Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was raised in London and became a Buddhist in her teens. In 1964, at the age of 20, she decided to go to India to pursue her spiritual path. There she met her guru, His Eminence the Eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche Dongyu Nyima, a great Drukpa master, and she became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She will be making a teaching tour of Europe in May/June 2009. This will be her last tour of Europe before she retires.

There will be four events in the UK:

London:  6th May: ‘Opening the Heart’ Evening Public Talk - starts at 19:00 St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL Tickets £15 available on the door (no advance booking) For information please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Worcester: 7th May: ‘The Boddhisattva Way of Life’  Evening public talk - starts at 19:00 St Swithun’s, Church Street, Worcester, WR1 2RH Tickets at the door: £12 concessions £10 Advanced tickets: Tel: 01905 611427 which is: Worcester Live Box Office, Huntingdon Hall, Crowngate, Worcester WR1 3LD

London: 9th May: ‘Death and Dying‘ Full day teaching - 10:00 - 16:00 Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1 Tickets (at the door): £30, concessions available Tickets in advance: Drukpa UK, 114 Harvist Road, London NW6 6HJ For information please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

London: 10th May: ‘Transforming the Mind’’ Full day teaching - 10:00 - 16:00 Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1 Tickets (at the door): £30, concessions available Tickets in advance: Drukpa UK, 114 Harvist Road, London NW6 6HJ For information please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Monastics can attend any event free.

A Short Biography follows: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was raised in London and became a Buddhist in her teens. In 1964, at the age of 20, she decided to go to India to pursue her spiritual path. There she met her guru, His Eminence the Eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche Dongyu Nyima, a great Drukpa Kagyu lama, and she 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 for six years and then he directed her to Lahaul in order to undertake more intensive practice. After some years, seeking greater seclusion and better conditions for practice, she found a nearby cave where she remained for twelve years, the last three years in strict retreat. Tenzin Palmo left India in 1988 and went to stay in Italy where she taught at various Dharma centres. Before 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 Khampagar Monastery at Tashi Jong again made the request for a nunnery.

In 2000 she established Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India, and the first nuns arrived. Dongyu Gatsal Ling is now a thriving Nunnery. In 2008 Tenzin Palmo was given the title of Jetsunma, which means Venerable Master, by His Holiness The Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, Head of the Drukpa lineage. His Holiness bestowed this honour on Tenzin Palmo at Druk Amitabha Mountain in Kathmandu in recognition of her spiritual achievements as a nun and her efforts in promoting the status of female practitioners in Tibetan Buddhism.

Dear Drukpa Spritual Family,

I hope you are well in your spiritual and material activities. I want to inform you that, recently thirty five (35) delegates from Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Ladakh,Garsha, Kinor and Nepal came as a representative of Drukpa Lineage outside of Bhutan to meet His Majesty the 5th King of Bhutan to offer the prayers and congratulations of His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa and International Drukpa Sanghas. Due to the various activites of coronation and the 45 day celebration, The Goverment of Bhutan was able to give us a confirmed date of appointment with His Majesty only a week before the actual appointment, Therefore we felt that the time was too short to gather all the Sanghas from Europe, North and South America and Since Drubpon Ngawang had already represented Drukpa Europe, North and South America during the actual coronation,we felt that it was rather easier to gather the Drukpa Asian Sanghas. Anyway, every thing went well and His Majesty the fifth King of Bhutan expressed his admiration for His Holiness and mentioned that he look forward to meeting His Holiness in person. He also mentioned that because of our shared Drukpa Lineage and as a Dharma King, he supports all the Monasteries, be it in Bhutan or Ladakh and Garsha etc. and His Majesty also mentioned that he wishes for Bhutan to represent all the good and joyous things in the world. From our side we have to acknowledge the importance of Bhutan as a spiritual Kingdom for the world and Dharma in general and especially for the Drukpa Lineage and pray for the long life of His Majesties the Kings of Bhutan and well being of the Kingdom. That is all for now, My best wishes for a Happy New Year to all of you and I look forward to welcoming you all in Bhutan,the Kingdom of Dragon.

With love,Yours in Dharma,

Do Kham.

November 26, 2008

Dear Friends,

Upon my return to Bhutan, I met with His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa in Katmandu in Nepal. We spoke at great length on the subject of the First Council of the Drukpa Lineage, which will take place from the 6th to the 15th of April 2009 at Druk Amtibha Monastery in Katmandu. His Holiness’s project is especially important for Him and it is important for all individuals having a tie or link to His Holiness to make as much effort as possible to participate. The word “council” is but one meaning. On might also rightly speak of a “pilgrimage” because on the occasion of this gathering, teachings will be given and there will be tsok ritual offerings and mandalas as well as visits to holy places, as is the case with pilgrimages. His Holiness has invited all of the great masters of the lineage to come together for two days in order to confer among themselves. Many masters from Tibet, Bhutan, India and Ladakh will be present and this is truly exceptional. This is a remarkable opportunity for us to create a link or tie with these different masters and receive their blessings. The organizers wish that Drukpa Plouray be responsible for registration for all of Europe, the Americas and Australia. In Katmandu, the Damaru agency, directed by Mr. Indra will be in charge of organization. It is thus imperative that you contact the Plouray Center in order to register. It will not be possible to enter Druk Amitabha Monastery without being at first registered. Profits from this pilgrimage will be used to finance the necessary expenses linked with bringing together the masters of the lineage. This council project is the His Holiness’s idea and it is our duty to respond to it, if possible. It is a means to great benefits and to receive blessings. I thus invite you to do all that you can in order to participate.

Drubpön Ngawang Tenzin