Robert Thurman
Encyclopedia
Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman (born August 3, 1941) is an influential and prolific American Buddhist
writer and academic who has authored, edited or translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism
. He is the Je Tsongkhapa
Professor of Indo-
Tibet
an Buddhist Studies at Columbia University
, holding the first endowed chair in this field of study in the United States. He also is the co-founder and president of the Tibet House
New York and is active against the People's Republic of China's control of Tibet.
, the son of Elizabeth Dean Farrar (1907–1973), a stage actress, and Beverly Reid Thurman, Jr. (1909–1962), an Associated Press
editor and U.N. translator. He attended Philips Exeter Academy from 1954 to 1958, followed by Harvard University
, where he obtained his A.B.
, A.M.
and Ph.D.
degrees.
He married Dominique de Menil
, an heiress to the Schlumberger Limited oil-equipment fortune, in 1960; they had one daughter, Taya; their grandson was the late artist Dash Snow
. In 1961 Thurman lost his left eye in an accident while he was using a jack to lift an automobile
, and the eye was replaced with an ocular prosthetic.
After the accident he decided to refocus his life, divorcing his wife and traveling from 1961 to 1966 in Turkey
, Iran
and India
. He became a Buddhist and was ordained in 1964, the first American Buddhist monk
of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He studied with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
, who became a close friend.
In 1967, back in the United States, Thurman resigned his monk's vows of celibacy and married his second wife, German-Swedish model Nena von Schlebrügge
, who was previously briefly married to Timothy Leary
. Thurman and Schlebrügge have four children, the oldest being actress Uma Thurman
.
Thurman obtained an A.M.
in 1969 and a Ph.D.
in Sanskrit
Indian Studies in 1972 from Harvard. He was professor of religion at Amherst College
from 1973 to 1988, when he accepted a position at Columbia University
as professor of religion and Sanskrit. At Amherst College Thurman met his lifelong friend Prof. Lal Mani Joshi
, a distinguished Indian Buddhist scholar.
In 1987 Thurman created Tibet House U.S. with Richard Gere
and Philip Glass
at the request of the Dalai Lama. Tibet House is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help preserve Tibetan Culture in exile. In 2001, the Pathwork Center, a 320 acres (1.3 km²) retreat center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, NY, was donated to Tibet House. Thurman and Schlebrügge renamed the center Menla Mountain Retreat and Conference Center. Menla (the Tibetan name for the Medicine Buddha
) is being developed into a state-of-the-art healing arts center grounded in the Tibetan Medical tradition in conjunction with other holistic paradigms.
pa (dge-lugs-pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism
and its founder, Je Tsongkhapa
.
chose Robert Thurman as one of the 25 most influential Americans of 1997.
In a 1996 interview for the Utne Reader
, Robert Thurman answers general critics about idealizing Tibet:
The quality of Thurman's translations has been questioned. Toru Tomabechi, a graduate student at the University of Lausanne, wrote that Thurman's translation of the Pañcakrama contains "disastrous" mistakes that seemingly result from "misunderstandings of Tibetan syntax" and "easily avoided" errors that betray "little trace of[the] minimal effort . . which we would naturally expect in any serious work of scholarship."
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
writer and academic who has authored, edited or translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. He is the Je Tsongkhapa
Je Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...
Professor of Indo-
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an Buddhist Studies at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, holding the first endowed chair in this field of study in the United States. He also is the co-founder and president of the Tibet House
Tibet House
Tibet House US was founded in 1987 by Columbia University professor Robert Thurman, actor Richard Gere and modern composer Philip Glass at the behest of the 14th H.H. Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. It was initially organized in New York City, USA, and the Tibet House US is still based there...
New York and is active against the People's Republic of China's control of Tibet.
Life
Thurman was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Elizabeth Dean Farrar (1907–1973), a stage actress, and Beverly Reid Thurman, Jr. (1909–1962), an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
editor and U.N. translator. He attended Philips Exeter Academy from 1954 to 1958, followed by Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he obtained his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees.
He married Dominique de Menil
Dominique de Menil
Dominique de Menil was a French-American art collector, philanthropist, founder of the Menil Collection and an heiress to the Schlumberger Limited oil-equipment fortune...
, an heiress to the Schlumberger Limited oil-equipment fortune, in 1960; they had one daughter, Taya; their grandson was the late artist Dash Snow
Dash Snow
Dashiel "Dash" Snow was an American artist, based in New York.-Life:Dashiel A. Snow was born in 1981, the son of Taya Thurman and Christopher Snow...
. In 1961 Thurman lost his left eye in an accident while he was using a jack to lift an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, and the eye was replaced with an ocular prosthetic.
After the accident he decided to refocus his life, divorcing his wife and traveling from 1961 to 1966 in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He became a Buddhist and was ordained in 1964, the first American Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He studied with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, who became a close friend.
In 1967, back in the United States, Thurman resigned his monk's vows of celibacy and married his second wife, German-Swedish model Nena von Schlebrügge
Nena von Schlebrügge
Birgitte Caroline 'Nena' von Schlebrügge is a Mexican former fashion model of the 1950s and 1960s and is now the managing director of Menla Mountain Retreat....
, who was previously briefly married to Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
. Thurman and Schlebrügge have four children, the oldest being actress Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
.
Thurman obtained an A.M.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1969 and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Indian Studies in 1972 from Harvard. He was professor of religion at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
from 1973 to 1988, when he accepted a position at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
as professor of religion and Sanskrit. At Amherst College Thurman met his lifelong friend Prof. Lal Mani Joshi
Lal Mani Joshi
Lal Mani Joshi was an eminent Buddhist scholar and professor of Comparative Religions and Buddhist Studies in a number of distinguished universities of India and USA....
, a distinguished Indian Buddhist scholar.
In 1987 Thurman created Tibet House U.S. with Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
at the request of the Dalai Lama. Tibet House is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help preserve Tibetan Culture in exile. In 2001, the Pathwork Center, a 320 acres (1.3 km²) retreat center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, NY, was donated to Tibet House. Thurman and Schlebrügge renamed the center Menla Mountain Retreat and Conference Center. Menla (the Tibetan name for the Medicine Buddha
Bhaisajyaguru
Bhaiṣajyaguru , formally Bhaiṣajyaguruvaidūryaprabharāja , is the buddha of healing and medicine in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Commonly referred to as the "Medicine Buddha", he is described as a doctor who cures suffering using the medicine of his teachings.-Origin:...
) is being developed into a state-of-the-art healing arts center grounded in the Tibetan Medical tradition in conjunction with other holistic paradigms.
Ideas
Dr. Thurman is known for translations and explanations of Buddhist religious and philosophical material, particularly that pertaining to the GelugGelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
pa (dge-lugs-pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and its founder, Je Tsongkhapa
Je Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...
.
Public reception
TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
chose Robert Thurman as one of the 25 most influential Americans of 1997.
In a 1996 interview for the Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
, Robert Thurman answers general critics about idealizing Tibet:
The quality of Thurman's translations has been questioned. Toru Tomabechi, a graduate student at the University of Lausanne, wrote that Thurman's translation of the Pañcakrama contains "disastrous" mistakes that seemingly result from "misunderstandings of Tibetan syntax" and "easily avoided" errors that betray "little trace of
Works
- The Central Philosophy of Tibet: A Study and Translation of Jey Tsong Khapa's 'Essence of True Eloquence (Princeton LibraryPrinceton University LibraryPrinceton University Library is the main library system of Princeton University. With holdings of more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, and 37,000 linear feet of manuscripts, it is headquartered in the Harvey S...
of Asian Translations, Princeton University PressPrinceton University Press-Further reading:* "". Artforum International, 2005.-External links:* * * * *...
, 1991) - The Tibetan Book of the DeadBardo ThodolThe Liberation Through Hearing During The Intermediate State , sometimes translated as Liberation Through Hearing or Bardo Thodol is a funerary text...
(Bantam Doubleday DellRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, 1994) - Essential Tibetan Buddhism, (Castle Books, 1995 ISBN 0-7858-0872-8)
- Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet (Abrams, 1996)
- Tibetan Buddhism (HarperSanFrancisco, 1996, ISBN 0-7881-6757-X)
- MandalaMandalaMaṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
: The Architecture of Enlightenment (Shambhala PublicationsShambhala PublicationsShambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Many of its books deal with Buddhism or related topics...
, 1997) - Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion (Harry N. Abrams, 1999)
- Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness (Penguin, 1999)
- The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A MahayanaMahayanaMahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Scripture (translated by Robert Thurman, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-271-01209-9) - Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas co-authored with Tad Wise (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1999)
- Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well (Riverhead BooksRiverhead BooksRiverhead Books is a division of Penguin Group .Notable books and major bestsellers published by Riverhead include Journals by Kurt Cobain; The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama; The Color of Water by James McBride; Native Speaker, A Gesture Life, and Aloft by Chang-rae Lee; Fever...
, 2004, ISBN 1-57322-267-4) - The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism (Free PressFree Press (publisher)Free Press is a book publishing imprint of Simon and Schuster. It was founded by Jeremiah Kaplan and Charles Liebman in 1947 and was devoted to sociology and religion titles. It was headquartered in Glencoe, Illinois, where it was known as The Free Press of Glencoe...
/Simon & SchusterSimon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, 2005) - Anger (Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 2005, ISBN 0-19-516975-1) - Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet and the World (Atria Books/Beyond WordsBeyond Words PublishingBeyond Words Publishing is a book publishing company located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1983, the company was unprofitable in its early years, though its works were award winning. The privately owned company focuses on non-fiction titles in the New Age genre, but began as a...
, 2008, ISBN 1-58270-220-9)
Multimedia
- The Bob Thurman Podcast
- Journey with Robert Thurman in Bhutan
- Thurman, Robert (1999). Robert A.F. Thurman on Buddhism. DVD. ASIN B00005Y721.
- Thurman, Robert (2002). Robert Thurman on Tibet. DVD. ASIN B00005Y722.
External links
- Bob Thurman Authorized web site
- Why the Dalai Lama Matters Authorized web site
- Journey with Robert Thurman in Bhutan
- The Bob Thurman Podcast
- Thurman Web Site
- Video of an energetic talk about Buddhism and education at Columbia
- Thurman's Interview with the Dalai Lama in Mother JonesMother Jones (magazine)Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
- Bob Thurman: Becoming Buddha -- on the Web TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
, Dec. 2006 - Video interview at City Arts & LecturesCity Arts & LecturesCity Arts & Lectures produces onstage conversation at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Founded by Sydney Goldstein in 1980, City Arts & Lectures produces more than fifty live events a year and records most events for edited and delayed broadcast on public radio...
, 2009-03-05 - Global Lens Interview VIDEO