The Eight Worldly Concerns

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, the renowned nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, will lead us on a study of the Eight Worldly Concerns—which we might also call the eight anxieties or “hang-ups.” Jetsunma lists them as gain and loss, praise and blame, good reputation and bad reputation, and pleasure and pain. Overcoming our anxieties about these worldly concerns liberates tremendous amounts of energy for finding our true purpose in life, and our innate perfection.

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was born in London in 1943.  When she was 20 years old she traveled to India, and soon after met her teacher. In 1964, she became one of the first Western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. After twelve years of study and frequent retreats during the long Himalayan winters, she sought complete seclusion. She found a remote cave, where she practiced intensively for twelve years. Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman’s Quest for Enlightenment is the story of her life. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a renowned champion for the rights of women to attain spiritual enlightenment. She is the founder of Dongyu Gatsal Ling, a nunnery in India. Learn more about supporting this groundbreaking nunnery here. Her newest book is Into the Heart of Life, from Snow Lion Publications. She recently visited the US to promote this book and the Endowment Fund for her nunnery.