Davina Delor
Davina Delor (born Martine Lahary; 1952) is a French dancer, choreographer, writer, and famous for her popular TV show Gym Tonic who adopted monkhood as a
Biography
Davina Delor was born in France in 1952.
Concurrent with her career, she pursued studies in traditional
Delor experienced personal tragedies. At age 17 her father committed suicide and in later years her son, aged 23, died of a ruptured aneurysm.[1][4]
In 2003 Delor's career took a dramatic turn when she met the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism at Bercy and was influenced by his teachings.[4] She took her vows of celibacy at the 15th-century Golok Monastery in Tibet and became a nun in 2004 with the ordained name as Gelek Drolkar, in the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism.[2][4]
Following her Buddhist monastic conversion, Davina reformed her 18th-century home in Haims into a monastic centre and called it the Chökor Ling in 2007, with the objective of raising funds for helping poor children of Tibet and Tibetan families residing in India.[2] She started teaching the precepts of Tibetan Buddhism, meditation, and yoga to monks, students, and lay people, holding workshops and seminars. She is supported in this activity by three other nuns. She also built a stupa in the precincts of her 2 hectares (4.9 acres) estate.[1] During this time, she wrote the book Le bonheur selon Bouddha (The Happiness according to Buddha) on Buddhist teachings.[5]
Publications
Delor has authored several books on yoga and the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism. Besides her Le bonheur selon Bouddha, published in 2012, in which she says that "to be happy, we must first learn to suffer less" and to "free ourselves of our sorrows by dealing with our failings",[5] her other books are:[6]
- Vivre Sans Dépendance (1999)
- Qi gong, santé parfaite (1993)
- Madhevi Le Roman Du Corps (2002)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Davina Delor, de "Gym Tonic" au monastère bouddhiste" (in French). tempsreel.nouvelobs.com. 19 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Davina Gelek Drolkar" (in French). yogafestival.fr. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ Television Quarterly. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 1983.
- ^ a b c "Davina: après la télé, le Tibet". parismatch.com. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ a b "New Titles 2012:Davina Delor". The Buddha’s Way to Happiness. kccseoul.com. Retrieved 14 December 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "French Books (Livres en français) : Davina Delor". Amazaon .com. Retrieved 15 December 2015.