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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