Lama Tsültrim Allione is an author, internationally known Buddhist teacher, and the founder and resident lama of Tara Mandala Retreat Center. She is the author of

Women of Wisdom,

national bestseller Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict, which is now translated into seventeen languages, and

Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine.

Born in New England to an academic and publishing family, Lama Tsultrim traveled to India in her late teens and in 1970, at the age of twenty-two, was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun by H. H. the Sixteenth Karmapa. After four years living as a nun in the Himalayan region, she returned her monastic vows, married, and raised a family of three children. She has a Master's degree in Buddhist Studies/Women's Studies from Antioch University. Her writings and teachings come from her sublime Tibetan lamas as well as her experience as a Western woman and mother. She is known for her ability to translate the wisdom of the ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition into clear teachings that are relatable and relevant to Western audiences. Lama Tsultrim continues to guide Tara Mandala, as the resident lama, as well as thousands of students around the world. She was named Buddhist Woman of the Year in 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. For more information on Lama Tsultrim Allione watch a documentary on her life, Feeding Your Demons, and visit the Tara Mandala website.

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Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded May 8, 2018.

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump

00:02:58 - The Beginning of My Journey in India

00:06:36 - Discovering Joy in Dharamsala

00:10:08 - The Black Hat Ceremony and Buddhist Legends

00:13:26 - Witnessing a Lama's Miraculous Handprint

00:16:26 - The Rock Experiment and the Power of Faith

00:19:41 - The Dharma and Buddhist philosophy

00:22:32 - Meeting the Karmapa and Finding My Guru

00:26:04 - Ordained by His Holiness in Bhutan

00:29:36 - Physical Benefits of Prostrations

00:32:40 - The Decision to Leave Monasticism

00:36:12 - Dedication of Merit to Benefit All Beings

00:39:50 - Finding Compassion through Personal Loss

00:43:12 - Inequity between Men and Women in Buddhism

00:46:27 - Women and Nature in Religion

00:49:53 - The Reciprocal Relationship Between Nature and Human Beings

00:53:15 - The Divine Feminine and Immanent Presence in Creation

00:56:00 - The Radiance of the Phenomenal World

00:59:34 - The Divine's Discipline and Natural Disasters

01:03:32 - The Archetype of the Fierce Feminine

01:06:53 - The power of the mandala practice in transforming the mind

01:10:09 - Testimonials: Activism and Healing

01:13:19 - Ontological existence of the Daikinis

01:16:09 - Experiential Investigation and Integration with the Elements

01:19:22 - Empowerment through Dakini Mandala Practice

01:22:18 - Making Progress in the Good

01:25:11 - Holding Absolute and Relative Truths

01:28:03 - Recognition by Lamas in Tibet

01:31:29 - Working for Her

01:34:13 - Building on Past Life Development

01:37:11 - batgap.com and Links to Your Website