Bob Thurman Podcast:

This podcast begins with an introduction to the Buddhist wisdom nagas by Professor Thurman through recounting a story from HH Dalai Lama‘s visit to Menla Mountain & concludes with a […]

The historical Buddha taught that human life is precious and in this podcast Professor Thurman defines & elaborates this theme as taught by the Buddhists of Tibet. This podcast is […]

A short guided meditation on the 2017 US Presidential Inauguration, the Women’s Marches held world wide & the historical context of the current global situation by Professor Robert A.F. Thurman. […]

The discovery of the historical Buddha not only posited the nature of reality but put forth a systematic method for individuals & society to transform themselves through enlightenment. In this […]

Professor Thurman guides a close reading of the ‘Six Session Guru Yoga’ it’s commitments for initiates of the Yoga and Highest Yoga tantras, explaining the bodhisattva and tantric vows taken […]

The Kalachakra Tantra or “The Wheel of Time” teachings as preserved within the Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana tradition are considered some of the most esoteric & significant series of initiations transmitted […]

Sharon Salzberg & Robert Thurman lead a dialog on the concept of skillful means & answer questions about Buddhist reincarnation through story telling & explanation of current empirical evidence found […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman & Sharon Salzberg discuss the practice of lovingkindness meditation and it’s power to change one’s relationship with difficult people, emotions & situations. Includes a brief […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman leads a recitation from his translation of “The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between” of […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explores the concept of fierce protector deities used in Buddhist practices found in the traditional “Tibetan Book of The Dead” teachings and end of life […]

In this episode Professor Thurman examines the twelve verse summary of the Buddhist path as found the 12th Century “Essence of Eloquence” transcribed to Jey Tsongkapa by Manjushri in 1396-1397. […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman examines the historical Buddha’s exploration of the nature of reality & dispels the common misunderstanding of his core discovery. Includes a detailed explanation of the […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses how to use the practice for the post-election result. This podcast was recorded on November 11, 2016 by Professor Thurman at his residence in […]

Conventional terms for different types of Buddhism (Japanese, Chinese, American, etc) seem to imply that Buddhism was made in these countries, and that it is a product of Japan or […]

According to a Buddhist belief, we all have lived not just one, but many lives, an infinite amount of them. This means that every being has had a chance to […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explains that Buddhism is not only a religion, but it is even more a science and a philosophy. He uses as an example the Buddhist concept of […]

Different actions bring about different results. Depending on these results, actions may be called skillful or unskillful, right or wrong, realistic or unrealistic. Positive types of actions (physical, verbal or […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explains why karma is a biological theory. Karma doesn’t mean a fate, karma means causality. You shape how you are. You shape how you are […]

This episode is a continuation of last week’s episode on Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. In this episode, Professor Thurman reads from Shantideva’s verses, dedicated to anger and […]

Shantideva is the author of one of the most studied texts in the Buddhist canon — A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. In this episode, Professor Thurman reads from […]

In this episode Professor Thurman explains that a Buddhist concept of “emptiness” or “voidness” doesn’t mean a “no state” apart from everything, or “nothingness”. Emptiness means that everything is empty […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses a famous Buddhist concept of the “four transcendences,” or the “four thoughts that change the mind”: 1. The preciousness of the human life of […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explains how we can apply the tenfold path of positive/skillful evolutionary actions to shape our lives in a positive direction and improve our evolutionary conditions. […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses the importance of right understanding of faith, the ability to apply doubt and skepticism on the Buddhist path without taking it to the extreme […]

In this podcast Professor Thurman explains how freedom in our choices depends on whether we are living consciously or unconsciously. There is no such thing as “meant to be”, however, […]