What's In A Name

Coming from a family of great repute, Uma's linrage shows through her family history. Uma's father is Professor Robert Thurman, son of New York stage actress Elizabeth Farrar, and is a professor at the Columbia University, teaching Indo-Tibetan Buddhist knowledge. He was actually the first westerner to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The creadit for introducing Buddhism can be squarely given to Uma's father. The union of her parents also has an interesting touch. They owe their union to none other than Salvador Dali. In 1967 Uma's parents Nena and Robert Thurman were married and they are still going strong together today. Robert and Nena gave their children a Buddhist upbringing. Uma is named after an Uma Chenpo in Tibetan; Mahamadhyamaka in Sanskrit, meaning "Great Middle Way", in Polynesian; her name means "kiss".