CAVE IN THE SNOW

We like this film because it not only makes us cheer on Tenzin Palmo's cause, but it's also very revealing about a subject we knew little about. It is intriguing to see how even those who dedicate their lives to cultivating compassion and wisdom can still be held in a spell of judgment by deep-seated gender biases in their cultures.  

This film is made from the best-selling book documenting the life of Tenzin Palmo, the daughter of an East London fishmonger who left everything she knew behind to pursue her spiritual path. 

The second westerner ever to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun,  Tenzin Palmo secluded herself in a cave in the Himalayas where she spent 12 years doing intensive spiritual practices.  She faced unimaginable cold, avalanches, blizzards and wolves, grew her own food--and was very happy.

"I had planned to stay in my cave,” she said, “but life has a way of serving you up with what you need, rather than what you think you want.” 

Facing opposition and prejudice from some because she is a woman, while also receiving much support and encouragement from others, Tenzin Palmo has taken on the daunting task of establishing a nunnery in northern India for the indigenous young women who seek spiritual and intellectual realization.  As an international fundraiser for the Bongyu Gatsai Ling nunnery, Tenzin Palmo has become a burgundy-and-saffron-clad globetrotter. She is a tireless and gentle force, standing up for the rights of women to be educated and supported on the road to spiritual enlightenment in the same way that male monastics are.

CAVE IN THE SNOW is followed by a 1-hour lunch break, then Ruth King's talk & meditation. One ticket covers both the film and Ruth's talk.