Venerable Thubten Puntsok

Shiksamana

Venerable Puntsok feels lucky to have grown up in the beautiful Sierra Nevada, the high desert, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spent her childhood hiking in the woods and drawing pictures. Unsure of what to do after high school, she decided to take a gap-year, which turned into many years of exploring small-scale farming, permaculture, community life, homesteading, and cheesemaking.

She first came across Buddhist ideas in the car when she was 16 or 17, when her parents were playing an audio CD of Eckhart Tolle talking about the mind and enlightenment. Amazed and reassured, she raced through his book to find out more about this incredible spiritual achievement.

Over the years she continued to work a little, save money, and travel, while she studied the Dharma and applied it to her lived experience. Dissatisfied with her attempts at happiness and not making much headway, she undertook living and practicing in Dharma centers. During that time she discovered Sravasti Abbey and made her first long visit in 2018. It was a year and a half later that she would realize her wish to pursue monastic life at the Abbey.

Ven. Puntsok arrived at the Abbey in the summer of 2021, and took her Anagarika ordination in August of that same year. Wary of making a lifelong commitment, she trained as an Anagarika for a little over two years until she realized that nothing could bring greater happiness and benefit. Ven. Puntsok received novice ordination on September 16th of 2023, in-between a fire evacuation and a covid-outbreak at the Abbey!

She’s happy to be a part of the Abbey’s video team and publicity team, and is currently one of the photographers and editors for the website photo albums and for our Instagram. Ven. Puntsok also helps out by taking grumpy kitties for walks, helping with outdoor work, baking bread, streaming live teachings, and uploading Bodhisattva Breakfast Corner videos.

Ven. Puntsok as a child