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.
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
Transcript of this interview
Batgap interview with Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi.
Recorded 10/25/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference.
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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