Elizabeth McDougal: Gebchak Yoginis, Part Three
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Release Date: 04/11/2025
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: The Revival of the Togdenma Lineage of Accomplished Yoginis
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a bhikṣuṇī, author and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She also spent twelve years living and practicing in a remote cave in the Himalayas. Today's timenotes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:17 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche 00:06:45 Togden and togdenma (yogi and yogini) lineage and history 00:8:05 16th Karmapa and Khampagar 00:09:30 Requests leading to the Togdenma revival 00:10:36 Jetsunma's cave retreat in Lahaul 00:14:15 Finding proper Togdenma mentors 00:21:22 Togden Acho 00:24:24 Becoming officially Togdenma 00:28:31...
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Elizabeth McDougal: Gebchak Yoginis, Part Three
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Today’s episode is the final part of three parts ~ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:49 Signs, visions, dreams 00:12:00 Protector land spirits 00:16:00 Tests, conceptual collapse and faith 00:20:00 Meditation boxes 0023:30 Sky burial 00:28:00 Sri Lanka vipassana reform 00:29:30 Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok and Larung Gar 00:32:00 Modernity, realization and tacit knowledge 00:39:00 Old world preservation 00:43:50 Yidam neuroscience and dilution 00:46:00 Changes in education system 00:49:00 Yogini tulkus and titles 00:57:00 The Gebchak way, peer-pressure and self-responsibility 01:03:00 Becoming a...
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Elizabeth McDougal: Gebchak Yoginis, Part Two
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Today’s episode is part two of three parts. ~ Time notes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:15 Subtle body, mind and prana 00:11:30 Yidam and reflections of the universe 00:13:40 Tsa-lung and trulkhor 00:18:51 Modernization influence on dedication, asceticism and health. 00:24:00 Chu Rey, wet sheet ceremony 00:31:00 Tsa-lung lama Jamtsen Chodron 00:33:40 Chudlen retreats 00:37:00 Mundane and sacred, collective and individual 00:39:00 Togal and trekchod 100 day winter practice 00:46:00 On memorization and reading as a means of realization 00:50:00 Tantric practice form of learning 01:00:00 Yogin...
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Elizabeth McDougal: The Gebchak Yoginis, Part One
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Today's episode is part one of three parts that will be shared over the coming weeks. Time notes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:51 Elizabeth’s early years at Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s retreat place, and about the Togdens and Togdenmas 00:07:14 What led Elizabeth to Gebchak gonpa. 00:09:00 The initial meeting between Wandrak Rinpoche and the Gebchak yoginis 00:15:00 How Elizabeth spent her time at Gebchak gonpa 00:18:40 Nangchen as a fertile ground for yogis 00:23:00 Gebchak founder Tsang-Yang Gyamtso & the Rime period 00:29:37 The way of the yogin scholar 00:37:00 The first Tsokyni...
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Tibetan Handicraft Society: Master Carpet Weavers
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
This is a visual episode that is meant to be watched. You can watch it here: ~ Today’s episode takes place at the Tibetan Handicraft Society in McCleoud Ganj, in northern India. This Handicraft Society was founded in 1963 to support Tibetan refugees, and Tibetans who have grown up in exile and Tibetan arts and culture. Today we learn about this member run society and see some of these master weavers as they bring these traditional Tibetan carpets to form. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 Tenzin Rigsang on the Handicraft Society’s origin and purpose 00:04:10 On material sourcing and design...
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Maya Khosla: On Fires, Forests & Wild Elders
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Maya Khosla is a biologist and writer. She has spent thousands of hours hiking, backpacking, and documenting forests, including post-fire regeneration. Time notes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:07 The message of fire 00:02:00 3 types of traditional fire practice in India. 00:03:22 Rebirth after fires 00:08:00 Intimacy and the effect of hand burning versus machine work on land 00:15:00 Main causes of fires in California 00:18:00 Misunderstandings on preparing one's home in a fire-prone area. Thinking like an ember 00:19:00 Keeping a house safe in a fire and Dr. Jack Cohen 00:21:00 “The...
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Jetsunma Kunga Trinley Palter: Growing up as a Sakya Jetsunma
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Watch our conversation and see images of Jetsunma’s path here: Today our guest is Her Eminence Sakya Jetsunma Kunga Trinley Palter. Jetsunma is the granddaughter of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin and the eldest daughter of the 42nd Sakya Trizin and Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi. Jetsunma is also a tulku, the reincarnation of the Nyingma practitioner and treasure revealer, Khandro Tare Lhamo. We sit down and talk about her life thus far, being raised as a Jetsunma in the Sakya lineage, how she spends her time, and what she aspires for in the future. Timenotes: 00:00:00...
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Jetsunma Jamyang Yeshe Palmo: Knowing Where You Are on the Path & Common Misunderstandings
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Watch the interview here: ~ Today we have a brief conversation at a cafe in Kathmandu about some of the common obstacles and questions that Jetsunma’s students often share with her. Jetsunma then shares clarification on meeting these challenges and curiosities. This is part of our new weekly season schedule of publishing shorter conversations in between our more extended episodes. Time notes: 00:01:30 How to perceive ngondro practice 00:04:20 Knowing where you are on the path and blending life with practice 00:08:00 On shamatha, vipassana and dzogchen. 00:12:45 The four noble truths...
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Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron: Vajrakilaya, Guru Rinpoche Prophecies & the Mandala Principle
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
00:01:30 The mandala principle 00:04:32 Enlightened organizing principle of the universe 00:09:45 Mandalas for practice 00:16:12 Vajrakilaya mandala 00:19:25 Field of blessing 00:21:22 Lama Dawa and Guru Rinpoche Prophecies 00:24:18 Lama Dawa mirror divining the locations for Vajrakilaya mandalas. 00:27:16 Elements as vehicles for blessings 00:31:00 Subtle and physical aspects of elements 00:35:00 Disrupting and repairing subtle realms of existence 00:46:00 Building and empowering the Vajrakilaya mandalas 00:51:00 Working up to practicing Vajrakilaya 00:56:00 Qualities of the phurba 00:57:28...
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Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute Museum Tour with Dr. Kalsang Youdon and Kelsang Chodon
Love & Liberation with Olivia Clementine
Watch the tour here: ~ Today we meet at the Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute Museum and receive a brief tour from Dr. Kalsang Youdon and Kelsang Chodon. Time notes: 00:00:46 Tibetan medicines and instruments 00:06:17 Tibetan medicine paintings 00:09:16 History of the re-established Men-Tsee-Khang Institute 00:11:23 Astrology: Indigenous Tibetan, elemental, and Kala Chakra astrology. ~ Men-Tsee-Khang Institute Podcast website & transcripts Enjoy these conversations? Scroll down to Review & Ratings.
info_outlineToday’s episode is the final part of three parts
~
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:49 Signs, visions, dreams
00:12:00 Protector land spirits
00:16:00 Tests, conceptual collapse and faith
00:20:00 Meditation boxes
0023:30 Sky burial
00:28:00 Sri Lanka vipassana reform
00:29:30 Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok and Larung Gar
00:32:00 Modernity, realization and tacit knowledge
00:39:00 Old world preservation
00:43:50 Yidam neuroscience and dilution
00:46:00 Changes in education system
00:49:00 Yogini tulkus and titles
00:57:00 The Gebchak way, peer-pressure and self-responsibility
01:03:00 Becoming a translator
01:07:00 Disrobing
01:10:00 Historical rarity of terms Rigpa and dzogchen
01:12:00 Character of yoginis and aspirations
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Listen to Part One here:
On Gebchak's History & Yogic Activity in the Realm of the Meditators https://oliviaclementine.com/elizabet...
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Listen to Part Two here:
On Embodied Practitioners of Tsa-lung Inner Fire & Dzogchen
https://oliviaclementine.com/elizabeth-mcdougal-gebchak-yoginis-part-two/
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Podcast website & transcripts
https://oliviaclementine.com/podcasts
~
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth McDougal, known also as Tenzin Chozom, grew up in Western Canada and then trained as a Buddhist nun in India and on the Tibetan Plateau for seventeen years. Towards the end of her time as a nun – she studied a Masters of Indian philosophy at Banaras Hindu University and then a PhD (2021) at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on the modernisation of Tibetan Buddhist practice lineages and on pedagogy as a crucial bridge in translating pre-modern wisdom traditions to the modern world. Elizabeth currently lives in Australia with her human and animal family where she lectures at Nan Tien Institute in applied Buddhist studies. She continues to serve as a Tibetan-to-English translator for Gebchak Wangdrak Rinpoche and other practice lineage lamas. Elizabeth published a book in 2024 called “The Words and World of Gebchak Nunnery: Tantric Meditation in Context.”
Images included:
1: Of two Gebchak yoginis by Jerome Raphalen
2: Yoginis looking out in ceremony to a sacred feminine vulva form in the landscape