About Us
Located in the centre of Cairns, Far North Queensland
Khacho Yulo Ling Buddhist Centre
not-for-profit organisation
Our main aim is to provide a beautiful, peaceful place to practice meditation and the precious teachings of the Buddha.
Our lineage is of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism but we welcome all traditions, teachers and practitioners.
The centre’s spiritual program is facilitated by our resident nun, Venerable Rinchen, who is a fully ordained Australian Buddhist nun.
We hold regular weekly practices, short courses, retreats and host various visiting teachers throughout the year.
Please be aware that the centre is only open during the times of regular practices.
Venerable Rinchen
Resident Nun, Founder and Co-ordinator
Venerable Rinchen is the resident nun, founder and co-ordinator of Khacho Yulo Ling Buddhist Centre.
She was ordained in Nepal by the late His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche on the 3 March 2001 in his beautiful room overlooking the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu.
In October 2003 she took full ordination in the Vietnamese Tradition at the Shakyamuni Buddhist Centre in Canberra.
This auspicious occasion was hosted by the Abbot of the Centre the most Venerable Thich Quang Ba.
Venerable Rinchen has undertaken many retreats and teachings to further her studies as a Buddhist nun, she has received the full Lamdre Lobshey teachings of the Sakya Tradition from His Holiness 41st Sakya Gongma Trichen Rinpoche in 2002 in France.
She received the complete teachings on Vajrayogini from His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche in Lumbini in 2004.
The 7-day teachings on this practice from His Holiness Sakya Trizin and Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok and many other initiations and teachings from eminent Buddhist Teachers.
In 2011 Ven Rinchen was fortunate enough attend the Fall Shamatha 8 week retreat with Alan Wallace in Phuket. Since completing the retreat in Phuket, and other subsequent retreats with Lama Alan, Ven Rinchen asked for and received authorisation from Alan Wallace to teach the basic Shamatha/Vipassana practices at the centre and continues to attend and study these profound practices under his guidance.
One of Venerable Rinchen’s main passions is working with the dying. She was the coordinator of Maitreya Hospice Care inc, from 202 till June 2011, this was a not for profit organisation that was part of the greater palliative care team in Cairns. This organisation provided in-home respite to the carers of the dying and helped many families over a ten year period.
Due to a myriad of reasons this organisations has now ceased operating, however, Venerable Rinchen continues this work in the community as a volunteer with Gordonvale Palliative Care as well as supporting several other groups within the community. When in residence, she facilitates the weekly program for the centre, retreats and short courses.
History of KYLBC
by Venerable Rinchen
The Beginning
On the 5 March 2001, I flew back to Australia having been ordained for two whole days! I had no idea of what lay ahead of me or what I would do with my new life. I remember landing in Cairns and thinking,
“Oh my Buddha, what have I done!”
I could barely keep the robes together, the dye had leaked out all over my arms and I was a mess. I was living in a small two-bedroom unit in Trinity Beach, working as a massage therapist and had no idea of how to live this new life.
Those first few months were very difficult, I felt very disoriented and alone. There were a couple of other centres in Cairns at the time but of different traditions.
In June of that same year, my Abbot, His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche came to Australia and I went to Canberra to see him.
At the suggestion of a friend, I asked him if he thought it would be a good idea to start a small practice group in Cairns. He was very excited and said he would meditate and come up with a name for the group. I went back to Cairns and said to Tara (one of my meditational Deities)
“Okay, so find us a home!”
Within 24 hours I was looking at what would be, the first home for the yet-to-be-named centre. A week later I flew to Brisbane to attend teachings with His Eminence and was given a private audience with him.
He did a special divination and gave the name Khacho Yulo Ling, which roughly translates as the pure land of Vajrayogini and Tara, (two of my main practices). I went back to Cairns and started packing and preparing to start a very new and different life.