Providing a history of Non-Violent & Violent Revolutions Robert AF Thurman discusses the Buddhist perspective on messianic millenarianism on the eve of Barrack Obama’s election as the 44th President of the United States.

Using “A Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World” by Isabel Losada as a staring point Professor Thurman highlights the value of re-framing one’s understanding of the nature of revolutions + the fundamental nature of reality suggesting abandonment of the the desire for external transformation as the only reasonable path to sustainable global change.

This two part podcast includes an overview of the Dalai Lama‘s teachings on mind transformation through inner peace and Professor Thurman’s “Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Real Happiness” Published by Riverhead Books & “Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World” availble from Atria Books/Beyond Words.

“Professor Thurman’s scholarly and popular writings focus on the “inner revolution” that individuals and societies successfully negotiate when they achieve enlightenment. He defines this inner revolution as accurate insight into the true nature of reality and determined compassion for the suffering beings. He also works toward what he terms a “Second Renaissance,” which he sees currently taking place as Western culture goes beyond the 14th century European discovery of the natural sciences of the ancient Greeks that catalyzed the “first renaissance” to discover and apply in practice the advanced “inner science” of ancient Indian culture.

Credited with being at the forefront of making Tibetan art accessible and understandable in the West and, with distinguished art historians, he collaborated in curating several important traveling exhibitions, including “Wisdom and Compassion,” “Mandala,” and “Worlds of Transformation,” which set a standard in the art world.”

From www.transcendentnation.org

This episode is an excerpt from the “How to Save the World” interview series, produced by the Transcendent Nation Foundation non-profit, which is exclusively available at www.enterthemandala.com.

The primary aim of the Transcendent Nation Foundation is to promote the possibility of world peace by means of personal realization and holographic action. This is based on the simple idea that when a critical mass in the body of humanity awakens, the whole collective will be awakened.

American Dream Photo by Lisa Norwood via www.flickr.com.

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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.