Sister Yeshe



Venerable Yeshe Chodron is a nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She became a Buddhist in 1994 when, at the age of 17, she encountered Buddhism while travelling in India. She has since trained with Tibetan Lamas in the Sakya tradition and currently teaches Buddhism and meditation retreats at various centres in India and Australia. In addition to her meditational practice and personal studies, she has worked with the poor in India, HIV-positive patients, nursing home residents, and students, offering counselling and other services. Sister Yeshe is committed to living the traditional contemplative life of a wandering mendicant - she may often be seen wandering the streets of Sydney and India with a Buddhist begging bowl!

Sister Yeshe is the author of Everyday Enlightenment – How To Be a Spiritual Warrior at the Kitchen Sink (HarperCollins Publishers).

www.kalyanamitrafund.org.au


H.H. the 41st Sakya Trizin

His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin was born in Tsedong, Tibet, in 1945. He is the supreme head of the Sakya School, one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness belongs to the ancient and distinguished royal family of Khön, whose history dates back to the early days of Tibet, even before the arrival of Buddhism there.
From the age of 3 he began to receive all the major initiations and teachings of the Sakya tradition, including those in the most advanced esoteric doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1951, at the age of 6, he formally received the title of Sakya Trizin (the Throne-holder of Sakya) from the Dalai Lama - thus becoming the 41st holder of this position. In 1959, he was forced to leave his royal palace behind and flee to India following the Chinese invasion of Tibet.
Besides working ceaselessly for the preservation and successful reconstitution of Sakya's rich and profound Dharma heritage, His Holiness has given numerous initiations, written a large number of texts, and in particular has bestowed the vast Lam Dre teachings on no fewer than 11 occasions. He travels regularly to teach in many parts of the world.

www.paldensakya.org.in


Tenzin Palmo



Venerable Tenzin Palmo was raised in London and, while in her teens, became a Buddhist. In 1964, at the age of 20, she decided to go to India to pursue her spiritual path.
There she met her Tibetan guru, His Eminence the eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche and 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, northern India, for six years. He then sent her to the Himalayan valley of Lahoul in order to undertake more intensive practice. For another six years Tenzin Palmo practised in a small monastery and remained in retreat during the long and snowy winter months which last for half of the year. Seeking more isolation and better conditions for further intense practice, she found a nearby cave where she lived for another 12 years, most spent in strict retreat. She left the cave in 1988 and soon after opened a nunnery in Tashi Jong, northern India.

www.tenzinpalmo.com