Robert A.F. Thurman leads a prayer for those who died in the Nepal earthquakes from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In the Tibetan view of the dying process, death is a gateway into a journey through a dream-like landscape (the bardo), that can take up to 49 days, and sometimes much longer, if the… Read more and listen »
Professor Thurman introduces the Essence of True Eloquence (drang nges legs bshad snying po), discussing his own personal experience encountering and translating the Tsongkhapa’s great work, and also Tsongkhapa’s own experience and doubts about composing the work. He elaborates on the role of Manjushri in influencing Tsongkhapa to eventually compose it, and in influencing those… Read more and listen »
Professor Robert A,F, Thurman draws from his book, Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages for a discussion on the distinctions between Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, delving into a discussion of Tantra, the creation stage and perfection stage; the extraordinary-ordinary mergers pertaining to basis, path and fruition; and the five stages of the Glorious… Read more and listen »
Introducing the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśha Sūtra, Gelek Rimpoche and Professor Thurman discuss mistaken relationships with Buddhist gurus and books, particularly in the West. They offer guidance for identifying a good guru and for maintaining a healthy relationship with the guru. In monastic Buddhism, the abbot is not a big boss and obedience is not a big… Read more and listen »
Buddhism’s Heart Sutra is recited at the start of teachings, events & as a blessing. In this podcast Robert AF Thurman leads a recitation of The Heart Sutra and gives an introduction to it’s history. Podcast concludes with Professor Thurman explaining how the practice of reciting The Heart Sutra is the key to understanding it’s… Read more and listen »
Professor Thurman speaks one on one to a student about meditation practices, quiescence (pali: samatha, sanskrit: śhamatha), insight (pali: vipassanā, sanskrit: vipaśhyanā) and meditative realization (bhāvanā). Includes a discussion of the common misunderstandings of the three, and how to use them on the path to enlightenment. “All phenomena of samsara and nirvana come about through… Read more and listen »
Introduction to the asceticism as created by the historical Buddha in the original mendicant community of male & female followers of his teachings. Robert AF Thurman discusses the difference between Theravada and Universal Vehicle (Mahayana) Buddhism, comparing the Nirvana aspiring mendicants and Enlightenment aspiring Bodhisattvas — the variances in their ways of thinking and the… Read more and listen »
Professor Thurman discusses the experiential and physical parallels between the process of sleep and the process of dying. He explains also the similarity between this experience and enlightenment, and how sleep yoga and death yoga can be used therefore on the path to enlightenment. This episode is an excerpt from recordings of a weekend retreat… Read more and listen »
In this podcast Robert Thurman discusses the motivational and inspirational value of examining rebirth stories first hand on the spiritual path no matter what one’s background is. Providing examples from Non-Buddhist communities Professor Thurman details the process of dying, death and rebirth, and the contraindications found within our modern relationship with it. Podcast concludes with… Read more and listen »
In this podcast Robert A.F. Thurman discusses the significance of March 10th in Tibetan history & in the context of the English translation of Sofia Stril-Rever’s book, “My Appeal to the World”, which is a collection of transcripts of 50 speeches given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama on March 10th between 1961 and 2011,… Read more and listen »
