Experts
Robert Thurman
Professor of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University; President, Tibet House U.S.
Recent Activity
Robert Thurman believes organized religions inevitably become tools of cultural power rather than paths to personal salvation. … Watch
July 27, 2009 | In Belief
Big Think Interview With Robert Thurman
A conversation with the Jey Tsong Kappa Professor of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and the President of Tibet House U.S. … Watch
July 27, 2009 | In Belief
The Dalai Lama: More Than a “Cute,” Ineffectual Pacifist
Robert Thurman explains the Dalai Lama’s importance to Asia’s stability. … Watch
July 27, 2009 | In Belief
The Downfall of Western Thought
East hasn’t met West, according to Robert Thurman. Both authentic Western and Eastern thought have been subsumed by a cancerous popular culture. … Watch
July 27, 2009 | In Belief
Think You’ve Found Happiness? Then You Haven’t.
Robert Thurman contends that true happiness occurs when we’re least aware of it. … Watch
July 27, 2009 | In Belief
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of Tibet House US, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. The New York Times recently hailed him as "the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism."
The first American to have been ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a personal friend of the Dalai Lama for over 40 years, Professor Thurman is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for the truth regarding the current Tibet-China situation and the human rights violations suffered by the Tibetan people under Chinese rule. His commitment to finding a peaceful, win-win solution for Tibet and China inspired him to write his latest book, Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet and the World, published in June of 2008.
Professor Thurman also translates important Tibetan and Sanskrit philosophical writings and lectures and writes on Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism; on Asian history, particularly the history of the monastic institution in the Asian civilization; and on critical philosophy, with a focus on the dialogue between the material and inner sciences of the world's religious traditions.
