Cave in the Snow

by Vicki Mackenzie

"This book is about how an Englishwoman, the daughter of a fishmonger from London's East End, has become a Buddhist legend and a champion for the rights of women to attain spiritual enlightenment.

In 1976 Diane Perry, by then known by her Tibetan name, Tenzin Palmo, secluded herself in a remote cave, 13,200 feet up in the Himalayas, cut off from the world by mountains and snow.

There she engaged in twelve years of intense Buddhist meditation. She faced unimaginable cold, wild animals, near-starvation and avalanches; she grew her own food and slept in a traditional wooden meditation box, three-fee square - she never lay down.

Her goal was to attain enlightenment as a woman."

Source : A direct quote from the back cover of Vicki Mackenzie's book "Cave in the Snow"

An extract from "Cave in the Snow"

TENZIN PALMO'S DREAM

"In the late 1970's, Diane Perry, known by her Tibetan name, Tenzin Palmo, pursued her goal of attaining enlightenment. She has become a Buddhist legend and a champion for the rights of women to gain spiritual enlightenment. Prior to secluding herself for twelve years, in a remote cave, 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas, she had a dream. Arguably it revealed more than anything, she said, the level of spiritual development she had reached.

"I was in a prison, a vast prison composed of many different levels," she began. "On the top floor people were living in luxury, in penthouse type splendour, while in the basement others were undergoing terrible torture. In the intermediate floors the rest of the inhabitants were engaged in various activities in diverse conditions. Suddenly I realised that no matter what level people were on, we were all nevertheless trapped in a prison. With that I found a boat and decided to escape taking as many people as I could with me. I went all over the prison telling people of their predicament and urging them to break free. But no matter how hard I tried, they all seemed to be locked in an awful inertia and in the end only two people had the will and the courage to come with me.

We got into the boat, and even though there were prison guards around, nobody stopped us as we sailed out of the prison to the world outside. Once we were there we started to run alongside the prison. As I looked over at it I could still see all the people in the windows busily engaged in their different activities, not the least concerned about the truth of their situation. We ran for miles and miles on a path parallel to the prison that seemed never-ending. I became increasingly exhausted and dispirited. I felt I was never going to get beyond the prison and that we might as well return and go back in. I was about to give up when I realised that the two other people who had followed me out had their hopes pinned on me and that if I gave up they would be doomed as well. I couldn't them down, so I kept going.

Immediately we came to a T-junction beyond which was a completely different landscape. It was like suburbia. There were these neat houses with flowery borders and trees. We came to the first house and knocked at the door. A nice middle-aged woman opened it, looked at us and said, 'Oh you've come from that place. Not many people get out. You'll be OK now, but you must change your clothes. To go back would be dangerous, but you must try to help others also to get out.'

At that point I had a great surge of aspiration. I have tried but no one wants to come, I told the woman. She replied, 'Those in power will be helping you.'

At that I said, I dedicate myself to working with them so that I can help free all beings.

I woke up at that point - and giggled at the image of the middle-aged lady in suburbia.

The dream was clear. In her subconscious Tensin Palm had pledged herself to lead the great escape out of the prison of Samsara, realms of suffering existence we're condemned to, until we reach the eternal freedom of Enlightenment.

She had also internalised, it seemed, the Bodhisattva idea"

Source: Cave in the Snow by Vicki Mackenzie

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 38 Soho Square, London W1V 5DF
ISBN 0 7475 4389 5
Copyright 1998 by Vicki Mackenzie