Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, born Diane Perry in 1943 in London, England, embodies the meeting of a Western upbringing with the Tibetan Buddhist monastic tradition. From an early age she was drawn to Eastern spirituality and Buddhist teachings, a pull strong enough that, at the age of twenty, she left England for India in search of authentic Dharma instruction. In India she encountered her root teacher, the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, and entered his monastery in the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh. There she became one of the first Western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun, receiving novice ordination and training within the Drukpa Kagyu lineage. Her early monastic years were marked by rigorous study and practice in an environment shaped largely by male monastic culture, which sharpened her awareness of the limitations faced by women practitioners.

Her life took a particularly radical turn when she undertook a long-term solitary retreat in a remote Himalayan cave at high altitude. Over twelve years, including three in strict retreat, she dedicated herself to intensive meditation practice under extremely harsh conditions, a period that came to symbolize her unwavering commitment to the contemplative path. This depth of practice, grounded in years of training under Khamtrul Rinpoche, later informed her role as a teacher and guide for others. At the request of her teachers, she went on to found Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, creating a place where Himalayan nuns could receive strong spiritual and educational training within the Drukpa Kagyu tradition.

Her background is also inseparable from her steadfast advocacy for women in Buddhism. Having personally experienced the constraints placed on nuns, she became a prominent voice for equal opportunities, particularly in relation to education, training, and full ordination for nuns in the Tibetan Buddhist world. This lifelong dedication to both contemplative depth and institutional reform was formally acknowledged when the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa bestowed upon her the title “Jetsunma,” a recognition of her realization, discipline, and service. Through this arc—from English birth and early spiritual seeking, to Himalayan cave retreat, to institutional leadership—her life story illustrates how a single practitioner can bridge cultures while remaining firmly rooted in the heart of the Buddhist path.