Thurman, R.

Thurman, R. on the DRL

Professors • Authors of English Works • Translators • Western Buddhist Teachers

Robert Alexander-Farrar Thurman

English Phonetics	Robert Thurman

Alternate names

• Tenzin Bob

Dates

Birth:	1941
Place of birth:	New York, USA

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

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Month
Gender
Element
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Rab Jyung

About

Primary Language:	English
Translates from:	Tibetan;Sanskrit
Translates to:	English

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

Columbia University

Secondary Affiliation

Amherst College;American Institute of Buddhist Studies;Tibet House U.S.

Religious Affiliation

Dalai Lama, 14th;Menla Mountain Retreat & Conference Center

Teachers

Gelukpa · Dalai Lama, 14th

PhD University

Harvard University

Other Biographical info:

Links

Wiki Pages

• Thurman, R. on the DRL
• Thurman, R. on the LIB
• Thurman, R. on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
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All beings have Buddha-nature
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If "Qualified", explain:
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Which Wheel Turning
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Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
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Zhentong vs Rangtong
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Promotes how many vehicles?
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Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
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What is Buddha-nature?
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Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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Full Name

Robert A.F. Thurman

Affiliation

• Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University

• Ph.D. Harvard

Other Information

Robert A. F. Thurman is an American Buddhist writer and academic who has written, edited or translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. He is the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan 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. [Source

Homepage: here
List of books: here
Biography
Wikipedia page

Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.