'They told me that in Tibet when they were chosen to be Togdens and taken up to the caves the were so excited because they felt that now they were going to become yogis. But for the first three years they were instructed to do nothing but watch their mind and practice Bodhicitta, the altruistic mind. They did that and nothing else for three years! They said it was it those three years that their minds tranformed. After that, all the many practices they did were just building up on that foundation. One time one of them said to me: "You think we yogis are doing some very high, fantastic, esoteric practice and if only you had the teachings you also could really take off! Let me tell you, however, that there is nothing I am doing that you have not been taught. The only difference is that I am doing it and you aren't,"' she recalled.

Tenzin Palmo in Cave in the Snow written by Vicki Mackenzie
Photo, Togden Amtin