Yeshe Khadro | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marie Obst 1950 (age 75–76) |
| Occupations | Nurse, Buddhist Nun |
Yeshe Khadro is an Australian ordained Buddhist nun who studied under the Dalai Lama. [1]
Khadro was born in 1950 and grew up in rural Queensland. [1] Her birth name was Marie Obst. [2] She was raised Catholic. [3]
Khadro trained as a nurse at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. [1] In 1972 she left Australia to travel across Asia. [3] She changed her name to Yeshe Khadro which means 'wisdom' and 'walking across the sky'. [3]
In 1973, Khadro was living in Nepal and training with the Dalai Lama. In 1974, she was ordained as a Buddhist nun by the Dalai Lama. [1] She returned to Australia and gifted the land she owned with her partner Nick and others to create a Buddhist commune. This is now known as Chenrezig Institute. [3] She returned to Nepal for two more years before moving back to Australia to run the centre. [3] [4]
Khadro worked for the Karuna Hospice Service, Brisbane, and was appointed director in 1997. [1] [5]
In 2011, Khadro was a key figure in organising the Dalai Lama's trip to Australia. [3]
In 2012, Khadro was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International "in appreciation of the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world". [6]