Vicki Mackenzie's biography of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo — the British woman (born Diane Perry) who became one of the first Western fully-ordained Tibetan Buddhist nuns in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage and who spent twelve years (1976–1988) in a remote Himalayan cave in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, in continuous retreat.
The book covers her early life in the East End of London, her ordination under Khamtrul Rinpoche, the cave years — including three years of strict unbroken retreat — and her subsequent founding of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh to revive the Togdenma lineage of female Tibetan Buddhist practitioners.
First lines
In retrospect, it was a curious place to meet her.
Reception
One of the most-recommended biographical introductions to Tibetan Buddhist practice for Western readers and a foundational text in the small literature on female realisation in the Tibetan tradition. Tenzin Palmo's subsequent public profile — the Garchen Buddhist Institute teaching, the founding of DGL nunnery, her recognition as a Jetsunma — has kept the book's audience growing for twenty-five years. Inside the Drukpa Kagyu lineage she is a serious figure rather than a biographical curiosity; inside the broader Tibetan Buddhist diaspora she is regularly cited as evidence that Western practitioners can sustain traditional retreat practice at the level the tradition requires.
Frequently asked
What is Cave in the Snow about?
It is Vicki Mackenzie's biography of Tenzin Palmo (born Diane Perry), a British woman who became one of the first Western Tibetan Buddhist nuns in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage and spent twelve years (1976–1988) alone in a remote Himalayan cave in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh. The book traces her journey from the East End of London through ordination, the cave years, and the founding of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery.
Why did Tenzin Palmo spend twelve years in a cave?
She had taken a vow to attain enlightenment in the female form, and the extended cave retreat was the intensive practice her Drukpa Kagyu lineage required. For the final three of the twelve years she was in strict unbroken retreat.
Who wrote Cave in the Snow?
The book was written by British journalist Vicki Mackenzie, who sought out Tenzin Palmo after reading her public statement: 'I have made a vow to attain Enlightenment in the female form — no matter how many lifetimes it takes.' A portion of the royalties supports Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery.