5 Unexpected Women Who Became Buddhist Nuns
Dear friends,
Anyone can do anything they like. What they like and don’t like is subject to change so nothing is written in stone. But our spirituality should never be taken for granted, abandoned or taken lightly. Spirituality should be a permanent and steady fixture in our lives to help us on the journey of true lasting happiness. Taking ordination is one of the best things we can do for our current situation and future and distant future if we have the right motivation.
I wanted to share five special people who have taken on ordination in order to be of benefit to themselves, their family and others. Ordination definitely benefits the family members for seven generations. I am happy to share this with you. The first nun was ordained over 2,500 years ago by Lord Buddha and the founder of the Buddhist nun order and her sacred name was Pajapati. Many are treading her path now and many more tread her path. I rejoice.
Tsem Rinpoche
Ani Rinchen Khandro aka. Jackie Glass
As a former 60s model, and the first serious girlfriend of George Best (multi-award winning Irish football player), Ani Rinchen was set to live a life as a WAG (wives and girlfriends of high-profile sportspersons).
Instead, she firmly cut the ropes that tied her to both the soccer heartthrob superstar, and her samsaric life.
Ani Rinchen was raised in a middle-class family in Manchester, by a father from a Russian Jewish family and an Irish Catholic mother.
With legs that go on forever, and head full of beautiful blonde locks, her world revolved around glamorous photo shoots, her sports car, and rubbing shoulders with the biggest who’s-who of the day.
She delved into the world of fashion and design, even bravely dipping her toe into the music industry with a pop record that charted in Australia.
In 1994, she attended a teaching by HH Dalai Lama at Dumfriesshire monastery – and as they say, the rest was history.
Today, Ani Rinchen is a Buddhist nun and runs the Kagyu Samye Dzong Meditation Centre in Edinburgh.
Her connections with the glamorous life didn’t quite completely severe though.
Singer Annie Lennox had previously invited Ani Rinchen for a charity concert, where the proceeds were donated to the Scottish Buddhist monastery. Billy Conolly has also supported her fundraising efforts for Dumfriesshire monastery.
Thubten Changchub Palmo aka. Zina Rachevsky
If there was ever a need for a 60’s poster girl that reflected eccentric firecrackers, it would be Zina Rachevsky.
Born in the Ambassador Hotel of New York to mother Harriet Straus (of the wealthy Straus family) and father Vladimir Rachevsky, Zina was a typical product of Tinseltown.
She became a Hollywood actress, but was better known as an international socialite – making headlines for love and drug scandals.
She had everything – money, fame, beauty and a string of relationships. However, she was deeply unhappy, triggering the need for some soul-searching.
In 1965, Zina Rachevsky traveled to India. Her guide brought her to Ghum Monastery in Darjeeling, where she received her first encounter with one of the ‘greats of the greats’ within Tibetan Buddhism, Lama Yeshe.
She became Lama Yeshe’s first Western student, and her thirst for the Dharma was unquenchable. And her faith in both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa remained unwavering throughout the years.
Three years after meeting her Guru, Zina Rachevsky was ordained as a novice nun. The following year, she helped the Lamas found what would later on be called Kopan Monastery.
H.E. Tsem Rinpoche has previous blogged about Zina Rachevsky. To read more, click here.
Ven. Gyalten Samten aka. Barkha Madan
Gyalten Samten previous lifestyle is a far cry from her current life as a Buddhist nun.
Born in Punjab into an army family in the 70s, Barkha Madan was the perfect combination of both brains and beauty.
Holding a degree in English Literature, Barkha Madan was one of the finalist in a Miss India contest in 1994 competing alongside Aishwarya Rai, and Swetha Menon. Her beauty pageant life also brought her to Malaysia where she was a runner-up at the Miss Tourism International.
Exploring career opportunities, Barkha Madan penetrated into the film industry becoming a TV and film actress, film producer and TV show host. Under her acting belt are 4 Bollywood films and 20 TV shows.
Her production and distribution company, Golden Gate LLC, also produced two critically acclaimed films, Soch Lo and Surkhaab, with her in the lead.
Barkha Madan had always been drawn to Buddhism. As a young child, she remembers being attracted to the happiness that exuded from HH Dalai Lama’s face.
At the end of a long life puja in 2012, Burkha Madan asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche if it was be good for her to become a nun for the benefit of others. With 2 thumbs up, Lama Zopa Rinpoche replied, “Good”.
The very next day, with borrowed robes (and the green light from her mother via a phone call), Barkha Madan became ordained as Ven. Gyalten Samden in Sera Jey Monastery.
Tenzin Palmo aka. Diane Perry
Born in Woolmers Park, Hertfordshire, on June 30, 1943, Tenzin Palmo grew up a typical London girl. At least that’s what it appeared to be.
Although spiritualist meetings were held in her home, Tenzin Palmo discovered that she was a Buddhist at heart after reading a borrowed library book on the religion.
When she turned 20, Tenzin Palmo decided to go to India to teach English – and more importantly, to pursue her spiritual path. A few months into teaching, as karmic connection would have it, Tenzin Palmo met her root Guru, the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche.
In the following year, she became the 2nd Western woman to be ordained in the Vajrayana tradition.
She lived in Khamtrul Rinpoche’s monastery for 6 years – as the only female nun among 100 monks. Under the suggestion of her Guru, Tenzin Palmo went to Lahaul and entered a solitary retreat.
… the retreat lasted for 12 years!
She grew her own food, lived in harsh sub-zero temperatures, and remained in continuous meditation within the Indian Himalayas.
In 1988, Tenzin Palmo emerged from her remote 10″ x 6″ cave and began making waves in the female Buddhist community.
She remains a strong voice advocating for female equality in the Tibetan Buddhist world, fundraised and established the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, and re-established the extinct lineage of togdenmas (Drukpa Kagyu yogini order).
Most women aspiring to become nuns would have read the detailed account of Tenzin’s Palmo’s 12-year solitary retreat in the book, A Cave In The Snow.
If you haven’t, the documentary has been blogged here.
Pema Chödrön aka. Deirdre Blomfield-Brown
Although she was the first American woman to become fully ordained, prior to ordination, Pema Chödrön lived a life most modern women can relate to.
Born in New York City, Pema Chödrön grew up and attended school in the countryside with her siblings. Her education led her to receive a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s in elementary education.
Armed with the right qualifications, Pema Chödrön began working as an elementary school teacher in California and New Mexico. Her personal family life had also simultaneously expanded after getting married at age 21, and giving birth to 2 children.
After her 2nd divorce, Pema Chödrön’s life took a turn. And it seems for the better.
She began studying under Lama Chime Rinpoche in the French Alps, and a few years later, whilst studying under the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa (Head of the Tibetan Karma Kagyu lineage), she got ordained as a novice Buddhist nun in 1974.
At the encouragement of Chime Rinpoche, in 1974, her root Guru became the infamous Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Under the Buddhist teacher who pegged the term “crazy wisdom”, Pema Chödrön received numerous teachings from him until his death in 1987.
Currently, Pema Chödrön spends most of her time in retreat. She’s the resident teacher and founding director of Gampo Abbey, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in North America for Western men and women.
She has also published numerous books, established a foundation, and conducted countless workshops, seminars, and meditation retreats around the world.
For more interesting information:
- 5 Practical Tips For A Spiritual Retreat
- 6 Signs You Need A Retreat – Pronto!
- Do You Know What These 3 Millionaires Did?
- 10 Incredible House Blessings by Kechara Pastors
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for sharing these very inspiring and motivating write ups about these beautiful and wonderful women who gave up everything to become Sanghas and live a more meaningful life to benefit others🙏🙏👏👏💜😘
Nuns lead a totally religious life. Becoming a Buddhist nun is truly a meaningful and worthwhile way to be of benefit to others. They chose to be a nun as they could have found the light of their life. Rich and famous they found true happiness in pursuing their spiritual path. Those mentioned in this post were indeed extraordinary women, becoming a nun unexpectedly. They became a Buddhist nun so they could devote the rest of their life to the service of others and get some deeper meaning in life. Each of them have a beautiful story for what they are today.Rejoice to all of them.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Today, women in many countries make at least some decisions about what they will do with their lives. They are highly responsible for the successful continuation of the life on this planet.
This article has a beautiful story of fame, famous and rich people in various field and career before been ordained as a Buddhist nun. All challenging women always looks for something interesting to continue the life journey to be more meaningful.
Thank you for the sharing the inspiring stories of extraordinary women who became nuns.
Happiness is something that we all want, yet a few feel and think beyond expectation.
The choice to become ordained is not always easy but trying to find sense and reason in the vicious cycle of samsara is even harder. They lived a life which most modern women would loved to yet they are not happy and look for some soul-searching. Each of them has a beautiful story before been ordained as a Buddhist nun.
Thank you for this wonderful post. It is happy to see that people can change for the better, and that women are not deprived from the Dharma.Thank you very much.
Pls help my orphan frnd,she has been abandoned by all n v ill.Pls help her,she has no home n turned away by few monks both female n male.
They are extraordinary women and least expected to be ordained as a Buddhist nun .Leaving a successful career , wealth, fame, and fortune to be Buddhist nun. They lived a life which most modern women would loved to yet they are not happy and look for some soul-searching. Each of them has a beautiful story before been ordained as a Buddhist nun. Very inspiring each of them and today they benefited many more people . To name a few….. Ani Rinchen runs the Kagyu Samye Dzong Meditation Centre in Edinburg, Zina Rachevsky helped the Lamas in Kopan Monastery and Tenzin Palmo whom fundraised and established the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing .
Thank you for sharing the stories of these inspiring and extraordinary women. I find it particularly heartwarming to read about women who seem to have it all in life giving it all up to pursue a spiritual path, enduring much hardship to be of benefit to others.
Inspiring ladies who chose to focus on a life of benefitting others.
Dear RInpoche ,
Thank you for sharing the stories of these amazing women that chose the spiritual life.
Some of them have the world at their feet with their wealth, fame, and fortune. Their life would had been labelled as “perfect” where most people would do anything to have that kind of life. However, they chose to renounce from life they had and adept a spiritual way of life. They understand that only dharma can bring them real happiness and hence they went and get ordained as nuns.
Happiness is a very subjective thing and most of the people in the world spend their whole life looking for it high and low and died trying. They thought the outer things or materialistic things can give them eternal happiness, but they are so wrong. Inner peace and inner wealth are the ones that can give us a state of happiness that last.
Chris
These are some of the most amazing and beautiful women in the world. They are so wise to realise that appearance will lose its shine one day, it is not the most important thing in the world. It is more important to spend time cultivate our mind for the betterment of other beings than to buy the most expensive skin care, jewellery, clothes, car, house to make ourselves look good on the outside. They ‘gave up’ the samsaric enjoyments and walk their spiritual path proudly. Some are now older, but they don’t look old, grumpy or frail, they look so alert, content, happy, and they are glowing!
Happiness is a state of mind, not so much of our material possession. If money truly can buy happiness, why are people with money and wealth suffer from depression? We don’t have to become a sangha to find our happiness, we just have to realise our mind always tricks us, develop our awareness of our mind then we can slowly change our perception and become more positive every day.
This posts says to many things.
It says how we do not need to be brought up in a monastery to become monks. Anyone can be a monk if they wanted to. You can have any kind of background and still have the mental capability to become a monk. Its all in the mind. We can do anything we set our mind to.
Another thing I’ve learnt from this post is that sacrifice is needed for the better. All these lovely ladies above must have needed to sacrifice something to become a monk. Things like friends, social life and personal items had to be sacrificed for them to pursue their spiritual journey. I have a lot of respect for them because of this. I do not think that i would be able to do this.
Lastly, this post teaches me a valuable lesson. Nothing in like is permanent. One day you could wake and dreaming to become a successful businessman, and the next day you are taking refuge. Things change, and we must be prepared for that change. We mustn’t be attached to things, we mustn’t be attached to our lifestyle.
I hope that others have looked at this post like i have. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
This is a beautiful and touching post to me because it reminds me that the Dharma can touch anybody and some people can take the steps to break from samsara from anywhere and there is no excuse that you are in some situation that makes you not be able to do work and take part in the Dharma. It makes you a better and purer person.
That is why I have so much respect for Rinpoche, he works so hard to give people the Dharma and to change their lives with his teaching whether some people take it or not. He sets an example and tries to save us from samsara. So thank you Rinpoche for spreading the saving. Thank you for touching my life with the Dharma that makes me a better person in my mind as well as my actions. I always want to be better, and as I grow, I can with the Dharma.
So these people can show people that with the Dharma anything is possible and these people are examples that the Dharma can change anybody.
Such beautiful individuals who shed light on the path to peace and happiness. Their brief story is hopeful but also extremely powerful because their choice to become ordained in that era is a true reflection of commitment and determination .
The choice to become ordained is not always easy but trying to find sense and reason in the vicious cycle of samsara is even harder.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these inspiring stories.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this post. It is nice to see that people can change for the better, and that women are not deprived from the Dharma.
Out of the five, I have heard of two of them, which are Jetsun Tenzin Palmo and Pema Chödrön. 🙂 It was nice to know a little backstory on both of them, and the three others.
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.