Robina Courtin (born 20 December 1944, in
Melbourne, Australia) is a Buddhist nun in the
Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa tradition and lineage of
Lama Thubten Yeshe
Thubten Yeshe (1935–1984) was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery (1969) and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (1975). He followed the Gelug tradition, and was considered unconvention ...
and
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (; born Dawa Chötar) is a Nepali lama from Khumbu, the entryway to Mount Everest.
Biography
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, also called Lama Zopa Rinpoche has an extensive biography of him in the book ''The Lawudo Lama'' by Jamya ...
. In 1996 she founded the Liberation Prison Project, which she ran until 2009.
Biography
Courtin was raised
Catholic, and in her youth was interested in becoming a
Carmelite
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount Car ...
nun.
In her young adulthood, she trained as a classical singer while living in London during the late 1960s.
She became a feminist activist and worked on behalf of
prisoners' rights in the early 1970s. In 1972 she moved back to Melbourne. Courtin began studying
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
in 1974, living in
New York City and, again, back in Melbourne. In 1976, she took a Buddhist course taught by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa in Queensland.
In 1978 Courtin ordained at
Tushita Meditation Centre
Tushita is a centre for the study and practice of Buddhism from the Tibetan Mahayana tradition in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It is located in the forested hills above the town of McLeod Ganj in village Dharamkot. The centre offers Intro ...
in
Dharamsala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
. She was Editorial Director of
Wisdom Publications until 1987 and Editor of ''
Mandala'' until 2000. She left ''Mandala'' to teach and to develop Liberation Prison Project.
Robina Courtin's work has been featured in two
documentary films, Christine Lundberg's ''On the Road Home'' (1998) and Amiel Courtin–Wilson's ''Chasing Buddha'' (2000), and in
Vicki Mackenzie's book ''Why Buddhism?'' (2003). Her nephew's film, ''Chasing Buddha'', documents Courtin's life and her work with
death row
Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...
inmates in the
Kentucky State Penitentiary.
In 2000, the film was nominated for best direction in a documentary by the
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...
.
In 2001, Courtin created Chasing Buddha Pilgrimage, which lead pilgrimages to
Buddhist holy sites in India,
Nepal, and
Tibet to raise money for the Liberation Prison Project an association engaged for the Tibetan cause.
Liberation Prison Project prays and protests for Tibet
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Books edited
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Further reading
Books
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Periodicals
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Audio/Video
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*Robina Courtin (August 2016).
Unraveling Our Emotions
" Dharma Talk for '' Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.''
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References
External links
Venerable Robina Courtin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtin, Robina
1944 births
Australian book editors
Australian feminist writers
Buddhist feminists
Living people
Religious leaders from Melbourne
Tibetan Buddhist nuns
Tibetan Buddhists from Australia
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
Australian magazine editors
Tibet freedom activists
Women magazine editors
20th-century Buddhist nuns
21st-century Buddhist nuns