Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was one of the first Western-born women to be ordained as a novice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in 1964. She received full bhikshuni ordination in Hong Kong in 1973. Jetsunma spent 12 years practicing in a Himalayan cave and campaigns on behalf of female practitioners. Her Her life has been documented in Vicki Mackenzie’s biography Cave in the Snow. Jetsunma’s own books include Reflections on a Mountain Lake and Into the Heart of Life.