Metta Convention Week: Special Q&A with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

From the Head to the Heart: Bringing the Buddha’s Teaching Home

Presenters: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (Joining online from India)

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to make the decision to change the date and time of the session with Jetsunma. We understand that this change may inconvenience some of you, and we sincerely apologise for any disruption it may cause to your plans.

NEW SESSION DATE: Sat 30 Sep | 3.30-4.30pm AEST

PREVIOUS DATE: Thu 28 Sep | 7.00-9.00pm AEST

Location: In person at Western Sydney University, Bankstown City Campus, Auditorium or Online (https://uws.zoom.us/j/83250422128)

Cost: Free

Metta Centre is deeply grateful to world renowned teacher and senior Bhiksuni, Jetsunma (The Most Venerable) Tenzin Palmo for accepting our invitation for a special dialogue with us, despite being retired from formal teachings. Please join us for a live Q and A (question and answer) session which will dissect the Buddha’s teaching through inquiry, questioning, and investigation. Jetsunma will directly address between 12 and 15 questions about Buddhism and its application to our lives. Send your questions to contact@mettacentre.com. Due to the anticipated high volume of questions, a selection of questions will be chosen from those received to be presented to Jetsunma. There is no guarantee that all questions will be answered. 

This special event is part of Metta Convention Week, a week-long program aimed at fostering metta, mindfulness, compassion and inner peace. Metta Convention week offers a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from renowned Buddhist teachers from around the world! Register here.

About the presenters: The Most Venerable (Jetsunma) Tenzin Palmo ordained in 1964 when she was 21 years old, and became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monastic. In 1976, Jetsunma in seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, found a cave a couple of hours hike from Tayul, at 13,200 feet above sea level. The cave was enhanced by building enclosing walls, creating a living space around 6 feet (1.8 metres) square. In the summer months supplies were delivered from Keylong and she grew turnips and potatoes nearby. She stockpiled for winter, when the cave was snowbound. She slept and meditated upright in a meditation box. Despite many hardships and life-threatening experiences, Tenzin Palmo thrived in her solitary spiritual practice and lived in the cave for 12 years, from the ages of 33 to 45. For the first 9 years she occasionally had visitors or took trips away from the cave, while the last 3 years were spent in strict retreat. Her retreat ended in summer 1988 and after 24 years in India, she returned to Europe to stay with friends in Assisi, Italy. There she rediscovered her western roots and started to accept requests to teach.

Tenzin Palmo has been instrumental in supporting female monastics and practitioners. She is the Founding Director of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, and also took on the President’s role of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women. She is the Founding Director of the Alliance of Non Himalayan Nuns; Honorary Advisor to the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Founding Member of the Committee for Bhiksuni Ordination. To find out more about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s life and teachings, see: https://tenzinpalmo.com

Hybrid event: Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive session in person at the Western Sydney University, Bankstown or online by clicking on this link to access the session: https://uws.zoom.us/j/83250422128  Alternatively, you can dial in from your telephone (call charges apply): One tap mobile – +61731853730,,83250422128# Australia | +61861193900,,83250422128# Australia | Meeting ID: 832 5042 2128