Early life and education Allione was born in 1947 in
Maine, USA, under the name Joan Rousmanière Ewing.
Early Training in Buddhism Allione first traveled to Asia in her teens. In 1969, at the age of 22, she became the first American to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun by His Holiness the sixteenth Karmapa. This ordination took place in
Bodhgaya, India. She received her first
ngondro practice from
Kalu Rinpoche. Later, Allione also studied with Apho Rinpoche,
Chogyam Trungpa, Chogyal
Namkhai Norbu, and other renowned teachers.
Recognition In
Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that once beings such as
Machig Labdrön attain enlightenment, they are no longer subject to the limitation of one body and may emanate into many different dimensions and forms. An emanation continues the work of the original incarnation. In May and June 2007, Allione led a
pilgrimage to Nepal and Tibet which included a visit to
Sangri Khangmar (
Sangri County) where Machig Labdrön lived from the age of 37 to 99. Here, Allione was recognized as an emanation of Machig Labdrön by the resident Lama, Karma Dorje Rinpoche, the 7th incarnation of the brother of
Mikyö Dorje, the 8th Karmapa. Lama Karma Nyitön Kunkhyab Chökyi Dorje offered Allione a self-arisen golden crystal
phurba (ceremonial dagger), the only remaining
tsa tsa made from the ashes of Machig's body (a mixture of clay and ash imprinted with an image of Machig dancing), texts of Machig's teachings, a hat with symbolic meaning designed by Machig, and various other treasures. Allione was also independently recognised as Machig's emanation in Nepal by
Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche, holder of the lineage of
Dampa Sangye (who had worked with Machig Labdrön to establish the
Chöd practice in Tibet in the 11th Century). Commenting on this recognition as Machig Labdrön, Lama Tsultrim said she thought the purpose was:...to make this new phase of collecting Machig's lineage more empowered. Recognition allows more energy to flow, and Machig's blessings can manifest more fully. It's a kind of mirroring from the outside validating our heartfelt intention to reinvigorate and spread Machig's lineage in the West. It also felt very natural. We will keep doing what we have been doing already, but the recognition creates an auspicious interdependence for the teachings.
Activities Establishing Tara Mandala Retreat Center In 1993, Allione founded the Tara Mandala Buddhist retreat center on 850 acres of land in southwestern Colorado. Currently, the land hosts a temple, dining hall, administrative buildings, and staff housing, and is the host of Buddhist retreats. Allione is the guiding teacher of Tara Mandala and guides thousands of students around the world.
Books Published Allione's first book,
Women of Wisdom, contains the translated life histories of several accomplished female Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. It was first published in 1984 and was reissued in 2000. In 2008, Allione's book
Feeding Your Demons was published, an approach based on the
Chöd lineage of
Machig Labdrön that Allione has practiced since 1973. Allione opens chapter five of the book by quoting
Carl Jung as saying "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious."
Mark Epstein has described her work as "a book that
Carl Jung could only have dreamed of writing." Allione claims that the "process of feeding our demons is a method for bringing our shadow into consciousness and accessing the treasures it holds rather than repressing it." Allione completed her most recent book,
Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine, which was published by Simon and Schuster in May 2018.
Awards In 2009, Allione was selected by an esteemed committee of scholars and practitioners to receive the international “Outstanding Woman in Buddhism” Award given in
Bangkok, Thailand. ==Works==