Remembering Tenzin Bob Thurman
Teachers and friends on the impact and presence of the late Buddhist scholar
Robert A. F. Thurman
Robert A. F. Thurman (1941–2026) was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor Emeritus of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, where he held the first endowed chair in Buddhist studies in the West. The first American to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk—ordained by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama—he was the author of numerous books, from scholarly translations and philosophical studies to popular works on Tibetan Buddhism. He cofounded Tibet House US in 1987.
An Audience with Kundun
An excerpt from an epic work of historical fiction about the life and loves of the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso
Tibet House Cofounder and Academic Robert Thurman Has Died
A major figure in Western Buddhism, Thurman was the Je Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in 2019. He passed away at 84.
A Subway Epiphany and Transcendent Freedom
In an excerpt from his new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, Robert Thurman explains the power of embracing interdependent causation.
“Buddhism Is What Science Should Be Doing”
Robert Thurman discusses the Buddha’s scientific worldview and argues that it is less dogmatic than modern science.
Talking Tibetan Politics, Superheroes, and Future Dalai Lamas with Robert Thurman
The Tibetan Buddhist scholar and longtime friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, speaks about his role in the graphic novel that documents the Tibetan spiritual leader’s remarkable life story.
Does China Need the Dalai Lama?
Tricycle speaks with Robert Thurman about his new book, Why the Dalai Lama Matters.
MeditationMagazine | On Practice
Rising to the Challenge: Cool Heroism
Rather than let anger fuel our response to those we oppose, Robert Thurman suggests a more effective way to cultivate energy for the good fight.
Swimming in the Infinite
Robert Thurman reflects on adapting Tibetan Buddhism for the West, the role of emptiness, karma, and why the dharma must evolve without losing its heart.
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