Renowned Buddhist Scholar Jeffrey Hopkins, Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, Has Died
His groundbreaking Tibetan Buddhism PhD program graduated many of the most esteemed academics in the field today.
Jeffrey Hopkins
Jeffrey Hopkins (1940-2024) was Professor Emeritus of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia and a leading translator, scholar, and teacher in the Gelukpa tradition. He founded North America’s first doctoral program in Tibetan Buddhist Studies, served as chief English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama (1979–89), and authored or translated over 50 books, including the seminal Meditation on Emptiness (1983). Renowned for blending rigorous scholarship with insight, his work shaped generations of Western Buddhist practitioners and scholars.
TeachingsMagazine | Dharma Talk
Breaking the Habit of Selfishness
Eight Tibetan verses teach us why putting yourself first means you'll always end up last.
MeditationMagazine | On Practice
Everyone as a Friend
Jeffrey Hopkins explains the Buddhist logic of embracing our enemies as our friends.
MeditationMagazine | On Practice
Discovering the Sky
After my freshman year, inspired by Thoreau, I retreated to the woods of Vermont where I went on long walks, came alive to colors, dreamt out all my bad dreams, and wrote poetry. I had found…
MeditationMagazine | On Practice
Equality
The First Step in Cultivating Compassion
What’s in the Mix?
An abbot and scholar discuss whether alcohol use is compatible with enlightenment or Buddhist practice.
In the Realm of Relationship
Scholar Jeffrey Hopkins discusses his rendition of a Tibetan tantric manual tailored for gay male practitioners.
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