An exploration of an extraordinary group of female meditation masters from the Buddhist tradition in Tibet whose determination and accomplishments can serve as a great example for meditators the world over.

Among Tibetan spiritual biographies there are many life stories of exceptional male wisdom-holders or vidyadharas. But biographies of religious women are few. This book focuses on the hidden world of the great female spiritual adepts who were born into a prominent lineage of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries, this family of wisdom holders has been committed to helping others alleviate their suffering and develop a strong dedication to spiritual practice.

The Sakya Jetsunmas: The Hidden World of Tibetan Female Lamas, Elisabeth A. Benard, Snow Lion, Paperback, 320 pages, $29.95

Elisabeth Benard (Ph.D. Columbia University in Tibetan Buddhism) was a professor of religion and the director of the Pacific Rim/Asia Study-Travel Program at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of Chinnamasta: The Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess (Motilal Banarsidass, 1994) and numerous scholarly articles, and the co-editor, with Beverly Moon, of Goddesses Who Rule (Oxford University Press, 2000). Since her retirement, she has continued to pursue her interest in goddesses and spiritual women, compiling biographies of hidden yoginis in Tibetan Buddhism. Her spiritual practice has been under the guidance of the 3rd Dezhung Rinpoche, H.H. the 41st Sakya Trizin (now Trichen), and H.E. Jetsun Kushok.

CONTENTS: The Sakya Jetsunmas
Foreword by H.E. Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding		xi
Preface and Acknowledgments		xiii
Major Figures by Chapter		xix
Sakya Family Names		xxiii
Introduction		1
1.	The Sakya Jetsunma Phenomenon	9
2.	The Multiple Meanings of Sakya	25
3.	Emanation of Vajrayogini: Jetsunma Chime Tenpai Nyima (1756-ca. 1855)	41
	Chart 1. The Duchod Labrang	44
4.	Lama to All: Jetsunma Tamdrin Wangmo (1836-96)	53
	Chart 2. The Phuntsok Palace	56
5.	The Great Yogini: Kyabgon Pema Trinlei (1874-ca. 1950)	77
	Chart 3. The Dolma Palace, Late 18th to Late 19th Century	80
6.	Inveterate Diarist: Dragshul Trinlei Rinchen (1871-1935), the 39th Sakya Trinzin	101
	Chart 4. The Dolma Palace, Late 19th to Mid-20th Century	104
7.	No Time to Sleep: Dagmo Trinlei Paljor (1906-75)	123
8.	Born to Practice: Jetsun Kushok (b. 1938) and Her Brother the 41st Sakya Trizin	153
9.	Traversing Cultures: Jetsun Kushok in India and the West	219
	Chart 5. The Dolma Palace, Mid-20th to 21st Century	232
Epilogue: Jetsunma Kunga Trinley (b. 2007), the First Vegan Jetsunma		249
Appendices
A. Interview with Aja Dolkar, Longtime Attendant of the Sakya Family		261
B. Interview with Tsering Dorje, the Son of Aja Dolkar		267
C. The Sakya Trizins and the Dungsays		271
Bibliography		277
Figure Credits		285
About the Author		289