Bob Thurman Podcast: Buddhas Have More Fun!

Robert A.F. Thurman gives advice to a group of students who have been learning the Mahamudra (great seal) meditation. This episode is an extract from a lecture given to students of the Nalanda Institute on April 16th. Advice on Mahamudra Meditation : Buddhist Inner Sciences 101 Episode 18 the Bob Thurman Podcast Photo of Robert A.F. Thurman at Tibet House US via Nalanda Institute. “Advice on Mahamudra Meditation : Buddhist Inner Sciences 101 Episode 18 the Bob Thurman Podcast is an excerpt from a teaching for Nalanda Institute, recorded at Tibet House US in New York City on April 16th 2015. The Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science is an educational non-profit inspired by the world’s first university, Nalanda University, founded in India in the fifth century to advance the Buddha’s mission to end suffering by offering public education in the health and mind sciences. Nalanda University’s scientific tradition was preserved in the colleges and medical schools of Tibet as the world’s oldest system of integrative medicine and positive psychology. The Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science has evolved this rich legacy into a rigorous, scientific approach to self-knowledge modernized for the Western world through training in timeless contemplative skills informed by today’s practical neuropsychology. “Advice on Mahamudra Meditation” is apart of the Buddhist Inner Sciences 101 Podcast Series taken from the Bob Thurman & Tibet House US archives which are intended to provide an introduction to the yogic, meditative & theoretical practices of the tradition. These recordings are intended to be general overviews & one should be studying with a qualified teacher before attempting or engaging in the practices.

In this episode Professor Thurman, Richard Freeman, and John Campbell compare and contrast the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages. Bob and Richard discuss the opening verses of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Podcast includes a discussion of atman, raja yoga, mahasiddhas, bliss, and the channels/nadis of the body. Buddha and Yoga : Buddhist Yoga is an excerpt from “Buddha & the Yogis: The Vajra Body” given by Robert Thurman, Richard Freeman and John Campbell recordings from the Annual Tibet House US retreat “Buddha & the Yogis” recorded at Menla’s Nalanda Conference Center in Phoenicia on July 1, 2013. Buddha and Yoga : Buddhist Yoga – Ep. 17 of the Bob Thurman Podcast Photo of Hh Dalai Lama with B.K.S Iyengar from www.dalailama.com. This week’s episode’s of the Bob Thurman Podcast was thanks to Richard Freeman + Mary Taylor and was brought to you in part through the support of the Tibet House US Membership Community and Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in Phoenicia, New York. Listen to more archive recordings from from past Robert A.F. Thurman teachings + public events please consider becoming a Tibet House US member. To learn about the benefits of Tibet House US Membership please visit: www.tibethouse.us. Previews are available on the Tibet House US YouTube Channel + Full Archive Recordings from the 2016 + 2017 Annual Retreat at Menla in the THUS Member Archives. Tibet House US Member Access starts at $2 a Month. The song ‘Dancing Ling’ by Tenzin Choegyal from the album ‘Heart Sutra‘ (2004) by Ethno Super Lounge is used on the Bob Thurman Podcast with artist’s permission, all rights reserved. To learn more about upcoming programs in the heart of the Catskills with Bob Thurman & Richard Freeman + Mary Taylor please visit: www.menla.us.

Robert A.F. Thurman leads a prayer for those who died in the Nepal earthquakes from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In the Tibetan view of the dying process, death is a gateway into a journey through a dream-like landscape (the bardo), that can take up to 49 days, and sometimes much longer, if the person has strong amount of unfinished business from the previous life. They are said to be aware of what the people formerly connected are thinking and saying, though they cannot communicate with them. So reading a prayer of or giving re-assurance and instructions is considered very valuable for the between state traveler. This prayer can be similarly used for anybody who has passed away, whether by natural disaster or otherwise at any time, ideally within 49 days of the passing. Recorded May 2015 in Woodstock, New York. Listen to more archive recordings from from past Robert A.F. Thurman teachings + public events please consider becoming a Tibet House US member. To learn about the benefits of Tibet House US Membership please visit: www.tibethouse.us. The song ‘Dancing Ling’ by Tenzin Choegyal from the album ‘Heart Sutra‘ (2004) by Ethno Super Lounge is used on the Bob Thurman Podcast with artist’s permission, all rights reserved.

Professor Thurman introduces the Essence of True Eloquence (drang nges legs bshad snying po), discussing his own personal experience encountering and translating the Tsongkhapa's great work, and also Tsongkhapa's own experience and doubts about composing the work. He elaborates on the role of Manjushri in influencing Tsongkhapa to eventually compose it, and in influencing those who would wish to study it, to understand it. Professor Thurman is reading from his own translation of the Essence of True Eloquence (drang nges legs bshad snying po), published as The Central Philosophy of Tibet. This episode is an extract from a lecture given by Professor Thurman at Tibet House US on September 10th, 2014, in a lecture series called Profound Wisdom and Vast Compassion, which was a series of preparatory lectures given to prepare people for an event hosted by Tibet House US in NYC with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, also called Profound Wisdom and Vast Compassion. Tsongkhapa : Father Philo & Mother Sophia - Ep. 15 of the Bob Thurman Podcast Photo by Manuel Bauer, All rights reserved from www.dalailama.com. Listen to more archive recordings from from past Robert A.F. Thurman teachings + public events please consider becoming a Tibet House US member. To learn about the benefits of Tibet House US Membership please visit: www.tibethouse.us. The song ‘Dancing Ling’ by Tenzin Choegyal from the album ‘Heart Sutra‘ (2004) by Ethno Super Lounge is used on the Bob Thurman Podcast with artist’s permission, all rights reserved.

Delve into the fascinating distinctions between Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Explore the relationship between the body and mind, revealing the impact of subtle energy on consciousness. Discover how interconnectedness can help navigate the suffering of existence. Unpack the five stages of perfection in Vajrayana, uncovering transformative practices and a critical translation of a Buddhist text. Finally, learn how collective imagination shapes reality and the vital role of compassion on the path to enlightenment.

Introducing the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśha Sūtra, Gelek Rimpoche and Professor Thurman discuss mistaken relationships with Buddhist gurus and books, particularly in the West. They offer guidance for identifying a good guru and for maintaining a healthy relationship with the guru. In monastic Buddhism, the abbot is not a big boss and obedience is not a big virtue for the Buddhist monk or mendicant. In the Mahayana tradition, the spiritual friend is a teacher emphasizing how you have to get out there and do your own bodhisattva deeds and become a Buddha. “In the Tantric and esoteric teachings, the guru figure, which in Tibetan is translated as the “Lama,” is brought back into play. In Tantra you’re dealing with the unconscious; therefore you need someone upon whom to project different things to help you work out new relationships, like you do in psychotherapy. Also, there’s the initiatory practice of seeing the guru as the living embodiment of the Buddha when the teachings are transmitted to you. The Tibetans have a proverb: “The best guru is one who lives at least three valleys away,” which means you receive the teaching and some initiatory consecration—and then you don’t hang out with that person to see how ordinary they are!” Robert A.F. Thurman via www,tricycle.org. Professor Thurman also continues with a reading of a humorous anecdote about Śhāriputra from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra to illustrate some common misconceptions about meditation. Professor Thurman’s translation of the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśha Sūtra can be found in his book The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti  online: www.read.84000.co. Meditation & Mistaken Guru Yoga with Gelek Rimpoche – Ep. 13 of the Bob Thurman Podcast is an excerpt from a retreat led by Gelek Rimpoche and Professor Thurman at the Omega Institute in 1987, called Tibetan Love and Compassion. To listen to more archive recordings from from past Robert A.F. Thurman teachings + public events please consider becoming a Tibet House US member. To Learn about the benefits of Tibet House US Membership please visit: www.tibethouse.us. Previews are available on the Tibet House US YouTube Channel + Full Archive Recordings from the 2016 + 2017 Annual Retreat at Menla in the THUS Member Archives.  Tibet House US Member Access starts at $2 a Month. The song ‘Dancing Ling’ by Tenzin Choegyal from the album ‘Heart Sutra‘ (2004) by

Buddhism’s Heart Sutra is recited at the start of teachings, events & as a blessing. In this podcast Robert AF Thurman leads a recitation of The Heart Sutra and gives an introduction to it’s history. Podcast concludes with Professor Thurman explaining how the practice of reciting The Heart Sutra is the key to understanding it’s teaching as a tool for mind transformation. “The Transcendent Wisdom Heart Sutra, known as The Heart Sutra in all Mahayana Buddhist countries, and The Heart of Wisdom in Tibet, is a concise expression of the profound vision of reality that is the root of liberation from suffering. Tibetan religious all know this by heart and chant is solemnly at the beginning of every ceremony. In addition to a prescription for enlightenment, they consider it the most powerful exorcism, purifier, and developer of merit as well of wisdom.” Robert A.F. Thurman from Essential Tibetan Buddhism Professor Thurman’s translation of the Heart Sutra can be found in his book, Essential Tibetan Buddhism, on page 171, under the chapter heading, “Practicing the Liberating Wisdom.” Buddhism 101: Reciting the Heart Sutra – Episode Twelve of the Bob Thurman Podcast Heart Sutra Puzzle Photo by Yu-Chan Chen via www.flickr.com. This podcast is apart of the ‘Buddhism 101’ Series using classic teachings from Robert Thurman to elucidate basic concepts of the tradition. This episode is an extract from a lecture that Professor Thurman gave at Tibet House US on April 15th, 2015, as part of a lecture series there titled, Essential Tibetan Buddhism, And its Context in Tibet and the World. To watch + listen to more recordings of past events with Robert AF Thurman please consider becoming a Tibet House US member. Learn about joining the Tibet House US Membership Community with a monthly tax-deductible donation by visiting: www.tibethouse.us. Full Access starts at $2 a month. The song ‘Dancing Ling’ by Tenzin Choegyal from the album ‘Heart Sutra‘ (2004) by Ethno Super Lounge is used on the Bob Thurman Podcast with artist’s permission, all rights reserved.

Dive into the fascinating world of meditation as a professor unpacks essential practices like quiescence and insight. Discover the common misconceptions about mindfulness and the balancing act between higher meditative states and grounded awareness. Explore the depth of enlightenment, utilizing light metaphors to illuminate Nirvana's nature, while confronting the ego's pitfalls. The discussion warns against the dangers of misunderstanding enlightenment and highlights the importance of selflessness in achieving true realization.

Introduction to the asceticism as created by the historical Buddha in the original mendicant community of male & female followers of his teachings. Robert A.F. Thurman discusses the difference between Theravada and Universal Vehicle (Mahayana) Buddhism, comparing the Nirvana aspiring mendicants and Enlightenment aspiring Bodhisattvas — the variances in their ways of thinking and the impacts they have on the societies they live among. Includes a discussion of the revolutionary & cultural disruptive nature of structures supporting a class of life long dedicated practitioners of mind transformation, wisdom studies and material renunciation. Professor Thurman concludes this podcast by framing the mendicant’s asceticism to be a logical declaration of the interconnected, inter-relational nature of reality, “The Invention of the Americas: Eclipse of “the Other” and the Myth of Modernity” by Enrique Dussel & The Stamford Prison Experiment & with a “Mad Scientist” meditation. Freedom of Asceticism: Buddha’s Free Lunch Podcast Thumbnail by Andrea Kirkby via www.flickr.com.

In this enlightening conversation, Professor Thurman, a renowned scholar in Tibetan Buddhism, unveils the fascinating parallels between sleep and death. He delves into the practice of sleep and death yoga as pathways to enlightenment. Listeners learn about the Eight Stages of Death and how consciousness evolves during the 'bardo' states. Thurman emphasizes death as a transformative experience rather than an end, discussing how understanding our true nature can alleviate fear in this transition. A rich exploration of consciousness awaits!