Gelongma Lama Palmo

Gelongma Lama Karma Tsultrim Palmo Karuna, born 1970 in Vienna, graduated from commercial college with a BA and subsequently studied German Philologie and French at University of Vienna and graduated in medievistic German literature with a MA. She worked in public relations, as freelancing journalist and photographer.

Not long after she renounced worldly life: divorced her husband, gave up her jobs to dedicate herself fully and wholeheartedly to the dharma. For the benefit of all sentient beings she received the monastic vows of a getsulma in 1998 from her root teacher, Chamgon Kuanding Tai Situ Rinpoche within the order of Karma Kagyu of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Already before her ordination she spent much time in Asia, lived in the Kamtsang Kagyu monasteries in the Himalayas but spent a lot of time in Palpung Sherab Ling, Himachal Pradesh (Northindia), Seat of the incarnation line of the Chamgon Kuanding Tai Situ Rinpoches, outside of Tibet where she studied and practiced the dharma. 

In the course of her education she has been receiving many transmissions and initiations from different teachers mainly of the Kagyu lineage, mostly by Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche, including Dzo Nga of Jamgon Lodro Thaye, cig she kun drol, and other cyles as well as Mahamudra transmissions. Under the guidance of Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche she has been practicing and studying the dharma since her taking refuge.  In brief, she received well all three vows: the pratimoksha, the bodhisattva and the mantrayana.  

In November 2000 she entered the traditional three year three month retreat in Karme (Yi Ong Samten) Ling under Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, connected to Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (Seat of H. H. Karmapa in Northamerica), which she concluded in March 2004. Right afterwards she was sent to Japan. 

She received her full monastic ordination of a gelongma (Skr Bikshuni) in 2004 within Vietnamese Zen from Ven. Dharma Karuna. 

During her stay in her home monastery in India in March 2005 she met several times with His Eminence. Plans for the center in Austria were discussed. March 2006 she met with H. H. Dalai Lama and H. H. Karmapa in private audiences in India requesting and receiving their blessing for our project.

2007 the center which had already been founded in 1997 was renamed by Tai Situ Rinpoche and plans as well as Lama Palmo's responsibilities discussed and His Eminence appointed her teacher in residence. She is director of the center and fully responsible for the center and its branches.

Currently she lives in Purkersdorf in the new center, teaching and taking care of the project as well as in its branches, travelling a great deal, also visiting other centers of the lineage. She withdraws for retreats whenever possible. She guides her own community on their spiritual quest as well as all practitioners and interested individuals.

Read more about Lama Palmo's activities here.