Tsultrim Allione, M.A., was one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan nun in 1970 by the 16th Karmapa. She is author of Women of Wisdom, a groundbreaking book on the lives of great women Tibetan practitioners, as well as articles and audio programs on the sacred feminine and other Buddhist topics. After four years as a nun, she returned her monastic vows, married, and had three children. She has continued to practice, study and teach for the last thiry years, earning a degree in Buddhist Studies/Women's Studies from Antioch University. Inspired by the vision of a Western retreat center while living in the Himalayas and seeing the need to create a place for the reemergence of the sacred feminine, Tsultrim founded Tara Mandala in 1993 where she is now the resident teacher. Tsultrim teaches a variety of practices from Tibetan Buddhist lineages, including Dzogchen. Her book, Feeding your Demons, will be published in 2008 by Little, Brown & Co (Time Warner).

She writes:
"We find conflict in so many places today, within ourselves, in relationships, between countries, and even in places we associate with peace, like the Himalayas. What is the solution? The Buddha teaches that violence leads to more violence. So how can we be actively engaged in change, yet not caught in patterns that perpetuate suffering? Meditation can create a working basis for changing the fundamental causes of suffering and moving toward natural liberation."

Back to 'About Us' page
Back to 'Teacher Biographies' page