. |
Ethics and the Three Trainings |
41 |
4. |
The Six Realms |
61 |
5. |
Women and the Path |
69 |
6. |
Shamatha, or Calm Abiding |
87 |
7. |
Vipashyana, or Insight |
105 |
8. |
Awareness |
121 |
9. |
Difficult Points for Westerners |
159 |
10. |
Tonglen |
179 |
11. |
Nature of Mind |
185 |
12. |
The Role of the Spiritual Master |
205 |
13. |
Vajrayana |
223 |
14. |
Visualizing the Deity |
237 |
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Glossary of Technical Terms |
247 |
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