Lama Tsültrim Allione is an author, internationally known Buddhist teacher, and the founder and resident lama of Tara Mandala Retreat Center. She is the author of
- Women of Wisdom,
- national bestseller Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict, which is now translated into seventeen languages, and
- Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine.
Born in New England to an academic and publishing family, Lama Tsultrim traveled to India in her late teens and in 1970, at the age of twenty-two, was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun by H. H. the Sixteenth Karmapa. After four years living as a nun in the Himalayan region, she returned her monastic vows, married, and raised a family of three children. She has a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies/Women’s Studies from Antioch University. Her writings and teachings come from her sublime Tibetan lamas as well as her experience as a Western woman and mother. She is known for her ability to translate the wisdom of the ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition into clear teachings that are relatable and relevant to Western audiences. Lama Tsultrim continues to guide Tara Mandala, as the resident lama, as well as thousands of students around the world. She was named Buddhist Woman of the Year in 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. For more information on Lama Tsultrim Allione watch a documentary on her life, Feeding Your Demons, and visit the Tara Mandala website.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Interview recorded May 8, 2018.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
- 00:02:58 – The Beginning of My Journey in India
- 00:06:36 – Discovering Joy in Dharamsala
- 00:10:08 – The Black Hat Ceremony and Buddhist Legends
- 00:13:26 – Witnessing a Lama’s Miraculous Handprint
- 00:16:26 – The Rock Experiment and the Power of Faith
- 00:19:41 – The Dharma and Buddhist philosophy
- 00:22:32 – Meeting the Karmapa and Finding My Guru
- 00:26:04 – Ordained by His Holiness in Bhutan
- 00:29:36 – Physical Benefits of Prostrations
- 00:32:40 – The Decision to Leave Monasticism
- 00:36:12 – Dedication of Merit to Benefit All Beings
- 00:39:50 – Finding Compassion through Personal Loss
- 00:43:12 – Inequity between Men and Women in Buddhism
- 00:46:27 – Women and Nature in Religion
- 00:49:53 – The Reciprocal Relationship Between Nature and Human Beings
- 00:53:15 – The Divine Feminine and Immanent Presence in Creation
- 00:56:00 – The Radiance of the Phenomenal World
- 00:59:34 – The Divine’s Discipline and Natural Disasters
- 01:03:32 – The Archetype of the Fierce Feminine
- 01:06:53 – The power of the mandala practice in transforming the mind
- 01:10:09 – Testimonials: Activism and Healing
- 01:13:19 – Ontological existence of the Daikinis
- 01:16:09 – Experiential Investigation and Integration with the Elements
- 01:19:22 – Empowerment through Dakini Mandala Practice
- 01:22:18 – Making Progress in the Good
- 01:25:11 – Holding Absolute and Relative Truths
- 01:28:03 – Recognition by Lamas in Tibet
- 01:31:29 – Working for Her
- 01:34:13 – Building on Past Life Development
- 01:37:11 – batgap.com and Links to Your Website
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