In late October of 2010, after repeated requests by many devoted students, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo agreed to begin formal training in offering empowerments, or wangs. In so doing, Jetsunma is offering an incalculable blessing to Western students. She has said in her teachings that she was born in Brooklyn, as a woman, for a particular purpose – to display to Western students, especially female students, that enlightenment is possible for all, that it transcends culture and gender, that it is not the exclusive product of some exotic foreign culture.
Jetsunma, born Alyce Zeoli, was the first Western Woman to be recognized as a Tulku, or incarnate Lama, and formally enthroned. His Holiness Pedma Norbu Rinpoche, the 11th Throneholder of Palyul, and at that time the Supreme Head of all Nyingmapa, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and Dzongnang Rinpoche all agreed that Alyce Zeoli was indeed the reincarnation of Genyenma Akhon Lhamo, the sister of Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab, the First Throneholder of the Palyul lineage. In 1988, during the first bestowal of the Rinchen Terzod in the West, she was enthroned as a Lineage Holder of Palyul by His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche.
During her enthronement ceremony His Holiness made the following statement:
What is her responsibility at this point, as a tulku, is that she is responsible for propagating the Dharma and for being of benefit to sentient beings, and she has no other responsibility but that. See video of the Enthronement Ceremony here
By enthroning Jetsunma as a Lineage Holder, His Holiness Pedma Norbu Rinpoche was declaring that students could have total confidence in her qualifications. In the following excerpt from Great Perfection Buddha in the Palm of the Hand, Gyaltrul Rinpoche describes the significance of this title:
Otherwise, any lama whose name appears in any of Guru Rinpoche’s prophecies, who is a designated lineage or terma holder, or who is the owner of a dharma transmission, can be relied upon straight away. Such a lama is a supreme lama to receive dzogchen transmissions from. – Great Perfection Buddha in the Palm of the Hand, page 44, Yeshe Melong Publications, 1992
In 2005 His Holiness referred to his recognition of Jetsunma at his New York Retreat:
Jetsunma, a long time ago, I met with her, I examined her for a while, and found her to be the incarnation of Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab’s sister known as Ahkon Lhamo….Jetsunma is a good and perfect teacher. I don’t think that she is deceiving anybody. Among Jetsunma’s students there are a whole bunch of monks and nuns and all of them are disciplined by her. What other woman in America could do that? There is nobody else. She is good and special. See video of His Holiness’s comments here.
At the time of her recognition and enthronement, Jetsunma had not received any formal training in Buddhism. She has, since that time, received extensive empowerments, lungs and teachings both in India and at her center, Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) in Maryland, from many Great Masters.
She also had an opportunity to receive the entire transmission for the Rinchen Terdzod directly from His Holiness, all of the empowerments, all of the pith essential pointing out instructions and commentaries that are found in that precious terma treasury, and she received it in a way that an elderly lama would receive it, an elderly Tibetan lama. And so she had this opportunity to completely internalize all of those blessings, which is very extraordinary. His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok See video of this commentary here
Jetsunma has therefore gathered all the necessary requirements to offer empowerment, the wangs, the lungs, the pith instructions, she has accumulated millions of mantras and accomplished the practices, has been recognized and enthroned as a Lineage Holder and carries the blessings of her teachers.
Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, born in a “barbarian” land (according to the Buddhist teachings a “barbarian land” is one where the Dharma does not exist,) as a woman, growing up without the supports of the tradition, without formal training, yet through the profound accomplishments of her past lives was able to give rise to the Dharma from her own mind, to the point where her teacher, His Holiness Pedma Norbu Rinpoche, traveled across oceans and continents to find her and establish the Palyul Lineage in that same, once barbarian land.
Having overcome the lack of formal training in the traditions of her Lineage through diligent practice and study, Jetsunma is now, in response to the devotion of her students, undertaking a new level of training.
Jetsunma had her students send a letter to the current Throneholder of Palyul, His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche informing him of their request for Jetsunma to begin offering wangs and her intention to begin training. Word was received today that His Holiness Karma Kuchen was surprised by this communication, replying it was “unusual for him to be told.” He was surprised we felt the need to inform him. At enthronement the Tulku is given all the blessings of the Lineage, at that time the Tulku may upon training, immediately give empowerment.
When visiting KPC on his last visit to the US, His Holiness Karma Kuchen referred to His Holiness Pedma Norbu Rinpoche’s recognition in the following way:
As you all know how this center started, the late His Holiness Tulku Pedma Norbu Rinpoche, a Palyul Throneholder and Tulku, with the intention to spread the Buddha Dharma and especially the Secret Mantrayana Teaching, he recognized Jetsunma as the incarnation of Ahkon Lhamo, who was the sister of Rigzin Kunzang Sherab, the founder of the Palyul Lineage. See video of this commentary here
Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo is continuing to fulfill the wishes of her root teacher by undertaking this new training. May those with faith in the profound Buddha Dharma rejoice!
May any merit or virtue generated by this account be devoted to the swift liberation of every suffering being, and to the long life, strong health and enduring happiness of Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.
I confess any faults or errors in this account are purely my own, through the limitations of my poor view and ordinary understanding.
Thubten Sonam Dolma
