This broad-ranging collection of Dharma teachings by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo addresses topics of common concern to Buddhist practitioners from all traditions--including the particular challenges facing Western practitioners, what to expect of a teacher-student relationship, gender issues and the role of women, how to approach meditation practice, and much more. Personable, witty, and profound, Tenzin Palmo presents an inspiring and no-nonsense view of Buddhist practice that comes from a heart infused with wisdom and compassion.


Reflections on a Mountain Lake, Ani Tenzin Palmo, Snow Lion Publications, Paperback, 304 pages, $21.95

Venerable Tenzin Palmo was born in London in 1943. She traveled to India when she was 20, met her teacher, H.E. the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, and in 1964 was one of the first western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. After six years of study with her teacher, he sent her to the Himalayan valley of Lahoul to undertake more intensive practice. She lived with a small group of nuns in a monastery there for another six years, doing frequent retreats in the long winter months. Seeking more seclusion and better conditions for practice, Tenzin Palmo found a nearby cave where she stayed and practiced for another twelve years, the last three years in strict retreat. The story of her life and experiences in her remote Himalayan cave is described in the book Cave in the Snow by Vicki Mackenzie. Today Tenzin Palmo lives in Tashi Jong, Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where she has established Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery for young women from Tibet and the Himalayan border regions. She frequently teaches around the world.

	Contents: REFLECTIONS ON A MOUNTAIN LAKE - Teachings on Practical Buddhism
	Preface	7
1.	A Western Yogini	9
2.	Motivation and Practice	29
3.	Ethics and the Three Trainings	41
4.	The Six Realms	61
5.	Women and the Path	69
6.	Shamatha, or Calm Abiding	87
7.	Vipashyana, or Insight	105
8.	Awareness	121
9.	Difficult Points for Westerners	159
10.	Tonglen	179
11.	Nature of Mind	185
12.	The Role of the Spiritual Master	205
13.	Vajrayana	223
14.	Visualizing the Deity	237
	Glossary of Technical Terms	247