316. Robert Thurman

Enlightenment, Nonduality, and Compassion

Transcript, including graphical montage, summary, questions explored, and key takeaways

Summary
A wide-ranging conversation on enlightenment, nonduality, rebirth, and the relationship between wisdom and compassion. The discussion also touches on Tibet, the Dalai Lama, democracy, leadership, and how inner peace connects to world peace.

Questions This Interview Explores

What does enlightenment actually mean, and how is it often misunderstood?
How do wisdom and compassion belong together in nonduality?
What can Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana say about rebirth, nirvana, and awakening?
How do spiritual insight and inner peace relate to politics, leadership, and world peace?
Why do compassion, democracy, and social change matter in a Buddhist view of reality?

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: