Tsultrim's Biography
Tsultrim Allione, M.A. is a teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition known for her lucid explanations of Buddhist teachings because of the combination of her intense life-long practice and study, as well as her real-life experiences as a mother and lay practitioner in the West. This combination brings an intimacy with the teachings, and gives them a contemporary feel and makes them easy to relate to. The teachings of the Buddha become alive and vibrant through her rich explanations.
Her most recent book, Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict connects the ancient knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist teachings with the modern psyche addressing the major issues of our culture and what causes us to suffer most. The book is about her pioneering technique of the five steps of Feeding Your Demons, a system based on the traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Chod about transforming our inner demons by nurturing them rather than fighting and struggling with them.
Tsultrim was one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan nun in 1970 by the 16th Karmapa. 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 forty years, earning a degree in Buddhist Studies/Women's Studies from Antioch University. She has received teachings from many illustrious teachers such as HH the 16th Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Ad.zom Rinpoche and others. The teachings that she offers are authentically grounded in the Buddhist tradition, in particular the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism, from her years of study and practice. However, the insight that she provides on these ancient teachings from her life experiences as a lay practitioner in the West allows for accessibility to a Western audience without losing the context of these rich teachings.
Tsultrim's main inspiration in her life of service to the Dharma is with the sacred feminine. When she was a nun in Asia she became aware of the gender discrimination in the traditional Tibetan culture. In the Buddhist religious texts, there are many references to the sacred feminine, in the form of female teachers, deities, and symbolism, but the real-life of female practitioners was far from ideal. Nuns were not able to receive as many teachings as monks.
Later, in the early 1980's after becoming a mother and watching how that affected her practice, she yearned to find the stories of other women practitioners, culminating in the classic book Women of Wisdom which captures the biographies of different Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. These practitioners faced many of the same issues that women face today - having children, and the pressure of family life; discrimination because of gender - and provide contemporary practitioners with role models to base their practice on.
In 1993, Tsultrim and her husband David Petit founded Tara Mandala, a 700 acre retreat center located in the wilderness of southern Colorado. As a young nun in the Himalayas, Tsultrim had envisioned a retreat center in the West dedicated to the sacred feminine. Tara Mandala is dedicated to Tara and the reemergence of the sacred feminine in all her manifestations. The land is in the shape of a mandala, with a breast-like peak at the center. From atop this peak, you can see in all directions the formation of the land, which is in the shape of a lotus. The purpose of Tara Mandala is to provide a place for people to do deep retreat and attain realization. To this end, a Tara Temple is currently being built. It will be the first Temple devoted to Tara in the West. It is being built along with two Residence Buildings. The Temple will house large statues of the 21 Taras, a library and have ornate decorations including frescoes of the life of Machig Labdron. These facilities will aid in furthering the work of Tara Mandala, allowing people to do more short and long-term retreat. It has been prophesized by Adzom Rinpoche, a very accomplished lama, that many practitioners will reach enlightenment here. A section of the land has been set aside for cabins to do traditional three year retreats and become teachers.
Most recently, Tsultrim has become inspired to collect the lineage of Machig Labdron, an 11th century yogini who started the Chod lineage in Tibet. As a long-time Chod practitioner, Tsultrim has studied the teachings of Machig Labdron for decades and has taught the practice all over the world. Chod teaches a method of facing directly our worst fears and offering that which we hold most dear, to that which we fear the most. We offer our body because it is that which is most dear to us, and invite that which frightens us most. It is traditional in Tibetan Buddhism, for teachings to be passed down in a lineage, from teacher to student. Over the centuries, and especially recently with the Chinese occupation of Tibet, many of these precious teachings have been lost or are extremely rare. Tsultrim is working to collect these teachings so that they will not be lost for future generations. At Tara Mandala, the Tara Temple that is being built also holds a library that will serve as the location where these texts can safely be stored, so that this precious knowledge will not be lost.
In conjunction with Tsultrim's deep connection with Machig Labdron and her dedication to preserving these teachings, she led a pilgrimage to Nepal and Tibet in May 2007. The purpose of pilgrimage is to connect with sacred places and especially the places where teachers have practiced and lived. At the heart of the pilgrimage was a visit to Zangri Khangmar in Tibet, the place where Machig Labdron lived from the age of 37 to 99 and where she passed away. At this location, Tsultrim was recognized as an emanation of Machig Labdron by the resident Lama, Karma Dorje Rinpoche, who is the 7th incarnation of the brother of the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje.
In regards to the recognition Tsultrim has recently said, "I think [the recognition] is to make this new phase of collecting Machig's lineage more empowered. Recognition allows more energy to flow, and Machig's blessings can manifest more fully. It's a kind of mirroring from the outside validating our heartfelt intention to reinvigorate and spread Machig's lineage in the West. It also felt very natural. We will keep doing what we have been doing already, but the recognition creates an auspicious interdependence for the teachings."
Tsultrim's skill at teaching stems from both her dedication to the Dharma and also the way she has brought the Dharma into the regular hardships of life. She brings forth the vibrance of the teachings in a way that makes them tangible both for accomplished practitioners and those new to the path.
Tsultrim's Teachers
The 16th Karmapa (Her Root Lama)
Sapchu Rinpoche
Abu Rinpoche
Kalu Rinpoche
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
Ad.zom Rinpoche
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