Buddhist Jihad

The Dalai Lama Is In the Hospital, Condition Stable

More here.

Merry Tibetan Buddhist Christmas

Celebrating the Buddhist parts of Christmas: 

Peace on earth, good will to men.  That sort of thing.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness,

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind
                                       free from passion, aggression and ignorance.

(This means you, too, George).

Special Christmas hat-tip to Jesus' General, Advice From Abu Shri, and Wealth Bondage.

Four Thoughts That Turn One's Mind Toward the Dharma

The Four Reminders

Joyful to have
Such a human birth,
Difficult to find,
Free and well-favored.

But death is real,
Comes without warning.
This body
Will be a corpse.

Unalterable,
The laws of karma;
Cause and effect
Cannot be escaped.

Samsara
Is an ocean of suffering,
Unendurable,
Unbearably intense.

Recalling this, may my mind turn to the dharma.

Translated teaching on the four reminders by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Photo of the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Integrating Presence Into One's Daily Life

Please read the latest from Advice from Abu Shri, excerpted here:

(I seem to have put up the wrong link earlier:  sorry about that).

She writes:

"I was very moved by yesterday's broadcast when towards the conclusion of his teaching, Rinpoche passionately spoke about how realization of Dzogchen is not a religion or philosophy, in fact, it is NOTHING but knowledge about one's true nature.

Having this knowledge is good for everyone--even presidents and politicians!   Although highly unlikely, "we can still hope," he said.  However, we as individuals can contribute to the evolution of society by waking up and realizing Dzogchen, he further elaborated.

What I so appreciate about following this path is that one can be completely integrated into society and worldly life without the trappings of another culture or manifesting strangely. I like the picture above since it shows Rinpoche at work in his daily routine.  He is an extraordinary scholar of both the Kater Dzogchen lineages and his own Longsal terma lineage.  Every day he works when he is not teaching.  But no matter what he does, he always seems just like a mountain, relaxed and present.  When you are around him, you can see first hand how it is that someone can be totally present and free from distractions.

I always appreciated that some of the great masters born in Tibet with whom I've studied made or make so much effort to integrate into Western culture yet still maintain their identity.  They have no need to wear special robes or other identifying markers.  On the other hand, so many Western teachers love to wear the garb from the old country.

But these are superficial matters.  The real thing is how one integrates
one's presence in daily life free from concepts and fantasies."

Scroll down, and keep reading this uplifting writing.  Not a lot of that around, these days, or so it seems.

Catholic Paper Discovers Buddhism, Catholicism, Not the Same!

Despite pop works’ claims, Buddhist, Catholic beliefs collide, don’t blend

[Commentary by yours truly.

First:  note the writer's use of quotes.  Or should I say, note the "writer"'s use of quotes.

Thus, it's not the Four Noble Truths, it's the "Four Noble Truths."

Is that like the "Ten Commandments" or  the "Beatitudes"?

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Looking for a quiet little place where you can hone your skills in Zen Buddhist meditation?   The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia can help.  Weekends devoted to Zen Buddhism are regularly scheduled events on the calendar of their retreat center in Spokane, Wash.

Or perhaps you’re more interested in doing a little reading before bedtime on the religious traditions of the East? Jesuit Father Robert Kennedy's. . . Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit can school you in the ways of the Buddha and help reconcile your fascination with all things Asian to your Christian past.

And should you have any doubts about the compatibility of Buddhist practices with the Christian faith, look no further than Sister Elaine McInnes, whose book Zen Contemplation for Christians dismisses such reservations as antiquated hang-ups from those dreadful days before the Second Vatican Council.

So, is she correct?

The simple answer is “no.”  Nevertheless, thousands of Catholics and Christians from coast to coast are still buying into the belief that the best way to become a better Christian is to first become a better Buddhist.  Thousands more are rejecting their Christian roots altogether and embracing the more exotic religious practices of the East. [feeling threatened, are we?]

‘Four Noble Truths’

Just what exactly is it about Buddhism that attracts these Westerners?  And why do so many Christians stubbornly insist that the two faiths are compatible?

Answering those questions first requires some defining of terms, which with Buddhism is no easy task.  Rather like Protestantism, there are many different types of Buddhism, [no, really?  how horrid!  "Many different types"? with many different sets of beliefs. {diversity, ooh!] The most well-known in the West are Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, but the exact shape those forms take in America are different still from the shape they take in their native habitats. ["Habitats"? ]

Defining what constitutes a Buddhist is almost as difficult as defining Buddhism. [Harder than defining Christianity or Christians?]

Because many forms of Buddhism require little to no community participation [hunh?]  a person can consider himself a Buddhist because he attends an occasional Buddhist retreat, practices Buddhist meditation or just attempts to incorporate the teachings of the Buddha into his daily life. [Well, no, actually, formal affiliation involves "Taking Refuge."  There are many other formal steps along the way.]

But according to Anthony Clark, a professor of Chinese history at the University of Alabama, for all the seeming and real differences in Buddhism, at their core, all forms share the same four fundamental principles. Those principles, referred to as the “Four Noble Truths,” came to the Buddha . . .  while he was meditating one afternoon in the shade of a bodhi tree.

["One afternoon"?  Oh?  Writer makes Buddha's enlightenment sound like a happy accident at tea-time.  On the contrary, Buddha attained enlightenment after a lifetime of searching, and after a long long period of meditation.  That he was under a bodhi tree is correct. ]

The writer continues:

The “Four Noble Truths” are:

1) All of life is suffering.

2) Selfish desire causes that suffering.

3) Detachment from desire brings freedom from suffering.

4) Desire can be extinguished through following the “Eight-fold Path” – having right views, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.

 

[Let's correct these misconceptions with actual teachings on The Four Noble Truths -- commentary by Traleg Rinpoche:

The Truth of Suffering -- The first of the Four Noble Truths is suf­fering (Skt. dukkha). . .. We should qualify that translation by saying that this does not mean that the Buddha didn’t acknowledge the existence of happiness or contentment in life.

The point that he was making is that there is happiness and also sorrow in the world; but the reason why everything we experience in our everyday life is said to be du­kha is that even when we have some kind of happiness, it is not permanent;  it is subject to change.  So unless we can gain insight into that truth and understand what is really able to give us happiness, and what is unable to provide happiness, the experience of dissatisfac­tion will persist.

Normally we think our happiness is contingent upon external circumstances and situations, rather than upon our own inner atti­tude toward things, or toward life in general.

The Buddha was saying that dissatisfaction is part of life, even if we are seeking happiness and even if we manage to find temporary happiness. The very fact that it is temporary means that sooner or later the happiness is going to pass. So the Buddha said that unless we understand this and see how pervasive dissatisfaction or dukkha is, it is impossible for us to start looking for real happiness.

According to the Buddha, even when we think we are trying to find real happiness, we are not doing it effectively, because we don’t have the right attitude and we don’t know where to look for it. The Buddha was not against happiness; rather, he gave us a method of finding out how to overcome that sense of dissatisfaction, and this method is part of the last Noble Truth.

2. The Origin of Suffering

The second Noble Truth is the origin of suffering, which means that once we have realized that suffering or dissatisfaction exists, we next have to find out where that suffering comes from:  does it originate within, or does it come from some kind of external situation or con­dition?  The Buddha said that when we start to examine ourselves and see how we respond to situations, how we act in the world, how we feel about things, then we will realize that the cause of suffering is within. This is not to say that external social or economic conditions don’t create suffering; but the main suffering that afflicts us is created by our own mind and attitude.

The Buddha said that if we want to overcome dissatisfaction, which is intimately linked with our experience of suffering, then we have to deal with craving, grasping, clinging, and attachment—all these exaggerated forms of desire.

Now, some people think that Bud­dhists encourage the idea of eradicating desire altogether, but that is not what the Buddha said. He said that we should try to overcome excessive and exaggerated forms of desire, which manifest as craving, grasping, and so on, because they make our condition worse by increasing our sense of dissatisfaction and discontentment. It is the more obsessive types of desire that the Buddha said we should try to overcome.

As long as we have these strong forms of desire, they will always be accompanied by aversion, hatred, resentment, and so forth, because when we can’t get what we want, we become frustrated, angry, and resentful. Or, if we find some obstacles in the way of satisfying our desire, we want to eliminate them, eradicate them, or attack them. We may even resort to violence and deception in order to satisfy our greed and craving.

So the Buddha said that we need to deal with these extreme forms of desires; but we should not aim to eradicate desire altogether, because we can use desire in all kinds of positive ways as well.

3.  The Goal: The Cessation of Suffering

The third Noble Truth is the goal. First we find out about the human condition, how it is pervaded by a sense of dissatisfaction, then we look at the cause of that dissatisfaction, and after that we look at the goal, which is the attainment of nirvana. Some people think nirvana is some kind of absolute reality that is transcendent and otherworldly.

But the Buddha said that one can attain nirvana while still living in this world. . .  it is possible to achieve nirvana in this very lifetime. Achieving nirvana means that one’s mind is no longer afflicted by delusion and emotional afflictions. The mind becomes tranquil, and one’s experience of happiness is no longer dependent upon external situations and circumstances.  Therefore, one’s reaction to things is less extreme, and one is able to maintain a sense of tranquillity and peace, even when faced by adverse circumstances.

This is so because the one who has attained nirvana has overcome the three root delusions of attraction, aversion, and ignorance.  When the mind is no longer governed by strong emotional reactions of ei­ther attraction and aversion, we can be at peace and tranquil even when things are not going right. We maintain a sense of fortitude and face things courageously.

The Path: The Way Out of Suffering

Having realized that this is the goal—to achieve a permanent happi­ness that is not based upon external changing conditions—we then have to find out how to apply ourselves in order to achieve that goal. This is what the fourth Noble Truth explains. The fourth Noble Truth is the path, and this is the essence of Buddhist practice.

Known as the Eightfold Noble Path, it is oriented toward developing three things in an individual: moral sensitivity, meditation or the concen­trated mind, and wisdom. Through the practice of moral sensitivity we become better individuals, able to overcome our egocentric ten­dencies. We become more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. Through the practice of meditation our mind be­comes more focused, more resilient, and more aware, which in turn gives rise to wisdom.  Full teaching, here.]

The writer continues:

Agnostic tendencies

In addition to the “Four Noble Truths,” most forms of Buddhism are agnostic –-[they're all actually non-theistic] the question of whether God exists being irrelevant to the reality of the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Eight-fold Path.” [Truth enough.  The "existence" of God is regarded as irrelevant].

Most forms of Buddhism also deny the immortality of the soul.  [Buddhism asserts the non-existence of ego.  See Kamalasila quote, above].   For Buddhists, said Clark, “The final goal is not just eradicating desire, but becoming free of suffering.”

The way they do that, he said, is by reaching nirvana, which ultimately means extinguishing the self and becoming part of the “great monad,” the universal oneness.  [This is just dead wrong.]

Buddhism also contains a strong component of relativism, viewing other religious practices and beliefs as acceptable because they are upaya, expedient means to achieving spiritual growth. ["Acceptable"?  Well, they're not buddhadharma, but they might be better than a smack in the head with a 2 by 4].

That element of relativism, Clark believes, at least in part accounts for so many Westerners’ attraction to Buddhism.  “Buddhism allows you to be anything you want to be with all sorts of East Asian trappings,” he said.

[Ooh, weird oriental 'trappings'.  One prefers one's own Catholic "trappings".]

Institutional ‘trappings’

Another strong point of attraction is that “Eight-fold Path.”  Unlike Christianity, which puts control over the universe in God’s hands, not man’s, Buddhism gives its adherents a step-by-step plan for eliminating suffering from their lives and achieving, at least a form of, salvation.  [It's not "salvation," it's enlightenment].

For Phillip Harbin . .the emphasis placed on “personal effort and experience” was compelling. . . .It also . . comes with as many or as few institutional trappings of religion as the adherent likes.    Monks, robes and prayer beads are there for those who want them. [Say, weren't Buddhists using rosaries 500 years before Christ?  Your 'trappings' are actually our trappings.]  For those who want to practice a spirituality that brings them peace without having to conform to any institutional practices or demands, Buddhism offers that.

[Of course, there are plenty of Buddhist religious practices and demands, for those who wish to pursue them. For example, the 227 rules of conduct for monks; the 4 x 100,000 practices of ngondro (completion of all of which is merely a preliminary practice); lay vows; vows of yogins; , etc. etc.]

Full story here.

The author continues asserting complete misunderstandings of the Buddhist point of view, including accusing it of nihilism (which is explicitly contradicted in Madhyamika) and, well, if you're Buddhist, you will catch her errors, and if you aren't, you probably couldn't care less.  Too bad they don't check out their assertions with actual Buddhists prior to printing them and passing around wrong information.

Really, the intention of such articles is to try to retain their flock.

But hey.

If your karmic merit is insufficient, you won't ever come in contact with buddhadharma.

So relax.

Why Buddha Thought Ignorance Was the Worst of the Three Poisons

Really, one hardly knows where to begin!!

Moi, I SO prefer primary sources.

You just can't beat 'em.

Ergo -- voila this article!

It was written as a critique of a scary front-page story in the New York Times about teaching mindfulness to children in schools.  The NY Times piece mentioned that mindfulness training had a good effect on children's behaviors.

But this response points out all the horrid horrors of teaching mindfulness.  So, you know, watch out!

First you teach them mindfulness, next thing you know, they'll die from pyelonephritis!

And,  remember, boys and girls:  the following is not satire.

A juicy pack of Bubble Gum to the first reader who can name all the really stupid misconceptions this apparently-educated-therefore-ought-to-know-better writer falsely asserted to be true!

Meditation, self hypnosis and the flight from rationality (sic)

This post was written by Nancy Reyes on 17 June, 2007

In the good old days, we  started the school day by having the kids settle down and then saying a prayer and then a bible reading.  [I remember those days--and in public schools.  Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?  Why were they making me do that?]

Such acts of piety allow one to settle their mind into context, which is why books on organizing one’s life starts with taking a half hour of reading a great book or listening to music before you decide what is important and what is not important in making your daily schedule.   From Buddha under the tree to Elijah in the cave to Marcus Aurelius to Mother Teresa’s sisters spending an hour meditation each day, thoughtful people knew that quiet time was needed if you were to stay balanced in life.

Yet in our secular world, where even a “moment of silence” is forbidden, why are we lauding the teaching of Buddhist meditation techniques to students under the guise of medicine/therapy?

If I were a strict Christian, I’d sue them in court. [If I were a strict Buddhist, I'd lampoon you.  Oh right, hey, that's just what I'm doing.]

But as a more secularized Catholic, I have fewer theological problems with the technique (which resembles the ancient Jesus prayer or the five minutes of silence and calming we learned in parochial school prior to the prayer that started class) than with the philosophical underpinnings that go along with it. [Pray, lady, to be saved from horrid Buddhist philosophical underpinnings.]

“Meditation” is similar to mild hypnosis [asserts the author without any proof, knowing ZERO about meditation, and never having any experience of it herself, and no education on this subject]. Ninety percent of people can be hypnotized or be taught relaxation technique, but there are different levels for different people.   And ten percent of people [says who?] are prone to go into a very deep hypnotic state when they practice that technique  [What technique?  Which technique?  What misguided arrogance -- hm, well, arrogance generally misguides, does it not?]

The technique is to get the mind into the deep concentration that most of us have when absorbed in work or when we make art or music [Says who?].  This deep concentration allows us to think or process our feelings at a deeper level, and produce good things.  It is also (alas) similar [asserts the author minus any proof] to the deep concentration of a video game or movie . . .which is why some experts worry about kids learning the wrong lessons from video games.

So although the “gift” of creativity often goes along with the ability to go deeply into a trance state, the flip side is that this ability also correlates with the ability to be influenced by others to the extent that you start believing in all sorts of eccentric and sometime dangerous ideas . . .

And, as you practice self hypnosis, you can sometimes go into these deeper hypnotic states without realizing it.

When we doctors use the trance state, we don’t try to get them to believe in flying saucers or angels or that if they think correctly, they will become rich.  Our use is more limited:  To stop smoking, or to learn to relax, or more commonly to control pain without drugs.

But even then, we have to worry about the small percentage of the population that has a strict ego that keeps the bad inside  . . .  by “opening” it up, you can lead to a psychotic break [paranoid much?].   Psychologists, doctors, and even trainers in Transcendental meditation are taught to watch out for this rare but dangerous state.  But what if it happens at a school, with a semi- trained teacher?

Summary: It’s good and bad. Like all of life. [Aha -- writer discovers samsara?]

But my final question about it’s use in schools can be found in this statement:

“If we can help children slow down and think,” Dr. Haick said, “they have the answers within themselves.”

Ummm…doctor, I thought that school was about having children find answers in books . . .and about learning about facts and logic, not about “finding the answers within themselves”.  [Oh?  I thought schools were to educate children so they could grow up to be thoughtful, reasonable adults.]

You see, this is magical thinking: I don’t have to learn, I just meditate and the answers just magically come to me.  Poof.

But where do the answers come from?  If you never learn facts, and you never learn logic, the problem might be that your subconscious id is making up the answers [uh, if you're going to use Freudian terms, and God knows why you would, why not check your, uh, facts before you make up a term that does not exist, like "subconscious id" ]. And the subconscious, although the source of creativity and beauty, is also the source of delusions and lies.

So encouraging children to “find their answers within” might sound good for postmoderns who believe reality is a “construct” , but a small percentage of these children might end up with the delusion of magical thinking:  The idea that if I think this way it will happen.”

Think I am going overboard with this worry?

Well, the popularity of such magical thinking, from “The Secret” to  prosperity theology is becoming more popular. Wish and you get it, think and it is so. Reality is what you make it.

As a result, I see patients who don’t “believe” they need vaccines because they “know” something from a book (but never saw a child die of polio or tetanus, or blind from measles), or when they refuse antibiotics for their child with an acute kidney infection and 105 fever (and never saw a woman die at age twenty from untreated pyelonephritis). [Take that, Mary Baker Eddy!]

And, of course, this magical thinking won’t really do them much good if a local volcano blows up, a typhoon hits, or terrorists nuke their city.

Reality tends to put an end to such fairy tales."

.

.

It's just so awful.

Mindfulness = hypnosis = death by volcano.

Clear as day.

.

Why does this person, supposedly a doctor, not know any better?

Because -- it's the stupidity, stupid?

(Check out "Don't Bite the Hook:  Teaching Mindfulness Training to Kids," a response to the NYTimes article at Abu Shri, here.)

Aussies Embrace Buddhadharma

More Buddhists than Muslims in Australia.  Who knew?

Buddhism, Australia's Fastest-growing Religion

By Phil Mercer The Dalai Lama has just completed a tour of Australia, boosting what is the country's fastest-growing religion. Australia has more Buddhists per capita than anywhere else in the Western world. Buddhism has moved beyond Asian immigrant communities and into the mainstream. Tibetan nuns chant traditional prayers - an increasingly common sight in Australia. There are about 350 thousand Buddhists in the country in this mainly Christian nation, and government census data indicate that number is up almost 80 percent from 1996. The Buddhist population eclipses the size of Australia's Muslim population.

Link here.

Not to mention:  Teachings of Some Christian Churches Drives Some to Convert to Buddhism, here.

Just for fun: another "Buddhism is Satanic" self-described Christian, link here.  He says "Buddhism is of the Devil."  Hmm.  Project much, o holy one?

And don't miss Advice from Abu Shri  on teaching mindfulness to schoolkids, as well as a fine piece on -- you guessed it -- Paris Hilton.

Meditating Mind Affects Matter

Age-Related Changes In Gray Matter Volume, Attentional Performance Associated With The Practice Of Zen Meditation

Zen meditation, a Buddhist practice centered on attentional and postural self-regulation, has been speculated to bring about beneficial long-term effects for the individual, ranging from stress reduction to improvement of cognitive function.

In this study, we examined how the regular practice of meditation may affect the normal age-related decline of cerebral gray matter volume and attentional performance observed in healthy individuals.

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a recent technique to measure gray matter changes from MRI brain scans, and a computerized task of sustained attention were employed in 13 regular practitioners of Zen meditation and 13 control subjects matched for age and education level who never practiced meditation.

While both total gray matter volume and attentional performance displayed the expected decrease with age in control subjects, meditators did not show such a trend.

Furthermore, the difference in volumetric decline between meditators and controls was most prominent in the putamen, a basal ganglia structure that has been implicated in attentional processing in general and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in particular.

While results will need to be confirmed by a longitudinal study on a larger sample, these findings suggest that the regular practice of meditation may have neuroprotective effects and reduce the cognitive decline associated with normal aging.

Full link here.

Happy Buddha Jayanti

It's Buddha's birthday, again, but today it's the trifecta.

KATHMANDU, May 2 - The 2551st Buddha Jayanti--the birth Anniversary of Lord Gautam Buddha –- was celebrated across the nation with the message of peace and harmony among people.

Buddhists around the world, including Nepal, observe Buddha Jayanti to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha, all three of which fall on the same day of full moon of the Nepali month of Baisakh.

Buddhists around the world today organise a variety of programmes at the Buddhist religious sites and spread the message of world peace of Lord Gautam Buddha.

Likewise, Buddhists, monks thronged Lord Buddha's birth place in Lumbini to pay respect today while parades, peace rallies and other exhibitions were held at and around Mayadevi temple to mark the day.

More here.

Buddhists celebrate Buddha Purnima

From our ANI Correspondent

New Delhi/Agartala, May 2: Buddhists across the country today held religious discourses and special prayers as they celebrated 'Buddha Purnima' - the most important Buddhist festival.

In Agartala, hundreds of Buddhists congregated at Venuban Vihar monastery to pray on the occasion.

"Not only in northeast India, but around the world Buddhism Day has a great significance which can actually bring peace, unity, and understanding among the people," said Bindu Chakma, a devotee.

Devotees said the festival bound people of different religions.

"All people - men, women, people of different caste and creed - all have assembled here to pay our homage and respects to Lord Buddha," said Suman Chakma, another devotee.

Devotees lighted lamps, incense sticks and candles at Buddhist temples and monasteries to commemorate the 2,550th anniversary of Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment and Nirvana (salvation).

Buddha was born a prince at Lumbini in Nepal.  He attained enlightenment at the age of 35 in Bodh Gaya and finally departed from the world at the age of 80 in Kushinagar.

 

Tenzin Palmo

Speaking of Buddhist nuns in the Himalayan caves -- here's a story on Ani Tenzin Palmo, who's the real deal.

In a cave no more: Buddhist nun on world fund tour

After 12 years meditating in a Himalayan cave, Tenzin Palmo promotes women's communities.

 

Ani Tenzin Palmo, a 64-year-old Buddhist nun , is traveling the world to raise funds to build a religious community for women in India.

What is the sound of a Buddhist nun sitting alone for 12 years in a Himalayan cave?

"Quiet," Tenzin Palmo recalled last week.

"Never boring. And very beautiful."

The phone line from Vancouver fell silent for a moment.

"I wasn't planning to do 12 years," she continued. "But it was the ideal place to practice" meditation. "So, I just stayed there."

"There" was a space both tiny and vast . . .

Tenzin Palmo's cave near the Tibetan border was so small she slept sitting up, her legs folded beneath her as in meditation.  Beyond lay snowcapped mountains and mist-filled valleys sweeping to infinity.

"It was the perfect environment for carrying on one's spiritual practices," said Palmo, 64, who has since become a leading transmitter of Tibetan Buddhism to the West and a star in some eastern Buddhist countries. . .

When she climbed down from her "perfect environment" in 1988, however, she returned not to a welcoming community of nuns, but of monks.  It was no surprise.

Born Diane Perry in London in 1943, Palmo had become a Tibetan Buddhist at age 18 and moved two years later to study in northern India.  She soon discovered how few nuns are in the 1,200-year-old Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

"Everything I read in those days was about monks, monks, monks," she recalled with a laugh.

Worse, women who did commit to Tibetan religious life typically found themselves kept uneducated and "waiting on the monks" as cooks and housekeepers.

Perry - who had wanted to be a nun since age 10 "even though I didn't believe in God" - was undeterred.

She shaved her head and took ordination in 1964 - one of the first Western women ever to do so - and later served as assistant to her teacher, before heading to her snow cave in 1976.

But after she returned, she discovered the winds of feminism reaching even the high Himalayas.  Her lama, Khamtrul Rinpoche, asked her several years later to create a separate religious community nearby for women. . .

Since then, she has been traveling the world to raise funds for what has become the Dongyu Gatsal Ling nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India, which opened the first of its many doors in 2000.

The site, about 40 miles from Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama, houses 52 women, she said, but "we are building for 130."

"She's important because she's absorbed the great teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and communicates them through a Western mind," said Christopher Sohnly, a member of the Shambhala Center's visit committee, which invited Ani Tenzin Palmo to Philadelphia. Her efforts to promote women's religious communities have also made her "a pop star in places like Taiwan," Sohnly said.  She was the subject of 1999 biography, Cave in the Snow, by Vickie MacKenzie, and published Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Lessons in Practical Buddhism, in 1999.

Link story here.