Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman (born August 3, 1941) is an American Buddhism author and academic who has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of India Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in June 2019.
Early life and education
Thurman was born in New York City, 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 (French and English).
He is of English, German, Scottish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish descent.
[ His brother, John Thurman, is a professional concert cellist who performs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy from 1954 to 1958, then went to Harvard University, where he obtained his B.A. in 1962. He later returned to Harvard for graduate study in Sanskrit, receiving an M.A. in 1969 and a Ph.D. in 1972.]
In 1960, he married Marie-Christophe de Menil, daughter of Dominique de Menil and John de Menil and heiress to the Schlumberger Limited oil-equipment fortune.
Career
After the accident Thurman decided to refocus his life, divorcing de Menil and traveling from 1961 to 1966 in Turkey, Iran and India.
In 1967, Thurman returned to the United States and renounced his monk status (which required celibacy) to marry his second wife, German-Swedish model and psychotherapist Nena von Schlebrügge, who was divorced from Timothy Leary.
In 1986, Thurman created Tibet House US with Nena von Schlebrügge, Richard Gere and Philip Glass at the request of the Dalai Lama.[Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman. Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2007.] In 2009, Thurman starred in Rosa von Praunheim's film History of Hell - Rosas Höllenfahrt.
Ideas
Thurman is known for translations and explanations of Buddhist religious and philosophical material, particularly that pertaining to the (dge-lugs-pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism and its founder, Je Tsongkhapa.
Recognition and awards
Time named Thurman one of the 25 most influential Americans of 1997.[ Time's 25 most influential Americans. Time, 21 April 1997] In 2003 he received the Light of Truth Award, a human rights award from the International Campaign for Tibet. New York Magazine named him as one of the "Influentials" in religion in 2006.
Thurman is considered a pioneering, creative and talented translator of Buddhist literature by many of his English-speaking peers. Speaking of Thurman's translation of Tsongkhapa's Essence of Eloquence ( Legs bshad snying po), Matthew Kapstein (professor at the University of Chicago and Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris) has written that, "The Essence of Eloquence is famed in learned Tibetan circles as a text of unparalleled difficulty. ... To have translated it into English at all must be reckoned an intellectual accomplishment of a very high order. To have translated it to all intents and purposes correctly is a staggering achievement."["Review of Robert Thurman, Tsong Khapa's Speech of Gold in the Essence of True Eloquence in Philosophy East and West XXXVI.2 (1986): 184] Similarly, prominent Buddhologist Jan Nattier has praised the style of Thurman's translation of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, praising it as among the very best of translations of that important Indian Buddhist scripture.[“The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrtinirdeśa): A Review of Four English Translations” by Jan Nattier in Buddhist Literature 2 (2000), pg. 234-258]
Personal life
Twice married, Robert Thurman is the father of five children and grandfather to eight grandchildren. With Marie-Christophe de Menil, he has one daughter, Taya; their grandson was the artist Dash Snow.
Selected publications
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The Central Philosophy of Tibet: A Study and Translation of Jey Tsong Khapa's Essence of True Eloquence, Princeton University Press, 1991
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The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between Random House, 1994 (translations in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Russian)
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Essential Tibetan Buddhism, Castle Books, 1995
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Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet, with Marilyn Rhie Abrams, 1996
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Mandala: The Architecture of Enlightenment, with Denise P. Leidy, Shambhala Publications, 1997 ,
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World of Transformation: Masterpieces of Tibetan Sacred Art in the Donald Rubin Collection, with Marilyn Rhie, Tibet House US/Abrams, 1999
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Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness, Penguin, 1999
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Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas with Tad Wise, Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1999
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The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana Scripture, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000,
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Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well, Riverhead Books, 2004,
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The Universal Vehicle Discourse Literature (with Lozang Jamspal, et al.), Columbia University Press, 2005
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The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism, Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2005
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Visions of Tibet: Outer, Inner, Secret, photographs by Brian Kistler, introduction by Robert Thurman, ed. Thomas Yarnell, Overlook Duckworth, 2005,
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Anger: of the Seven Deadly Sins, Oxford University Press, 2005,
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Life and Teachings of Tsongkhapa, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2006,
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Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet and the World, Atria Books/Beyond Words, 2008,
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A Shrine for Tibet: The Alice Kandell Collection with Marylin Rhie, Overlook, 2010 ,
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Tsong Khapa’s Extremely Brilliant Lamp, Robert Thurman, 2010,
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Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages, Columbia University Press, 2011,
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Love Your Enemies: How To Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier with Sharon Salzberg, Hay House, 2013
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My Appeal to the World, 14th Dalai Lama, Sofia Stril-Rever, compiler, Robert Thurman, foreword, Tibet House US, Hay House, 2015,
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Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, graphic novel, William Meyers, Robert Thurman, Michael G. Burbank, initiated artistically by Rabkar Wangchuk, art a team effort of five artists coordinated by Steve Buccellato and Michael Burbank, Tibet House US,
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The Treasury of Buddhist Sciences, series, editors, Robert Thurman, Thomas Yarnall and The Treasury of Indic Sciences, series, editors Robert Thurman, Gary Tubb and Thomas Yarnall, are copublished with the American institute of Buddhist Studies and the Columbia University Center for Buddhist Studies; distributed by the Columbia University Press:
External links
