Born in 1970, Chöje Lama Gelongma Palmo graduated from Vienna Business School and subsequently from University of Vienna, having studied German philology and Romance languages and philology, her thesis being on Medieval German literature. In her worldly life she worked in the media as a journalist, PR manager and photographer.

At 20, she connected with the Buddhadharma and renounced worldly life, divorcing at the age of 27. She received the monastic vows of a getsulma from Guru Vajradhara H. H. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, and in 2004 the full ordination of a gelongma  (Skr. Bikshuni) from a Mahayana lineage after completing the traditional Karma Kamtsang three years’ retreat, which she underwent in  Karma Triyana Dharmachakra under Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche.

She has studied and practiced the Buddhadharma under Guru Vajradhara H. H. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa at Palpung Sherab Ling since taking refuge in the Three Jewels in her early twenties, and over the years received numerous transmissions from many masters.

She received complete transmissions of the eight major lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism,  Mahamudra transmissions, and instructions and practice of two of the three most important Mahamudra cycles, Ngedon Gyatsho and Marig Münsel from‭ Guru Vajradhara H. H. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa.

Guru Vajradhara H. H. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa appointed her Chöje Lama twice: the first time in 2013 when she was the first Western lama — and woman — to receive this title in a letter.  In In 2014, she received the second, traditional Chöje Lama appointment from Guru Vajradhara in silk, bearing the seal of H.H. The 1st and 8th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. She was the first lama ever to receive this title on silk from Guru Vajradhara H. H. 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa.

Guru Vajradhara bestowed a blessing letter and a blessing video on her, too explaining her project. She established Palpung Europe with its institutes and serves as Head Lama of The European Seat of The Palpung lineage and Director of Palpung Europe. Read more about the history of Palpung Europe.

Chöje Lama Palmo explains the dharma in an accessible and contemporary way.

Besides her spiritual and social responsibilities she is living her devotion very actively across many practical, hands-on fields: Her work spans architecture, interior design, project management, administration (she personally oversaw the adaptation of the institutes and brought it to fruition through great physical exertion), carpentry, tailoring, art, layout, writing, photography and much more.

She established Palpung Europe Publications, translating the richness of the Palpung lineage and the existing books by His Holiness into a fresh, contemporary German. A studied linguist, she has coined many new terms in Dharma translation. She is also the official German-language translator for Guru Vajradhara H.H. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, has authored two books of her own with two more in progress, and continues to contribute in countless other ways.

Chöje Lama Palmo was diagnosed with terminal cancer in September 2020, received emergency surgery, chemo and purely survived through the blessing of her Guru, His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. She is now resuming her activities in 2026.

March 2026, she was invited and became a member of the European Council of Religious Leaders.