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Keeping up with Australia's rebellious Buddhist nun

In the 90s, Buddhist nun Robina Courtin unexpectedly got a letter from a prisoner who was interested in Buddhism. She'd end up writing to many inmates, even those on death row.

Robina Courtin grew up in Melbourne, Australia. As a teenager attending Catholic school she felt she was both holy and a rebel. Eventually she became a hippie, then a radical feminist, and then got into martial arts. One day, after a car accident meant she couldn't practice karate, she came across some Buddhist monks. Immediately she knew following Buddhism would be her path. Many years after she was ordained a Buddhist nun, she got an unexpected letter from a prisoner in the US. That led to her corresponding with other inmates and even befriending people on death row.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Saskia Edwards

Picture: Robina Courtin in 2005
Credit: Fairfax Media via Getty Images

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23 minutes

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