Robert A.F. Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of the Tibet House U.S., a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, a non-profit affiliated with the Center for Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and dedicated to the publication of translations of important artistic and scientific treatises from the Tibetan Tengyur.
TIME Magazine chose Professor Thurman as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997, describing him as a “larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America.” The New York Times recently said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.”
Thurman is known as a talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings. He is a riveting speaker and an author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics, and culture, including:
- Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet
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- The Central Philosophy of Tibet
- Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas
- Essential Tibetan Buddhism
- The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between
- Wisdom and Compassion The Sacred Art of Tibet
- Inner Revolution
- Infinite Life: Awakening to Bliss Within
- The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism
- Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World
- With Sharon Salzberg, Love Your Enemies: How to Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier
- Website: bobthurman.com
- Podcast
- YouTube Channel
Batgap interview with Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi.
Recorded 10/25/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Opening Chanting at the Conference
- 00:02:05 – Introduction of Bob Thurman
- 00:03:51 – The Eyes of the Dharma
- 00:05:04 – Tibet: The Repository of Indian Buddhism
- 00:06:58 – The Journey to Monkhood
- 00:09:07 – Awakening and Degrees of Enlightenment
- 00:11:39 – The Inexpressible State of Enlightenment
- 00:14:39 – Attaining Nirvana and Reintegrating Memory
- 00:16:47 – The Wisdom of Vajrayana and the Bar for Enlightenment
- 00:19:05 – The Role of Gods in Buddhist Beliefs
- 00:21:14 – The Power of Inner Peace for World Peace
- 00:23:31 – The Awakening of Empowerment and Fear
- 00:26:20 – Hope for Minority People in China
- 00:29:00 – The Dalai Lama’s Joke about a Woman Dalai Lama
- 00:31:04 – Democracy versus Tyranny
- 00:33:10 – Thich Nhat Hanh’s Perspective on Compassion and Empathy
- 00:34:25 – The Happiness Revolution
- 00:36:11 – Cultivating a “Die-gasm” Outlook
- 00:37:44 – The Incompetence of Leadership
- 00:39:00 – The Laissez-faire Capitalist Cycle
- 00:40:01 – The Pressure of Population Growth and the Need for Change
- 00:41:38 – The Epidemic of Spiritual Awakening
- 00:43:15 – Divine Intervention and Buddhist Angels
- 00:44:53 – The Power of Enlightened Beings and Compassion
- 00:46:31 – Upholding Dharma and Destroying the Wicked
- 00:47:51 – Nonduality and Rebirth
- 00:48:56 – Different Traditions, Different Meanings
- 00:50:19 – Compassion and Love for Every Being
- 00:51:32 – The Misunderstanding of Enlightenment and Extinction
- 00:52:51 – Non-duality of Wisdom and Compassion
- 00:54:13 – A Tesla for Buddha
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