Bob Thurman Podcast

In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses how the ideas of Darwin, Marx and Freud, although brilliant, are based on a rather despondent bottom line assessment: that we as humans are a […]

In this episode Professor Thurman talks about a coarse, subtle and super subtle body-mind. He then explains the Tibetan Buddhist concept of “three luminosities”: the states of consciousness, which can be experienced […]

In this episode Robert A.F. Thurman discusses the meditation practices of the mindful revolution from a Buddhist perspective. He discusses its influence on the mind and some different ways it […]

“We must make miraculous change, and the planet will be better than ever,” – Professor Thurman greets us with this positive message in this special podcast, recorded for the occasion […]

According to Professor Thurman, the only effective institutional opposition to militarism in the history of humanity has been monasticism. He argues that monastic institutions enable the inversion of warriors. The […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman talks about the history and meaning of the Pureland Sutra and the Lotus Sutra. Sutras are canonical scriptures, regarded as records of the oral teachings […]

In this podcast Professor Robert A.F. Thurman shares his knowledge of the history of non-violence & Buddhism and their influence on the social and ethical development in the countries where […]

In this episode Professor Thurman explains the concept of emptiness. Sometimes people think if they have an experience where things seem to melt into empty space, that it is a […]

In this episode Professor Thurman discusses how to deepen our mental realism about what we are, what our inner world & processes are by applying the famous Buddhist Eightfold Path. […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman shares the stories of great sinners transforming into great saints, of work-ability of the human mind and preciousness of human life. The miracle stories will […]

Celebrate tonight the welcoming of the Infinite Divine in the form of an innocent child, reaching out not only to humans, but also to non-humans by being born in a manger, […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explains the meaning of the cornerstone Buddhist concept of Bodhichitta, which is of two kinds: love & compassion and wisdom of emptiness. Enlightenment is a […]

Prince Siddhartha was asserting his human right to seek his own flourishing and fulfillment as a human individual rather than serve the community as a king at the wish of […]

In this episode Professor Thurman talks about the Seventeen Great Scholars of Nalanda. They taught at Nalanda, which was a renowned Buddhist University, which traditionally is said to have grown […]

What does it mean to become a Buddha? Does it mean to disappear into space separate from everything? To feel superior? To become a servant of others? In this episode […]

We all know what anger is. When a situation is going wrong for us — when something we wanted to see happening doesn’t, or when something we don’t want to […]

“Since I and other beings, both, in wanting happiness are equal and alike, what difference is there to distinguish us, that I should strive to have my happiness alone?” In […]

When we look at mother-beings and see how they really are—quite unhappy, having a lot of problems, growing old—we naturally wish to relieve their unbearable feelings, and this wish takes […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman shares insights on the concepts of virtue, beauty and skillfulness in Tibetan Buddhism. We think of virtue as beautiful and associate the good with light […]

This episode is a continuation of last week’s episode on the fifth chapter of the famous Vimalakirti Sutra. An object of love and inspiration for many lay practitioners, as well […]