Tsultrim Allione was one of the first Western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She is considered an authority in the world of American religious life, recognized as an emanation of Machig Labdrön by the resident Lama at Zangri Khangmar, and chapters have been written about her in several books. Allione is the founder and director of Tara Mandala, a retreat center in Colorado and the author of the classic Women of Wisdom.