Emma Slade - The Big Shot Banker Who Became a Buddhist Nun

Today’s guest is the amazing Emma Slade.

Emma had a highly-successful international career in finance, becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and working as a Senior Analyst in London, New York and Hong Kong for HSBC on portfolios of $1bn+.

Following a life-changing visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, where she was held hostage at gun point, she discovered in herself a yearning to understand the deeper aspects of what it is to be a human being. She put her financial career on hold and began travelling and exploring yoga and meditation. A chance meeting with a Buddhist Lama on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011 led to her becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun.

Emma founded the registered UK charity, ‘Opening Your Heart to Bhutan’ in 2015, which builds medical and educational facilities to help special needs children in Bhutan. She was given a Points of Light award by the UK Prime Minister in recognition of her charity work. Her first book, Set Free, was published in April 2017.

Listen as we discuss:

Islamic fitra and Buddha-natureWhat is Buddha-nature?Is fear innate or a product of conditioning?The subtle, karmic imprints we are born with, according to BuddhismIf we get reincarnated anyway, why don&apost we just spend our lives partying?Emma&aposs incredible story from banker to Buddhist nunShould everyone become a monk or nun? What other paths are there to peace?Knowing when enough is enough, and what that means for Emma"It&aposs hard to explain how free I feel." - Emma SladeEmma&aposs book, Set Free  and why it was first titled "The Bee that Flew out of the Jar"How quickly after hardships do we learn the lesson?How is lockdown in Bhutan, and how has it impacted Emma&apos charity work?

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Connect with Emma Slade on Instagram @emma_slade_, on Twitter @emmabhutan, and on her website, emmaslade.com

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Don&apost forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Saturday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy