As you may be aware, our beloved Ani Thubten Palchen passed from this life on Friday, January 8.  We will remember her spirited laughter in the Mani Jewel Giftstore at KPC, where she was frequently the first person to greet visitors to the temple.

Ani Palchen was a trailblazer, ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Vajrayana (Tibetan) tradition in 1988 long before most Americans were aware of such a path.  She was among the first group of 20 Westerners ordained by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, a blessing he granted during his visit to confer the Rinchen Terzod—another ground-breaking occurrence, the first transmission of these treasures in the USA.

Many remember her gaiety and her kindness, not realizing that she was also an artist and, most important, a devoted practitioner.  Here is the final artistic work of her life, a poem she wrote, just a few short weeks before her death.

Golden warmth

Crimson heart

Within my chalice

I lie wrapped in

Guru and consort

My home

Within my bodyhome

Impermanent

No ground but love.

by Thubten Palchen

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